Thank you Ontario Trillium Foundation

$36,100 OTF Grant Gives Camp Veselka a Lift

Acton, ON – On Friday, local MPP Ted Arnott met with the campers, volunteers, and staff of the Ukrainian Youth Association to hear more about the $36,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The grant was used for the purchase of camping and physical activity equipment to enrich camp programming and attract new participants to UYA’s almost 70-year-old camp. The purchases were completed in June, just ahead of camp which almost 300 youth will be attending, including over 100 Ukrainian children who have arrived in Canada as a result of the war in Ukraine.  

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for supporting the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada,” said Ted Arnott, MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills.

The Centre is used by the Ukrainian-Canadian community of south-western Ontario for meetings, celebrations, fundraisers, and of course, summer camps. Thanks to the $36,100 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the summer camp experience of many children will be enriched, leaving life-time memories and benefits.  

“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Tamara Tataryn, Head of the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada. “This grant has allowed needed camping and sports equipment to be purchased, and improvements to our camp obstacle training course to be made, following two difficult years when the camp was closed. This has been particularly important in in 2022 and 2023 when Camp Veselka (which means Rainbow) is a home away from home to over 350 children ages 5-17 arriving from Ukraine, impacted by the war. We also want to congratulate the Ontario Trillium Foundation on 40 years of granting and building healthy and vibrant communities across the province.” 

The Ukrainian Youth Association is committed to preserving its camp which will be celebrating its 70^th anniversary in 2024. It is open for many events like BBQs, work offsites, soccer tournaments, weddings during the spring, summer, and fall. If you wish to enquire about using the camp for your meeting or event, please visit: www.campveselka.ca or email [email protected]. 

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.