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Yorkton to Celebrate 75th Anniversary of Ukrainian Canadian Congress National with Ambassador Andriy

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Andriy Shevchenko, will be the keynote speaker at an evening banquet at St Mary’s Cultural Centre in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Prior to his diplomatic appointment, Mr.
75th Anniversary

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada, His Excellency Andriy Shevchenko, will be the keynote speaker at an evening banquet at St Mary’s Cultural Centre in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on Thursday, June 9, 2016.

Prior to his diplomatic appointment, Mr. Shevchenko had an outstanding career in both politics and the media. He is well known in Ukraine as a civil activist and a defender of human rights. At the beginning of his media career in the 1990’s, Mr. Shevchenko worked as a Kyiv-based correspondent for the Edmonton-based newspaper, The Ukrainian News. A seasoned journalist, he was one of the founders of Ukrainian’s 5th Channel, the first 24/7 news channel in Ukraine. In 2002, he became the first chairman of the Kyiv Independent Media-Union. Mr. Shevchenko helped lead the journalist movement against state censorship.  In 2004, during the Orange Revolution, Mr. Shevchenko was a face of the Orange Revolution for TV audiences, later winning the prestigious Press Freedom Award from “Reporters Without Borders” (Vienna).

The ambassador’s official visit to Saskatchewan is a segment of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) National 75th Anniversary Cross Canada Tour, initiated by UCC National President Paul Grod who will also provide a keynote address. UCC National has been instrumental in providing avenues for our Members of Parliament and officials to be well informed about Ukraine and issues important to the Ukrainian Canadian Community.  Canada has long supported Ukraine in its national and global efforts to succeed nationally and locally. Recently, a free-trade agreement was signed between our two countries.

This visit to Yorkton comes in cooperation with Cathay Wagantall, Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Yorkton-Melville, which among federal ridings  has Canada’s largest concentration of people of Ukrainian descent. The passion for culture and heritage is evident among people of this ethnicity and is an integral part of the diverse cultural fabric of our country.

This celebratory banquet and program is open to the public. Tickets may be purchased at Frameworks, Tourism Yorkton, St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Rectory or the Ukrainian Orthodox Parish. Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for students.