Friday, July 29, 2016

Grand River Marina & Cafe – сімейний бізнес родини Лучків

Grand River Marina  & Cafe: тільки якісні продукти та сервіси для своїх клієнтів, і неодмінно з душею і весело

Hа захід від Торонто поблизу містечка Dunnville, на березі річки Grand River (у кількох кілометрах від озера Erie) розташований мальовничий куток природи. Саме тут влітку 2015 року родина Лучків поклала початок своєму бізнесу, ідея якого виникла з того, що діти хотіли працювати під час літніх канікул. Якщо копнути глибше, то і Михайло, голова сімейства, давно мріяв створити гарний осередок, куди могли б приїздити українці на відпочинок. Отож, купивши на березі ріки місце з чудовим краєвидом, яке припало до душі дітям, а Михайлу особливо, тому що воно нагадало острів Хортиця на Дніпрі, Лучківи дружно взялися до роботи, щоб якомога швидше втілити ідею в життя.


CAR LOANS!


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

UCU Helps Ukraine - Financial Report

UCU Helps Ukraine volunteers greet veterans Ihor Sholtys, Vadym Zyablitsev
and volunteer aid worker Yuriy Lipar at Pearson International Airport
About two weeks ago we said goodbye to two superb young gentlemen, Vadym Zyablitsev and Ihor Sholtys. The two veterans of Ukraine’s war against Putin’s invading armies in the Donbas bid their farewells and boarded a plane back to Ukraine.
Yuriy Diakunchak, Director, Marketing
at Ukrainian Credit Union Limited


When they first stepped off the plane on June 3 at Toronto’s Pearson Airport we didn’t really know what to expect, both from the young men in question and from the two week fundraising tour we had planned for them. We had some pledges from sponsors to help pay for the flights and hotels for Ihor, Vadym and Yuriy Lipar, a volunteer from Lviv who accompanied them on the trip.

We soon saw that our guests were decent, intelligent, well-spoken, patriotic men who had answered the call of their motherland willingly. They paid a high price by sustaining serious injuries at two of the most well-known battles of the war, Ihor (20 years old) at Pisky and Vadym (25 years old) at Debaltsevo.

Their trip to Canada was a first for both. It was short, but they saw a lot, met many people, and came away with a deep appreciation of the Ukrainian-Canadian community in southern Ontario. They also put in a tremendous amount of work. In total, they made appearances at four major fundraising events and at a number of other visits to Ukrainian schools, businesses and community organizations.

At the four fundraising events we raised $37,940 for the UCU Helps Ukraine Fund in donations and ticket sales. The breakdown is as follows:
June 5: (Oakville) Ukrainian Orthodox Eastern Eparchy Picnic: $6,120.00
Jun 8: (Etobicoke) UNF Hall 145 Evans: $9,000.00
June 10: Hamilton UNF Hall: $4,900.00
June 12: (Mississauga) St. Mary’s Church: $17,920.00
Total: $37,940.00
We also raised $10,000 from sponsors to pay for travel costs, visas and other expenses. Cash sponsorship came from the following groups and individuals:
Ukrainian Credit Union Limited: $5,000
Toronto Ukrainian Foundation: $2,000 (for educational content/production of video etc.)
Oleksandr Mackiw: $1,000
Staff of Bloor West Branch: $1,000
Staff of Etobicoke branch: $500
Ukrainian War Veterans’ Association (UWVA): $500
Total: $10,000
The expenses breakdown as following:
Visas: $516.35
Airfare: $3,423.00
Accommodations: $2,998.55
Mailing, Printing costs: $763.85
Audio/Visual and production for shows: $2,400.00
Total: $10,101.75
We also received much sponsorship in kind:

  • A very special thanks to Iryna Hlywa and the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada - St. Mary's branch who took the initiative to organize the event in Mississauga on June 12
  • St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre in Oakville provided the venue and equipment on June 5th.
  • UNF Toronto provided the Trident Hall at the June 8th event
  • Ukrainian Credit Union Limited provided food for the June 8th event.
  • UNF and OYK in Hamilton provided the hall and coffee and UCC Hamilton branch funded the sweets for the June 10th event.
  • Antonina Kumka sacrificed much of her time to help with organizing and promoting the Hamilton event.
  • Dormition of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church (St. Mary’s) provided food and audio/visual equipment for the June 12th event
  • Kontakt TV, New Pathway newspaper, Radio Meest and Radio Postup provided much publicity for the fundraising events
  • UCU Helps Ukraine volunteers and organizers Kateryna Litvinjuk, Michael Zienchuk, Roman Mlynko, Anna Procio, Oksana Iwanusiw, Yaryna Kozak and many other UCU staff as well as Renata Roman and Stefan Chwaluk donated countless hours of work toward organizing the events as well as spending out of pocket on various costs that came up during the visit.
  • We would also like to thank all those who helped with the performances at each event: Yana Bilyk, Oleh Buncha, Lesya Babiy, Oksana Volynets, Yaryna Kozak, Taras Turianyn, Serhiy Danko, Natalka Gil, Natalia Kolacz, Lesya and Anatoliy Padalko, Taras Blyzniuk, Fedir Danylak and Barvinok, Ivan Kyba, Joseph Terlicki and Zahrava, Rustem Irsay, Oleksandr Bat, Vlodko Dlugosz and many others who helped during the soldiers’ tour in Ontario, there are too many people to thank individually. But you all have our gratitude.

As of June 21, 2016 the UCU Helps Ukraine fund has raised $118.387.72. So far we have helped over 50 soldiers that are recovering from their injuries.

If you can help, please give generously. There are many more young men such as Ihor and Vadym who have lost arms, legs or suffered even worse injuries. You can give at any branch of Ukrainian Credit Union Limited or through our call centre 416-922-4407, 800-461-0777. Please ask for account #721225. This is not a registered charity and charitable receipts will not be issued.

Yuriy Diakunchak
Director of Marketing
Ukrainian Credit Union Limited
416-763-5575 x208
ydiakunchak@ukrainiancu.com

Nasha Kasha Update

\
teve Andrusiak has just sent us two new episodes of his Nasha Kasha program. Here is his note to us in full:
Here are the latest two editions of Nasha Kasha.#8- Akron, OH - Sonya & Alexanderhttps://www.dropbox.com/s/tdlgr979aaquu3f/Nasha%20Kasha%208-%20Akron%20Sonya%20%26%20Alexander.mp3?dl=0#9- Sudbury, ON- Hop Skok Canadahttps://www.dropbox.com/s/iwx81yoqh1wpphl/Nasha%20Kasha%209-%20Hop%20Skok%20Canada%20%20.mp3?dl=0Again, Yuriy, thank you and UCU for help with the gas money for Sudbury and Kingston.  I'm on my way to Ottawa for a Friday interview also assisted by UCU.I would appreciate receiving feedback the programs, when you and your team have the time to give it.All the best!Stefan

You can read more about Nasha Kasha in our previous post on the topic:Nasha Kasha - Program about Ukrainian Life in Ontario

Have a listen and let us know what you think.


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Руслана та Петра ВЖЕСНЕВСЬКІ: нове житло на одному диханні

Руслана Вжесневська не потребує особливого представлення: вона вже досить давно на очах української громади Канади. Дуже добре знають її, ініціативну, активну, дієву та небайдужу, в Торонто. Саме тут в українській родині вона народилася. Шанаваними людьми в громаді були її батько Роман і мама Ірена. Прабабуся заснувала в Торонто багатьом відому пекарню Future Bakery, власником якої нині є брат п. Руслани Борис Вжесневський - член Парламенту Канади. Пані Руслана завжди з незмінною щирістю і вдячністю говорить про те, як незмірно багато дали для її духовноморального розвитку батьки, українська школа, церква. Почуття вдячності жінка вважає важливою людською рисою, тому плекала її в своїх дітях, а тепер передає онукові.

Здобувши освіту в університеті Торонто (Bachelor of Science, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Specialty, Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry), пані Руслана близько 10 років працювала в психіатричних шпиталях, займаючись реабілітаційною медициною, трудотерапією. Після випадку зі складним пацієнтом, що складав небезпеку і для її життя, і для майбутньої дитини, вона обирає безпечнішу професію агента з продажу нерухомості. Вибір саме цієї сфери діяльності був зумовлений ще й тим, що непростий процес купівлі-продажу будинків завжди цікавив п. Руслану і надзвичайно їй подобався, як і декорування інтер’єрів та антикваріат. 

A new home just a phone call away with Ruslana and Petra Wrzesnewskyj!


Ruslana Wrzesnewskyj hardly needs an introduction: she has been a prominent member of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada community for a long time. This active and compassionate woman was born into a Ukrainian family in Toronto. Her parents, Roman and Irena were respected members of the community. Ruslana’s grandparents founded a well-known Future Bakery, which is currently owned by Ruslana’s brother, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, who is also a Member of Parliament in Etobicoke Centre. Ruslana always speaks fondly about how much the community, her parents and the Ukrainian school and church she went to meant for her moral and spiritual upbringing. Ruslana considers being grateful a very important personality trait and has always instilled this feeling in her children and grandson.

Ms. Wrzesnewskyj graduated from the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Science, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, specializing in Occupational Therapy and Psychiatry) and for ten years worked in psychiatric hospitals in rehabilitation medicine and occupational therapy. However, after an accident with a patient, which threatened her own life and the life of her future child, she chose the profession of a real estate agent. Ruslana based this choice also on her long-time fascination with the intricacies of real estate deals as well as with interior design and antiquities. So, 20 years ago she started her real estate business.

Her eldest of four daughters, Petra, runs the business together with Ruslana. Real estate is not Petra’s first profession either. She is a political scientist by education and when her mother lost her trusted business partner, Natalia Tanchak, who passed away ten years ago, she offered her help and became a real estate agent. Now, the mother and daughter business partners combine Ruslana’s wisdom and experience with her daughter Petra’s enthusiasm and drive. During Ruslana’s frequent travels to Ukraine, she often leaves the business for Petra to run.  Ruslana’s other daughter Anka, who is studying design, helps them also. Apart from her Toronto-based real estate business, Ruslana also owns the Hatky Ruslany hotel and the Donechky restaurant in Ukraine, close to Vorokhta.