Saturday 29 June 2019

Doukhobor Peace Day Message 2019

My Message to the Celebration Today in Verigin, Saskatchewan

Location: National Doukhobor Heritage Village, Veregin, Saskatchewan.
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2019.
Time: 11 am, followed by a Potluck lunch with speeches.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Spirit,

It was on the midnight of June 28-29 (New Style July 11-12), 1895, that 7,000 Russian Doukhobors in Transcaucasia, Russia (and now Turkey) set ablaze piles of their own and government-issued rifles, pistols and swords in the first mass protest in history against militarism and war. (Historic 1895 Burning of Guns descriptions, selections and translations)

This year 2019 marks the 124th anniversary of this momentous pioneering happening calling for hope in creating a world without wars. Stopping or starving the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction is still the way for peace in our world. Or, as we now know, Nonkilling is the way to Peace!

Today with the escalating arms race and climate crisis, the Doomsday Clock of Atomic Scientists is almost one minute to midnight. We are on the brink of destruction unless we change course, bring our troops home, close down military bases abroad, get rid of NATO, and use the tools of listening and diplomacy in finding a way to get to know the stranger, and then work cooperatively to solve our common problems.

That is the urgent message today as we celebrate Petrov Dien, or the annual Doukhobor Peace Day. Speak to your family, your neighbours, your friends, the media, as well as your Member of Parliament. We need to wake up the people at home and abroad. For our children’s sake and our grandchildren, let us act now.

This message with 2 images is copied at Transcend Media Service, 1 July 2019. So far 3 of my articles are copied at TMS.

Previous Messages

Tuesday 11 June 2019

Tribute to ‘Jack’ McIntosh (1940–2019)

John Duncan Lawrence "Jack" McINTOSH
Born: September 19, 1940 — Whitewood, SK
Died: May 29, 2019 — Richmond, BC — Age 79, cancer.


This shy bibliographer from the University of British Columbia (UBC) was a brilliant and generous scholar that many of us will miss. He was a friendly soul who wished the best for each of us regardless of our religion, politics, or education.

He was born in Saskatchewan and raised in the Castlegar area of British Columbia among Doukhobors, where he began to learn Russian from classmates at Stanley Humphries Secondary School. After studying Russian for two years at UBC, Jack studied in Russia where he attended Baptist meetings with former Molokane. Upon returning to Canada, he got ‘great on-the-job training’ translating for government, journals and the Soviet press.

His best friend from high school, Gerald (Jerry) D. Palsson (see comment below) had become a librarian and encouraged Jack to do the same. Jack entered the Librarian program at UBC, where he was employed, excelled, retired in 2001, and continued to volunteer to the end. He managed the UBC Doukhobor Collection and was a tremendous aide to Canadian Doukhobors.

Jack and I exchanged historic materials on the Doukhobors, Lev N. Tolstoy, and peace-making since the 1960s. He gifted me a copy of his 'Expanded Bibliography on the Doukhobors' that he hoped to get published, but never did. The Bibliography served me well. Whenever I needed some important source, he always mailed me a photocopy, and later emailed a file.

In the early 1980s, Jack was invited to interpret and participate in the Expanded Kootenay Committee on Intergroup Relations (EKCIR). We trusted him due to his honesty and many years of personal exposure to and knowledge of Doukhobors. Recently, Jack was impressed with Ashleigh Androsoff's observations and conclusions of the hearings. See her 2011 PhD thesis: Spirit Wrestling Identity Conflict and the Canadian “Doukhobor Problem,” 1899-1999 (pages 386, 390-392; and search for 'EKCIR').

In the early 1990s Jack was our guest during a Learned Societies conference here. He soon was in our basement looking over my history collection, and I recall how elated he was to find material for his current study.

It is remarkable that a Scottish-Canadian lad learned Russian so well, and that he boldly shared insights that others did not. In the special issue of the Canadian Ethnic Studies in 1995 about Doukhobors, he challenged the accuracy of George Woodcock’s publications.

Jack was sensitive to the oral history of the Doukhobors, and drew on his wide readings to distinguish fact from fiction. His transliteration skills were precise: borshch, pirogi, sobranie, Petrov Den’, stikhi, etc. He wrote with dedication and thoroughness.

When I needed help with the creation of a CD version of Plakun Trava: The Doukhobors, Jack volunteered corrections and suggestions.

Jack helped Jonathan Kalmakoff by translating and/or proofreading at least 19 articles and items for the Doukhobor Genealogy Website.

Jack McIntosh was a dear colleague whom I could trust in time of need. I don’t know of anyone who can fill his void.


Obituary: 'John McIntosh’, Vancouver Sun, June 8, 2019.


'Witness to the Resurrection: Celebrating the Life of Jack McIntosh, June 22, 2019'.


By Jack about Doukhobors

Unfortunately, none of his work is online, open source, except for 19 items on the Doukhobor Genealogy Website.

‘Jack McIntosh — Bibliographer (1940-2019)’. In forthcoming eBook by Koozma J. Tarasoff and Andrei Conovaloff, Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers and Friends. Submitted 2018. Proposed publication 2020.

‘Maintaining community among a small, dispersed people: Canadian Doukhobor periodical publications on the wall, in the mail and on the Internet’. In Andrew Donskov, John Woodsworth and Chad Gaffield (eds.), The Doukhobor Centenary in Canada (2000): 277-289.

‘Rarely-Cited “Gems” in the Doukhobor Bibliography: Why So Obscure? What Can be Done?’ In Canadian Ethnic Studies, vol. XXVII, No. 8, 1995: 262-269.

‘Update 1973-1993: Excerpts From the Doukhobor Bibliography, Expanded Updated Edition’. In Koozma J. Tarasoff and Robert B. Klymasz, Spirit Wrestlers. Centennial Papers in Honour of Canada’s Doukhobor Heritage (1995): 187-216.

Horvath’s Doukhobor Bibliography (in Progress). Revised and Expanded. Unpublished 1989 version, 428 pp.

Unpublished papers:
  • ‘Maintaining community among a small, dispersed people: Canadian Doukhobor periodical publications on the wall, in the mail and on the Internet', at The Doukhobor Centenary in Canada: a multi-disciplinary perspective on their unity and diversity, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. 1999 October 22-24. — Jack generously gave half of his time to 2 guys not on the program, Jonathan Kalmakoff and Andrei Conovaloff, to show their new web sites.
  • ‘The Doukhobor Migration That Never Was’. Panel: ‘Doukhobors in Canada — 100 Years and Beyond’. Canadian Association of Slavists Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario. 1998 June 1.

Tuesday 4 June 2019

Remembering Alex Ewashen (1932–2019)

EWASHEN Alex May 20, 2019 aged 87 in Creston B.C., Canada. Beloved husband of Julie, (née O'Neill), father of Alexandra and Brian. Funeral service in Creston & District Community Complex, B.C., Canada, on Saturday June 1 at 1.00 p.m (The Irish Times)

Alex Jacob Ewashen (February 21, 1932 ~ May 20, 2019)
Born in Nanton, Alberta. Passed away on May 20th, 2019 in Creston, B.C. 87 years of age. Celebration of Life: Saturday, June 1st, 2019 at 1:00pm, Creston and District Community Complex, “Creston Room”, 312 19th Ave North, Creston, B.C. (G. F. Oliver funeral Chapel)

His brother Larry reported: ‘A very moving funeral yesterday with a choir from the Kootenays.’

Lorne Eckerley. Opinon: Pangs of Loss, This is the Life, Creston Valley Advance, May 20, 2019. — Reporter and friend remembers Alex as a 'moral compass'.

Alex J. Ewashen, Obituaries, Creston Valley Advance, May 20, 2019. — Biography.

Click on image to enlarge.

A Tribute and note for his 'Celebration' on June 1, 2019

Dear Julie and children, Ewashen brothers and many friends,

Alex Ewashen was an outstanding intelligent bright person, with much curiosity, open to the world, with humour, and a good friend to all of us.

AlexEwashen_book_2014.jpegIn his book Rags To Riches...My Way (2014), which he sent to me and my wife Kristina, Alex inscribed the following words: ‘Koozma and Kristina. Thanks for being a Lifelong Friend. Alex.’

I published a review of his book in July 2015, which Alex proofread via the Internet while he was in the Republic of Georgia on the Doukhobor Heritage Tour, led by Verna Postnikoff.

Also see: Auctioneer publishes memoir, Rags to Riches, by Lorne Eckersley, Creston Valley Advance, October 2, 2014, page 3.

For us, it was a pleasure to meet Alex on many occasions, to correspond with him, and being a lifelong friend is an honour. With Kristina, we were hosted at his home and he and Julie stayed at our place during the visit of the 100-member Voices for Peace Choir to Ottawa in 1995. At one of our visits at his house, we made a nice video interview with Alex and Julie.

Alex was indeed a Doukhobor pioneer. I included him in my big book celebrating over 200 pioneers who showed the way to peace and justice in Canada and helped create a better world. He had curiosity, intelligence, compassion and valued hard work. His life was proof of his Doukhobor philosophy and beliefs. He recognized himself as ‘A Peacenik’ for most of his life and was a bridge-builder. He was creative and talented. With Larry and Bob they created a musical trio and participated in many Doukhobor and public events.

Alex was brave — not afraid to take on new adventures. In 1984, when a Quaker neighbour offered an opportunity to participate in a 50,000 km. Peace and Friendship Caravan, he signed on within a two-hour deadline notice. Then he joined a handful of concerned activists for a 3.5 month travel through 22 countries in Europe promoting Sister Cityship and student exchanges.

Alex had an interesting rich life and a beautiful family! Here are many stories to be shared…. All of us will miss him. However, the good memories will remain.

Вечная память ему. Rest in peace Alex!
With deep condolences to the whole family,

Koozma and Kristina

Stop CANSEC 2019

Peace Movement Determined to Shut Down CANSEC Arms Trade Show in Canada

OTTAWA, ONT., May 29th, 2019. — 100 peace activists paraded in front of the EY Centre entrance, adjacent to Ottawa International Airport, during Canada’s largest military trade fair, CANSEC 2019, held May 29. See 106 photos.

Protesters slowed incoming traffic to persuade some of the 11,500 registrants that Canada should sell peace not war, and stop CANSEC in the future.

Backed up traffic stopped every 30 seconds.
Police cooperated with protesters. Relations between the Ottawa City Police and the activists were cordial at the entry gate of the EY Centre. When police first met with activists on site in early that morning, the officers suggested a friendly arrangement to allow for equal time for their police work, and our peace work. Protesters could stop the traffic for 30 seconds, then allow the traffic to proceed for 30 seconds — stop and go every minute. That eventually stretched the traffic at the gate to a 100-second stall.

We were allowed to block 2 of the 3 entrances to the EY Centre. The northern entrance was used by security. Protesters divided into 2 groups, then many joined to hear the speakers. The protest lasted about 2 hours.


This arrangement slowed down the traffic considerably, up to the freeway. Show attendees in vehicles were exposed to about 2 minutes of our peace messages and concerns for discontinuing CANSEC.

Event co-organizer Brent Patterson reported: ‘The picket lines also helped snarl traffic on Uplands Drive [in front of the EY Centre] and delay the cars, taxis and shuttle buses making their way to hear Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's opening keynote address.’

We noticed that nearly all the cars passing by us to the parking lot had closed windows. Though most CANSEC attendees did not hear, or would not listen to our message, nearly all could see our signs and banners.


Also see