On Aug. 7, 2026, the Court of King’s Bench issued a decision allowing the termination of the $30,000 Yaroslav and Margaret Hunka Ukrainian Research Endowment Fund, and authorizing the return of the donation to the Hunka family. We acknowledge and respect the Court's decision. While this concludes the legal process, we remain mindful of the varied and deeply felt impacts this decision can have on individuals and the community. This court decision brings to a close an issue that began in September 2023, following Mr. Hunka’s introduction in the Canadian House of Commons.
Since this process began, the university has strengthened its approach to naming and gift acceptance to ensure appropriate due diligence is conducted before creating a named endowment and that clear mechanisms are in place to reconsider or revoke naming arrangements when circumstances warrant. This includes updates to the Naming Policy and Gift Acceptance Policy, as well as the establishment of a Naming Advisory Group to provide recommendations on university namings informed by internal and external consultation. Drawing on lessons from this case, the Naming Advisory Group now provides additional oversight and review of named endowments, objects and spaces across the university.
There are an additional eight endowments the university administers as trustee that are named for individuals with connections to the Galicia Division – the same division Mr. Hunka was a member of. The eight endowments vary in their specific purposes, and some include multiple donors. All of the endowments support valued research and education in Ukrainian studies. After consulting with partners and other organizations, including the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) and the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, we will not undertake the time- and cost-intensive application process required to seek court approval to terminate or alter them.
Instead, together with our partners, we will expand and deepen scholarship and education about the Galicia Division and other complex and difficult aspects of twentieth-century history. The university has committed $100,000 over the next three years to fund this important work.
“Since its founding in 1976, CIUS has advanced knowledge and understanding of the complex history of Ukraine and its peoples, including the history of Jews in Ukraine, with significant recent scholarship focused on the Holocaust. We welcome the university’s investment, which will enhance our contribution to this important work through research, scholarly collaboration, programming and publications. Rigorous scholarship and open dialogue are essential to understanding difficult histories, and we look forward to continuing this important work.”
— Dr. Natalia Khanenko-Friesen
Director, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), University of Alberta
“The Jewish Federation of Edmonton is grateful to have been consulted by university leadership throughout the process and welcomes the university's commitment to expanding scholarship and education on the Waffen-SS Galicia Division. This moment should not be about erasing history, but about learning from it. As George Santayana famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." By pursuing education, dialogue, and understanding, we believe that as a community of Edmontonians we can move forward together with greater knowledge, empathy and respect for each other.”
— Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO and Steven Shafir, K.C., Past President
Jewish Federation of Edmonton