Chronology of Toronto Chapter
Toronto started attracting immigrants from Belarusian lands at least since the end of the nineteenth century; however, organized Belarusian community life in the city began only with the immigration wave that arrived after World War II. Civil and religious life of Toronto’s Belarusians went hand in hand. Toronto’s BCA members who founded the parish of St. Kiryla of Turau under the jurisdiction of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
1948
The Belarusian Printing Foundation is established (by Kastuṡ Akula). The foundation financed such publications as The Belarusian Immigrant and Zvażaj, among others.
November 28, 1948
The Belarusian Canadian Alliance, the first Belarusian national organization in North America, is founded in Toronto with Kastuṡ Akula elected as the Head of the Executive Board. Members of the Toronto Chapter helped organized Belarusians who were settling in other places in Ontario, such as Oshawa, Hamilton, Kingston, and Sudbury.
1948–1954
The Belarusian Immigrant is published monthly in Toronto, with Kastuṡ Akula as Editor-in-Chief.
1951–1954
A series of lectures on the Belarusian culture, language and history is delivered at the Department of Slavic Studies of the University of Toronto by Dr. Vincent Žuk-Hryškievič.
1952
Toronto’s Belarusian World War II veterans initiate and organize the First Convention of Belarusians of North America in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada.
1953
Belarusian (Toronto) Credit Union Ltd. is established with Dr. Vincent Žuk-Hryškievič as the first chair of the board. This financial institution helped many Belarusians settle in Canada.
1954
Belarusians in Toronto purchase their first communal property at 1000 Dundas Street in Toronto.
November 2, 1954
St. Kiryla of Turau parish celebrates its first mass at 1000 Dundas Street.
1959
The community purchases a building at 524 St. Clarens Avenue in Toronto
1966
The Alliance of Belarusian Women is founded.
1967
The Belarusian Institute of Art and Science (BINIM) is founded in Canada.
1960’s and 1970’s
Toronto’s Belarusian Centre is home to Belarusian Dance Ensemble (directed by Barys Kirka).
1967
Kastuṡ Akula organizes a protest against USSR’s delegation at EXPO 67 World Fair in Montreal, using anti-Soviet banners and disseminating printed materials.
1968
Tomorrow is Yesterday, a novel by Kastuṡ Akula (Pahonia Publishing House), becomes the first novel of a Belarusian immigrant author written and published in the English language.
1969
Toronto’s Belarusian community purchases a farm on Lake Manitouwabing to be used for leisure and recreation under the name of Slutzak.
1969
BCA’s Toronto Chapter takes part in the first Metropolitan International Caravan proudly hosting one of its twenty nine pavilions.
March 25, 1970
White-red-white Belarusian national flag is raised at Toronto City Hall, a ceremony to be repeated over the next thirty years.
1974
Kastuṡ Akula founded the Reunion Committee of Former Belarusian Combatants in the year of a symbolic 30th anniversary of the Belarusian Home Defence (BKA). The founding meeting of the Committee, which took place on August 17–18, 1974, in Manchester, UK, was organized by Kastuṡ Akula. The first edition of its publication Zvażaj appeared in November of 1974.
1974 – 1997
Zvażaj become a quarterly magazine under its editor-in-chief Kastuṡ Akula.
1974 – 1978
Two volume of Byelarusian Language, a textbook for speakers of English, first of its kind, are published by Torontonian Valiantsina Pashkevich.
1988
The Memorial Cross to commemorate 1000 years of Christianity in Belarus is unveiled at Martyr’s Shrine in Midland, ON (project inspired and financed by Mr. and Mrs. Žuk-Hryškievič). A symbolic tombstone in memory of those who perished as a result of communist repressions in Belarus was erected next to the Cross in 1995.
1988
Harmony Printing Ltd. of Toronto publishes Communion-table Holly Gospel in Belarusian by Archbishop Mikalai (Matsukevich).
1991 – 2006
The Coordination Committee of Belarusians in Canada starts publishing its Kamunikat, a periodical that delivers to its readers a total of 89 issues (Publisher: Chair of the Coordination Committee Dr. Raisa Žuk-Hryškievič)
1993
A large delegation of Canadian Belarusians (including members of BCA’s Toronto Chapter) participate in the First Congress of Belarusians of the World in Minsk, a forum organized by Baćkauščyna, the Association of Belarusians of the World.
1993
Dr. Raisa Žuk-Hryškievič publishes The Life of Vincent Žuk-Hryškievič, a book that thoroughly depicts the life of post-World War II Belarusian immigrants in Toronto.
1995-1999
Information periodical INFA-ZBK (INFO-BCA) is published in both Belarusian and English by Mikola Hanko, BCA’s chair of the board.
2001
Belarusian Folk Song and Dance Group Yavarovy Liudzi is founded by its artistic director Violetta Kovaleva. The group releases two albums, Iskarka-pryhauka and Vyraj, and a musical titled To-to-to. Yavarovy Liudzi performed to audiences in twelve cities in Canada and the US. The group becomes a regular feature at annual folk festivals and events representing Belarusian cultural heritage all across North America.
2002–2008
Newspaper Belaruskaye Slova published in Belarusian in Toronto (no regular frequency, a total of 11 issues were printed).
2002
Yavarovy Liudzi organizes the first Kupala Night festival in “Slutzak.”
2006
Valiantsina Pashkevich published The Belarusian-English Dictionary, the first book of its kind in the world that took her over fifty years to complete.
2008
Spirit of Belarus, an art and design studio, is founded by Iryna Varabei, its future president and member of the BCA’s Toronto Chapter
2003 – 2007
Belarusian Community and Religious Centre becomes home to the Belarusian Folk Amateur Theatre directed by Iryna Sharamet. The Theatre releases Paulinka, Prymaki and Пісаравы імяніны (Scribe’s Name Day).
2005
Against the Current, memories of Borys Ragula, is published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
2005
University of Waterloo Professor Zina Gimpelevich, a member of BCA, publishes in English her monograph Vasil Bykau: His Life and Works (McGuill-Queen’s University Press).
2015-2018
Toronto Community takes an active part in the Belarusian Language study series called Mova Nanova conceptualized and promoted by Іryna Toustik.
2015 – 2018
Razmova, a Saturday school for children, is organized and taught by Katsiaryna Viktarovich.
2015
Yavarovy Liudzi starts performing with its youth and children’s group called Yavarovy Dzieci.
2015
Iryna Varabei features Belarusian nizanka embroidery style in her online tutorial hosting it on The Embroiderers’ Association of Canada’s website, among other online resources. Artists from more than fifty countries around the world are now using Belarusian nizanka in their artwork. The style has become one of the world’s most popular needleworks alongside sashiko from Japan and merezhka from Ukraine.
2016 – 2019
Iryna Varabei’s two artefacts (the only two from the Province of Ontario!) make it to a final selection stage for a three-year road show Threadworks – 16.
2017
Anton Varabei of BCA’s Toronto Chapter won the champion’s title in the individual and team cycling races, winning the final leg of Ontario Cup – 2017. Anton is a founder and coach of Toronto Hustle, a Toronto-based cycling team and club. The youngest team member of Toronto Hustle won the Canadian Junior champion’s title in the same year.
2017
The Toronto Chapter actively participates in the Parade of Nations celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary, carrying a gigantic Belarusian stork (busel) model, which became famous thanks to the artistry work of Nargiza Usmanova and Alexei Smantser.
2018
Vulitsa Heniush (Heniush Street), a show dedicated to Belarusian Democratic Republic’s Centennial, is produced and staged in Toronto by artistic director Valiantsina Chevtchenko.
The Memorial Cross to commemorate 1000 years of Christianity in Belarus is unveiled at Martyr’s Shrine in Midland, ON (project inspired and financed by Mr. and Mrs. Žuk-Hryškievič). A symbolic tombstone in memory of those who perished as a result of communist repressions in Belarus was erected next to the Cross in 1995.
1988
Harmony Printing Ltd. of Toronto publishes Communion-table Holly Gospel in Belarusian by Archbishop Mikalai (Matsukevich).
1991 – 2006
The Coordination Committee of Belarusians in Canada starts publishing its Kamunikat, a periodical that delivers to its readers a total of 89 issues (Publisher: Chair of the Coordination Committee Dr. Raisa Žuk-Hryškievič)
1993
A large delegation of Canadian Belarusians (including members of BCA’s Toronto Chapter) participate in the First Congress of Belarusians of the World in Minsk, a forum organized by Baćkauščyna, the Association of Belarusians of the World.
1993
Dr. Raisa Žuk-Hryškievič publishes The Life of Vincent Žuk-Hryškievič, a book that thoroughly depicts the life of post-World War II Belarusian immigrants in Toronto.
1995-1999
Information periodical INFA-ZBK (INFO-BCA) is published in both Belarusian and English by Mikola Hanko, BCA’s chair of the board.
2001
Belarusian Folk Song and Dance Group Yavarovy Liudzi is founded by its artistic director Violetta Kovaleva. The group releases two albums, Iskarka-pryhauka and Vyraj, and a musical titled To-to-to. Yavarovy Liudzi performed to audiences in twelve cities in Canada and the US. The group becomes a regular feature at annual folk festivals and events representing Belarusian cultural heritage all across North America.
2002–2008
Newspaper Belaruskaye Slova published in Belarusian in Toronto (no regular frequency, a total of 11 issues were printed).
2002
Yavarovy Liudzi organizes the first Kupala Night festival in “Slutzak.”
2006
Valiantsina Pashkevich published The Belarusian-English Dictionary, the first book of its kind in the world that took her over fifty years to complete.
2008
Spirit of Belarus, an art and design studio, is founded by Iryna Varabei, its future president and member of the BCA’s Toronto Chapter
2003 – 2007
Belarusian Community and Religious Centre becomes home to the Belarusian Folk Amateur Theatre directed by Iryna Sharamet. The Theatre releases Paulinka, Prymaki and Пісаравы імяніны (Scribe’s Name Day).
2005
Against the Current, memories of Borys Ragula, is published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
2005
University of Waterloo Professor Zina Gimpelevich, a member of BCA, publishes in English her monograph Vasil Bykau: His Life and Works (McGuill-Queen’s University Press).
2015-2018
Toronto Community takes an active part in the Belarusian Language study series called Mova Nanova conceptualized and promoted by Іryna Toustik.
2015 – 2018
Razmova, a Saturday school for children, is organized and taught by Katsiaryna Viktarovich.
2015
Yavarovy Liudzi starts performing with its youth and children’s group called Yavarovy Dzieci.
2015
Iryna Varabei features Belarusian nizanka embroidery style in her online tutorial hosting it on The Embroiderers’ Association of Canada’s website, among other online resources. Artists from more than fifty countries around the world are now using Belarusian nizanka in their artwork. The style has become one of the world’s most popular needleworks alongside sashiko from Japan and merezhka from Ukraine.
2016 – 2019
Iryna Varabei’s two artefacts (the only two from the Province of Ontario!) make it to a final selection stage for a three-year road show Threadworks – 16.
2017
Anton Varabei of BCA’s Toronto Chapter won the champion’s title in the individual and team cycling races, winning the final leg of Ontario Cup – 2017. Anton is a founder and coach of Toronto Hustle, a Toronto-based cycling team and club. The youngest team member of Toronto Hustle won the Canadian Junior champion’s title in the same year.
2017
The Toronto Chapter actively participates in the Parade of Nations celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary, carrying a gigantic Belarusian stork (busel) model, which became famous thanks to the artistry work of Nargiza Usmanova and Alexei Smantser.
2018
Vulitsa Heniush (Heniush Street), a show dedicated to Belarusian Democratic Republic’s Centennial, is produced and staged in Toronto by artistic director Valiantsina Chevtchenko.
