Throughout the 20th century, Ukrainian women who immigrated to Edmonton built new lives while preserving their identity, language, and culture. They didn’t just adapt to new realities; they created them. Ukrainian women in Edmonton were active participants in public life. The history of women’s immigration is also always a history of feminist activity. It is this story that we will tell next on edmontonka.
Context: Political Movements of the 1960s-1970s
During the 1960s and 1970s, progressive political processes began in Canada. In this period, the environmental movement, the anti-war movement, and the movement for gender equality actively developed. At the forefront of these movements were students and youth, including the children of people who had experienced the trauma of the Second World War.
Among the students and activists were people who grew up in the Ukrainian-Canadian community and had witnessed discrimination from childhood. Edmonton became a centre where a unique environment of people of Ukrainian descent formed, who sought to preserve Ukrainian culture while also being interested in progressive politics.
These individuals were involved in various important activities, including organizing protests in defence of political prisoners in the Soviet Union, as well as creating their own organizations. Among these people were many women who were specifically engaged in defending women’s rights.
The “Hromada” Group
Many activists were former or current members of the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union who became active during their student years. At that time, the cultural group “Hromada” was formed. It was a group of people seeking ways to form an anti-Soviet, pro-Ukrainian, yet socialist position.
Within this group, a women’s group, also called “Hromada,” was created. This happened after the women noticed that the men often ignored their opinions. The women united to create an organization where all voices would be heard. Here, they could explore aspects of their own experiences and learn about the history of women in Canada and Ukraine.
Often, the women of the “Hromada” Women’s Group held actions in defence of female political prisoners in the Soviet Union and established connections with feminists in Ukraine.
The “Hromada” Housing Co-operative
The “Hromada” Women’s Group founded its own housing co-operative. Among the first residents were the well-known Myrna Kostash and Anna Radyo. The co-op was created with the aim of preserving and developing Ukrainian culture and language, as well as building a feminist community for the empowerment of women. The women strove to build a home where the Ukrainian community could exist in an English-speaking city.
Here, families lived together and helped each other with raising children. Such closeness significantly facilitated socialization, organizing processes, and participation in political activism.
The “Hromada” Housing Co-operative is a unique phenomenon. The co-operative still exists today. It is inclusive, alternative housing that is home to many scholars from Ukraine working in Edmonton. On February 24, 2022, all residents hung flags in front of the co-operative’s homes.
Ukrainian Women and Business
Ukrainian women actively put their feminist ideas into practice. For example, Halyna Freeland opened Edmonton’s first women’s bookstore, “Common Woman Books,” and Anna Radyo managed the boutique “Zoryana.” They had a shared clientele and were located next to each other. The employees of the two stores helped each other and celebrated International Women’s Day together. Edmonton residents remember these places as spaces where you could just drop in and always feel welcome.
The books at “Common Woman Books” covered topics such as art, childbirth, children, feminist theory, fiction, lesbianism, sexuality, spirituality, violence against women, rights, and more. Priority in the bookstore was given to female authors.