The Annual General Meeting of the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM) in Canada was held from May 1 to 3, 2026, at the CYM St. Catharines Branch of Ivan Mazepa. The Plenary Session, held at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church hall and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre, was attended by 52 delegates, including members of the National Executive and seven guests from nine branches and two Viddily Yunatstva, namely: Winnipeg, Hamilton, Guelph, Edmonton, Etobicoke, Calgary, London, Mississauga, Montreal, Toronto, and St. Catharines. During the AGM, a grand celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Ukrainian Youth Association in the Diaspora was held.

The AGM began with a prayer led by the chaplain of the St. Catharines Branch, Fr. Roman Dusanowskyj, and with a moment of silence observed by the Plenum delegates in memory of those CYM Canada members that passed away during the last year, as well as those who have passed away over the past four years defending our homeland, and indeed all defenders of Ukraine. In his subsequent remarks, CYM National’s President, Danylo Musienko, welcomed the delegates, representatives of the reestablished Viddily, and participants of the Leadership Seminar, and wished everyone productive and fruitful discussions.

The Presidium of the Plenum consisted of: Ariadna Dlugosh (Winnipeg) – Chair, Mykhaylo Kozlovskyy (Edmonton) – Vice Chair, Tetiana Stelmakh (Mississauga), and Tetiana Shyian (Calgary) – Secretaries.

The first plenary session of the Plenum covered reports from the National Executive Bodies of CYM Canada, specifically: President, Danylo Musienko reported on behalf of the entire National Executive, informing delegates about the multifaceted activities of our Association during the first year of his term. This was followed by the financial report, reports from the Charitable Trust and the Michael Galanduk and CYM Windsor Endowment Funds, presented by the Association’s Executive Director, Harry Nesmasznyj. Finally, Christina Hanycz read the report of the National Grievances Committee, and Ksenia Fedyna, a member of the National Audit Committee, presented the audit report.

Following the Plenary Session, the first thematic session on “Communication Rules and Branding” was led by CYM National’s Communications Officer, Khrystyna Zagirska, who emphasized the need to preserve officially registered CYM trademarks as well as the responsible use of social media.

To wrap up the first day, the delegates and participants of the Leadership Seminar, while in Niagara Falls, took an evening tour of the illuminated falls and the town itself for those visiting for the first time, and finally enjoyed themselves and had a great time at the Niagara Distillery.

Saturday, the second day of the Plenum, began with parallel working sessions: an educational session led by the chair of the National Educational Council, Laryssa Luszczki — on the topics “How we, as educators, can and must encourage our youth aged 13–17 to remain active in CYM” and “What are the most important aspects of CYM’s educational work that make us strong”. Each Branch also had the opportunity to share their successes in educational work. The financial session, led by Harry Nesmasznyj, addressed the following issues: the establishment of chapter dues, operating budgets for the National Executive, the Veselka Management Board, and camps. Participants also reviewed the guidelines for the use of the Charitable Trust and the related duties, rules, and responsibilities of the Branch representatives to the Trust. This was followed by a joint session on the topic “Aid to Ukraine,” which included, via video link, the head of the CYM Humanitarian Team in Ukraine, Andriy Fendyk, and in person, Bohdan Czerniawsky, a member of the National Executive of the League of Ukrainian Canadians.

In the afternoon, two more joint sessions were held on the topics of “Fundraising” and “Ukraine’s Post-War Challenges – PTSD.” Janina Kuzma, a professional fundraiser with many years of experience, outlined in her presentation the individual steps for conducting a successful fundraising campaign and maintaining ongoing communication with donors, while Iryna Soluk-Figol highlighted the challenges of working with children traumatized by the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the most important thing is for us to support them and their families and create a safe space for them to heal.

On Sunday, May 3, delegates and participants of the Leadership Seminar began the day with a Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in St. Catharines, where Chaplain and Parish Priest Father Roman Dusanowskyj warmly welcomed the CYM delegates and wished them continued success in glorifying God and serving Ukraine on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of CYM in the Diaspora.

The Sunday program of the Plenum also included a joint session on the topic “The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in CYM Work,” led by the President of the National Executive, Danylo Musienko, who highlighted aspects of CYM activities where AI can be helpful and where caution is needed regarding the confidentiality of information. The final session was more informational in nature, during which Natalia Schturyn outlined the program for the Counselor-in-training camp and the need for additional educational training, particularly for new, adult members of CYM.

The Plenum concluded with brief reports from individual sessions, including the approval of the 2026 budgets and a recognition ceremony for those members of the Leadership Seminar who completed the three-year program.

The National Executive extends its gratitude to all who contributed to the successful holding of this year’s CYM National’s AGM, as well as to our guest speakers, who spared neither effort nor time to enrich our Plenum. We extend our heartfelt thanks especially to the Ivan Mazepa Branch in St. Catharines, the host of the Plenum, and all members of the Organizing Committee for the excellent organization of the Plenum and the warm welcome extended to CYM members from across Canada.

Additional photos and videos can be found here: Plenum 2026.

 

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