SVI Board and Committees 1968-1969
There is a photograph in our archive from 1968–1969. The Institute's board and every one of its committees stand and sit in two neat rows: a treasurer, a secretary, a chaplain, an editor, lawyers and doctors. That year, they broke ground on 620 Spadina Avenue. They were building something they hoped would outlast them.
It did. For more than six decades, St. Volodymyr Institute has been a place to encounter Ukrainian culture in Toronto. People came to 620 Spadina for books, lectures, exhibitions and concerts, and many stayed for the community they found here.
What continues today
Walk in on any given week, and you'll find the same rooms doing the same work, with new faces in them.
The library, where Ukrainian literature, old and new, sits on the shelves, including PEN Ukraine's list of the 100 most important Ukrainian books.
Programming: exhibitions, film, readings, talks, and INSTITUT, our newest programming series.
Language courses, a student residence and space for the community groups that keep the building full.
Many of the people here today arrived recently: students and newcomers who found SVI the way earlier generations did, looking for a book, an event, or someone who speaks their language.
Why we're asking now
SVI has always been built by its community, one gift at a time. Our very first donation, in 1944, was $500 from Ivan Fedan, who wanted his daughters to learn Ukrainian in Toronto.
On Tuesday, December 1, SVI joins GivingTuesday, a global day of generosity, and launches our year-end campaign. This year, we're asking our community to help carry SVI into its next chapter.
We're counting people, not just dollars. Our goal is 200 supporters by December 31: proof of how many people believe in what happens at 620 Spadina. Whether you give $5, $50, $500 or more, every gift counts as one more voice.
If SVI has been part of your life for decades, this is a chance to make sure the place you helped build keeps growing, with room for new ideas, new artists and new generations. If you've only just found us, this is a chance to make it yours.
How to get ready for Giving Tuesday
Mark your calendar. Tuesday, December 1 is the day. Click the button below to add it to your Google Calendar or iCal/Outlook.
Choose how you’d like to give.
A one-time gift helps sustain everything above.
A monthly gift of $5, $15, $25 or more gives SVI steady support all year and keeps you connected to what you help make possible.
A gift of shares or securities through CanadaHelps can help you avoid capital gains tax. If you’re giving this way, start a few days early, since transfers can take time.
Bookmark this page so it’s ready on the day.
Tell someone. Share SVI with a friend who has a story about us, or with someone who should.
See you on Giving Tuesday!
Save the date: Dec 1, 2026
Using Apple Calendar or Outlook? Download the reminder.
Over the next few weeks
We'll share stories from our community: one from someone who’s been part of SVI for decades and one from someone who found it recently, along with our progress toward 200 supporters. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and check your inbox for our newsletter.
If you have an old photo from SVI, we would love to see it. Send it to violetta@stvolodymyr.org.
