| Revision as of 17:25, 23 November 2012 editUrbanVillager (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,469 edits →Activism: making the text more neutral← Previous edit | Revision as of 14:25, 24 November 2012 edit undoBobrayner (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers53,706 edits Removed more Urbanvillager spamNext edit → | ||
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| During the 1950s there were a few Serbian Canadian professors at various universities across the country, but they each made an impact instantly. A complete program of undergraduate courses leading to the degree of B.A. in ] at the Université de Montréal called ''Departement d'études slaves'' was organized in 1957-1958 under the direction of T. F. Domaradzki. Veljko Lalich, a Montenegrin Serb who came to Canada after World War II as a political émigrée, was named head of the section. He died in Florida in 2008. | During the 1950s there were a few Serbian Canadian professors at various universities across the country, but they each made an impact instantly. A complete program of undergraduate courses leading to the degree of B.A. in ] at the Université de Montréal called ''Departement d'études slaves'' was organized in 1957-1958 under the direction of T. F. Domaradzki. Veljko Lalich, a Montenegrin Serb who came to Canada after World War II as a political émigrée, was named head of the section. He died in Florida in 2008. | ||
| Sava D. Bosnitch of the ] has made a great impact on the Serbian, and Canadian intellectual communities as a political scientist and analyst of the current global political trends. He was the past President of the Canadian Association of Slavists (Professors of Slavic languages and culture). | |||
| Daniel Dorotich, Professor Emeritus of Education, who defected from Communist Yugoslavia as a border guard in 1945, teaches Cultural History of the Slavs at the University of British Columbia. | Daniel Dorotich, Professor Emeritus of Education, who defected from Communist Yugoslavia as a border guard in 1945, teaches Cultural History of the Slavs at the University of British Columbia. | ||
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| ===Cinema=== | ===Cinema=== | ||
| ] and ] are Canadian actresses of Serbian descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/vrlicanka-stana-katic-protiv-jacka-bauera/218452/|title=Jutarnji list|work=www.jutarnji.hr|language=Croatian}}</ref><ref name=jl>{{cite web|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/stana-katic--obozavam-akcijske-scene--postala-sam-pravi-zenski-superheroj/906864/|title=Stana Katic obozavam akcijske scene postala sam pravi zenski superheroj|work=Jutarnji list|language=Croatian}}</ref> Katic is best known for playing Detective Kate Beckett on ]'s ]. | ] and ] are Canadian actresses of Serbian descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/vrlicanka-stana-katic-protiv-jacka-bauera/218452/|title=Jutarnji list|work=www.jutarnji.hr|language=Croatian}}</ref><ref name=jl>{{cite web|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/stana-katic--obozavam-akcijske-scene--postala-sam-pravi-zenski-superheroj/906864/|title=Stana Katic obozavam akcijske scene postala sam pravi zenski superheroj|work=Jutarnji list|language=Croatian}}</ref> Katic is best known for playing Detective Kate Beckett on ]'s ]. | ||
| ] is a Serbian Canadian director, producer and screenwriter who is best known for directing the critcally-acclaimed documentary films ] and ].<ref name="politika"> Politika Newspaper, August 28, 2010</ref><ref></ref><ref> Српски Глас | The Serbian Voice Weekly Newspaper, Australia, December 4, 2009</ref> The films revolve around the current situation in the former-Yugoslavia and the lack of ] for ethnic-] in Kosovo and other regions where non-Serbs form the majority of the population. | |||
| The 2009 documentary ''Serbian Ambassadors'' follow the lives and tales of several Serbian-Canadians of all generations.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg23hBeZpDI</ref> | The 2009 documentary ''Serbian Ambassadors'' follow the lives and tales of several Serbian-Canadians of all generations.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg23hBeZpDI</ref> | ||
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| At 1980 Olympiad at Valletta, Malta, Canada finished by sharing 8th to 9th in a record field of almost 100 countries, an amazing feat for a country with only three International Grandmasters. Serbian-born Milan Vukadinov (1936-2002) was one of the six who represented Canada at the time. ], a Serbian refugee from ], arrived in Canada in 1993 when he was 12-years-old. He is now a Canadian International Master of chess who was the 2006 Canadian Champion. | At 1980 Olympiad at Valletta, Malta, Canada finished by sharing 8th to 9th in a record field of almost 100 countries, an amazing feat for a country with only three International Grandmasters. Serbian-born Milan Vukadinov (1936-2002) was one of the six who represented Canada at the time. ], a Serbian refugee from ], arrived in Canada in 1993 when he was 12-years-old. He is now a Canadian International Master of chess who was the 2006 Canadian Champion. | ||
| ===Activism=== | |||
| When American chess Grandmaster ] was detained by Japanese authorities in 2004 and 2005 under threat of deportation to the United States, ], a Serbian Canadian, came to Fischer's aid, setting up the "Committee to Free Bobby Fischer" after meeting Fischer at Narita Airport, which resulted in the Japanese authorities releasing Fischer to Iceland, where he gained full citizenship. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 14:25, 24 November 2012
Ethnic group
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| Part of a series on |
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Serbian Canadians are citizens of Canada who are of Serbian ancestry. The Canada 2006 Census recorded 99,690 Canadians of Serbian descent.
History
Serbs have migrated to Canada in various waves during the 20th century. The first Serbs to arrive in Canada came to British Columbia between 1850 and 1870. Many were employed in mining or forestry near such towns as Phoenix, Golden, Prince Rupert and Kamloops.
By 1900, Serbs began to arrive in Alberta. Many of these early settlers had migrated north from the north-west regions of the United States. Coal mining attracted them to Lethbridge, while road construction was a source of employment for those in Fort Macleod and Cadomin. Many Serbs worked on the construction of railway lines that now extend from Edmonton to the Pacific coast.
During the First World War, Lester B. Pearson spent time in the Serbian Army as a Corporal and a Medical Orderly. He went on to become the 14th Prime Minister of Canada.
The period between the two World Wars witnessed a major increase in Serbian immigration to Canada. As with other periods of immigration, however, the exact number arriving at this time is not known.
Over 30,000 Yugoslavs came to Canada between 1919 and 1939, this included an estimated 10,000 Serbs. Many of these immigrants were single, working men who had left families in their home country to seek work in Canada. The vast majority of Serbs arriving between the wars settled in Ontario or British Columbia.
Major changes occurred in Yugoslavia during and after World War II . The newly established independent communist government was opposed by some Yugoslavs, predominantly by Serbs and Croats. Many post war émigrés refused to return to their homeland to live under an oppressive communist regime run by a lifelong dictator. The Serbs, emigrating to Canada at this time, came from a variety of occupational backgrounds, including military and academic professions (like the late Milos Mladenovic) and the skilled trades.
In the late 1980s, Yugoslavia's communist government was on the verge of collapse. Shortly after the sudden breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, a large group of Serbs moved to Canada, mostly to Southern Ontario, to cities including: Toronto, Kitchener, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Windsor.
The 2001 census lists 54,540 Canadians of Serbian descent although it is assumed that the Serb population is much larger due to the irregularities in the classification of Serbs. Approximately 2,420 Serbs live in Alberta, with Edmonton and Calgary being the major centres of settlement
Serbs in Toronto
One of the first Serbian immigrants to Toronto was Sremac Herceg, who arrived in August 1903. A great number of Serbian settlers that came in 1912 were from the region surrounding the city of Niš. In the time period between the Balkan Wars and the First World War, more than two hundred Serbs settled in Toronto.
Culture
Serbian voluntary associations and organizations were established to ease the economic hardships of new immigrants and to help them adjust to Canadian society. Serbian organizations in Canada today include the Serbian Brothers' Help; 2 chapters of the Serbian National Defence, one of which dates back to 1916; and the Serbian National Heritage Academy, which has been active in inviting prominent Serbian writers and historians from Yugoslavia and other countries to Canada for public lectures. Other Serbian organizations include cultural and historical societies: "Njegos,""Karadjordje" and "Tesla Memorial Society", and several youth folklore organizations, eg, "SCA Oplenac" and "Hajduk Veljko" dance groups of Toronto. Those Serbs talented in creative writing have joined other Yugoslav Canadians in Toronto and formed 2 literature appreciation clubs.
Serbian Cultural Association Oplenac was founded in 1987 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Serbian folk dancing has been a major activity in SCA Oplenac since its inception as a non-profit organization. All proceeds from the events organized by SCA Oplenac go to the preservation and presentation of Serbian culture and tradition in North America. In 2012 it reached the company consisting of 8 large ensembles, Choir and Orchestra as well as a large recreational ensemble. They established Drama school for children that performs theatre plays on Serbian language as well as Serbian language school. Since 2000 it was clear that the association is undoubtedly the biggest Serbian folklore group in North America http://www.oplenac.ca
Several newspapers and journals have been created and published by Canadian Serbs and by Serbs who participated in other Canadian-Yugoslav organizations. These publications were intended for the Serbs in the US as well. The first Serbian newspaper in Canada (1916), Kanadski Glasnik (Canadian Herald) was published in Welland, Ont, and was followed by Serbian Herald and several others. With the latest influx of Serbian immigrants, ethnic enclaves have been created in Canadian cities in the West. The Serbian newspaper Kišobran (the Umbrella) has been published in Vancouver since 1997. As well, various publications put out by the Church, congregations, women, youth, students and business-professional groups, etc., play important roles in Serbian communities in Canada. By now, many old documents have been donated to the provincial and federal archives for public use.
The first Serbian Day was held in Canada in 1946, and annual festivals featuring singers and dancers are sponsored by Serbian and other Yugoslav organizations. Several radio programs are available to Serbians in the metro areas of the provinces.
Many Serbs in Canada have maintained the Serbian language and the 2006 census showed that 52,705 people reported Serbian as their mother tongue (first language learned.) Many Serbian Canadians adhere to the Serbian Orthodox Church and the most recent survey of religion observation in Canada (2001) recorded that 20,520 people adhering to the Serbian Orthodox Church. Serbian Canadians have built some 15 churches and cultural centres across Canada. The first Serbian Orthodox Church built in Canada was the "Crkva Svete Trojice" (Church of the Holy Trinity) in Regina in 1916. Those in Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor, Niagara Falls, Kitchener and Sudbury are noteworthy for their Byzantine architectural design. It was not until 14 Oct 1984 that Canadian Serbs acquired their own bishop. On that day, Bishop Georgije arrived from Belgrade to become the first head of the newly created Canadian Diocese (Eparchy) and to lead and administer Serbian congregations in 13 cities. The Serbian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous (self-governing) part of the Universal Orthodox Church (The Churches of the Ancient East). Serbia's rich folkloric tradition has been retained mainly through the activities organized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. In many Canadian cities there are traditional music and dance groups, theatre, and sport groups, and some churches organize Serbian language instruction.
Academics
During the 1950s there were a few Serbian Canadian professors at various universities across the country, but they each made an impact instantly. A complete program of undergraduate courses leading to the degree of B.A. in Slavistics at the Université de Montréal called Departement d'études slaves was organized in 1957-1958 under the direction of T. F. Domaradzki. Veljko Lalich, a Montenegrin Serb who came to Canada after World War II as a political émigrée, was named head of the section. He died in Florida in 2008.
Daniel Dorotich, Professor Emeritus of Education, who defected from Communist Yugoslavia as a border guard in 1945, teaches Cultural History of the Slavs at the University of British Columbia.
Sofija Skoric, a former University of Toronto librarian, is the founder of a learned society in Toronto in 1981. The Serbian Heritage Academy (SHA) was the most prominent Serbian institution in Canada in the 1980s and 1990s. It has since declined.
Politics
Politics can manifest itself in many ways for those who are born in Canada yet feel kinship for their ancestral home and people, and are caught between choosing one over the other. Such was the case of Nicholas Ribic, who made a conscientious decision, but got caught in the maelstorm of war and uncertainty, trying to make sense of the chaos that surrounded him in the land of his forebears, and the country of his birth.
Ribic had a mistrial in 2002 was later tried again in 2005 for hostage taking and allegedly threatening death. He was defended this time by D'Arcy DePoe, who called it "one of the most unusual criminal trials in Canadian history" as it was the first time a Canadian had been tried in this way. "While this is an unusual form of trespass, it is submitted that NATO dropping 2,000-pound bombs on this property was clearly a trespass." This time, there was no mistrial declared and Ribic was convicted. Two witnesses from the Canadian Forces, known only as Witness A and Witness B, were only allowed to testify by transcript during Ribic's 2005 trial. D'Arcy objeced to this but to no avail.
In the early 2000s, a group of 56 Serbian Canadians, who lost property and family members in the 77-day NATO bombing spree over Serbia-Montenegro in 1999, took a class action suit in Ottawa and no sooner got nowhere.
Business
There are many success stories in business in Canada among Serbian émigrés from after the war until the fall of communism, but there is one that stands well-above the rest. It is the story of Sarajevo-born Ubavka Mitić, better known as Rebecca MacDonald of Just Energy.
Literature
The most prominent Serbian writer in Canada is David Albahari, who is a Serbian of Jewish descent. He is best known for his books Words Are Something Else (1996), Tsing (1997), Bait (2001), Gotz and Meyer (2003, UK) (2005, US), Snow Man (2005), and Leeches (2011). Equally well-known, if not more so, is Négovan Rajic in French Canada. He has won numerous national and international writing prizes and awards for his fiction and drama. He writes in fluent Serbian and French.
From 2006-2009 there was a Serbian-Canadian magazine named Slovo led by Vojo Mačar while from 1999 there is a magazine named Mi magazin led by Nenad Stanković.
The first Serbian Canadian bookstore in Ontario, Srbica Books, was opened in Toronto in 1990 by Živko Apić (the book store was formerly named Yugoslavica).
Art
Artists are least recognized in their communities unless they are among the very few who have achieved a certain status in their lifetime. Many die in obscurity and anonymity but only a few have their work speak for them after they have passed away. One such artist is the late Jose Majzner, a Serbian painter and sculptor who lived and worked in Serbia, Italy, Argentina and Montreal. His work is on permanent display at the "Holy Trinity" Serbian Orthodox Church in Montreal. His students were artists Alexander Dzigurski (famed for his seascapes), Armand Tatossian, Demosthenis Maroudas, and others.
Today's generation of artists who are taking "art for art's sake" a notch further, include Viktor Mitic, Vessna Perunovich, Bratsa Bonifacho, Milutin Gubash, Uros Jelic, Ljubomir Ivankovic, and many others.
Cinema
Lolita Davidovich and Stana Katic are Canadian actresses of Serbian descent. Katic is best known for playing Detective Kate Beckett on ABC's Castle.
The 2009 documentary Serbian Ambassadors follow the lives and tales of several Serbian-Canadians of all generations.
Music
The most successful Serbian Canadian musician is guitarist Alex Lifeson from the band Rush, who has been ranked 98th in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Young Serbian Canadian musicians are found playing in many genres of heavy metal rock bands, notably Canadian-born guitar/vocalist Alex Petrovich (also known as Al 'Yeti Bones'), whose albums have been selling nationally and internationally with the following bands, Mister Bones, The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull and Gypsy Chief Goliath for more than a decade; and Montreal-based Borislav Mitic who got signed to a U.S. metal label while still living in his native Serbia; and Ivana "Ivy" Vujic who has made a mark for herself as the bassist for the metal, all-woman band Kittie and a clothing line called Umeus.
Recently, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 90th anniversary, thanks to its founding conductor Luigi von Kunits, a Serb who came to America from Austria and also founded the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 20th century before settling in Toronto. Carrying the long tradition of serious music in Toronto is Serbian Canadian Composer Michael Pepa, the Founding Artistic Director of Les Amis.
Denise Djokic is an amazing cellist who is performing throughout the continent. At 21, she released her first recording with Sony Classical Records and appeared in the Grammy Awards. Djokic resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Another successful Serbian Canadian musician is rapper Filip Filipi, who has recorded songs with artists such as T-Pain, Cam'ron and Jay Bezel. Filipi is known for his philanthropy and has raised over 1,500,000 dollars to provide medical supplies to the medical centre in the Serb enclave of Gračanica, Kosovo. The supplies were used to help the 75,000 Kosovo Serbs living south of the Ibar River.
Ballet
Among the nine Principal Dancers of The National Ballet of Canada is Serbian-born Aleksandar Antonijević. He has been a Principal Dancer since 1995. Antonijević is also a photographer. His work has been featured at CONTACT, Toronto's annual international photography festival.
Television/Radio
Serbian Canadians have worked at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since the early days of radio and television as stagehands, technicians, cameramen, engineers, television and radio producers, and publicists. Today, the most prominent on-air journalists among those who identify themselves as Serbian Canadians are Saša Petricic of The National, Jelena Adzic of The Weekend Scene and CBC News Now, and Curt Petrovich of World Report.
On-air journalist Alex Mihailovich is a correspondent for 16:9, which broadcasts nationally on Global TV.
The late Brian Linehan, who used to interview movie stars on his TV show, had Serbian roots which he shared with Karl Malden back in the 1980s. Already a celebrity, Ben Mulroney, a TV fixture in Canada for years, is now slowely branching out in the U.S. television market.
Soccer
In sports, Serbians are known for their success in organizing soccer clubs. The most successful Serbian Canadian soccer club are the Serbian White Eagles, who play in the Canadian Soccer League. The club has been very successful in recent years, finishing first in the Canadian Soccer League's standings in 2008 (led by team captain Nikola Budalić) and finishing as the runner-up in 2006, 2007 and 2009. The White Eagles were also CSL International Division Champions in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Several Canadians of Serbian descent play for clubs in Major League Soccer (MLS). The most notable ones are Toronto FC goalkeeper Miloš Kocić and D.C. United defender Dejan Jaković. Jaković also represents Canada internationally by playing for the Canada men's national soccer team, alongside Serbian Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan. Srdjan Djekanovic also represented Canada.
Tennis
There have also been several very successful Serbian Canadian tennis players, notably Daniel Nestor (born Danijel Nestorović in Belgrade, Serbia) who is an eight-time Grand Slam champion and a one-time Olympic Gold medalist. Young Miloš Raonić is another player who is making his presence felt in the world of professional tennis. He was born in Crnagora (Montenegro) to Serbian parents who came to Canada in 1994 when he was three-years-old.
Lacrosse
Nenad Gajic, born in Burnaby, B.C., is a lacrosse player for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League and the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the Western Lacrosse Association. Ilija Gajic, Nenad's younger brother, was drafted second overall by the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League in 2009.
Hockey
Serbs have excelled in ice hockey in the past few decades. Ice hockey player, Milan Lučić won 2011-12 Stanley Cup with his team, Boston Bruins. Stan Smrke was the first Belgrade-born player ever to play for the NHL in 1956, and Serbian-born Ivan Boldirev was the second. Though many more Serbian-Canadians soon would join the ranks of the NHL, notably Peter Zezel (1965-2009), Mick Vukota, Sasha Lakovic, Milan Marcetta, Adrien Plavsic, Mike Glumac, Dan Kesa, Raffi Torres, Alex Petrovic, Mark Popovic, Savo Mitrovic, Dragan Umicevic, Ned Lukacevic and others. Some are even playing or coaching abroad, like Branko Radivojevič, who started with the Belleville Bulls and went on to play for the NHL before joining a Moscow team, and Dimitri Khristich, a Ukrainian of Serbian ancestry who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs before returning to Ukraine to head its Professional Hockey League. Veteran European ice hockey coach Alex Andjelic is now coaching a Serbian youth team while working in Toronto.
Field Hockey
Peter Milkovich is a well-known Serbian Canadian field hockey player and coach. After having moved back to Canada from San Francisco, California, Milkovich was appointed as the National Team Coach for the Women's Junior Program by Field Hockey Canada in 2011.
Football
The CFL saw many Serbian-Canadians and Serbian Americans come and go in the years past, notably Canadian-born Roy (Radomir) Jokanovich (1934-2007) who attended University of British Columbia where he was assistant coach to the UBC Thunderbirds. A gifted athlete, Jokanovich went on to play offensive tackle in the CFL with the B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders. American-born Ed O'Bradovich was a football defensive end who played in the CFL for the B.C. Lions and the Calgary Stampeders before being selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1962 NFL Draft. Other memorable players include Lou Zivkovich, defensive end for the Calgary Stampeders; Chris Cvetkovic of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; and Montreal-born actor Mike Dopud, who played professional Canadian football briefly for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
In 1950 NFL players began playing for the CFL, among the very first Serbian Americans was Paul Salata, who played three seasons in Canada in the early 1950s; George Mrkonic left the Philadelphia Eagles to play briefly for the B.C. Lions in 1956; and in the 1960s another Serbian American ex-pat -- Bob O'Billovich -- came from Butte, Montana to play professionally for the CFL and later coached major Canadian teams. He is currently involved in the administrative side of Canadian Football League. In 2011 Scott Milanovich, another Serbian American expat, was named head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. It was assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Montreal Alouettes that he showed his mettle.
Baseball
Calgary-born Ryan Radmanovich is a baseball right fielder who played for Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and was named to the 2008 Canadian Olympic Baseball team.
Basketball
Canadian basketball had a number of Serbian Canadians back in the 1950s and early 1960s, namely Mel Mikalački of Montreal's Ivan Coutu team which played exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters and visiting NBA teams. Mel's brother Al Mikalachki was one of the best players to ever represent Montreal's Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University). A skilled shooter, he was the leading scorer on the team two of his four years and he set a record for most points in a game by a Georgian player. As a point guard, he was well-known for his proficiency from the free-throw line, averaging more than 90 per cent. His team won both MAAA and provincial championships. Mikalachki was a league All-Star and in 1955-56 he was awarded the Col. E. Gill Trophy as Sir George Williams Athlete of the Year. At the university, Mikalachki also excelled at tennis, volleyball and badminton. He holds an MBA and a PhD, which was the first doctoral degree in business administration to be granted by a Canadian university. Mikalachki enjoyed a distinguished career as a professor of organizational behaviour at the University of Western Ontario. (Al Mikalachki is the father of Canadian-born Jodi Mikalachki, who started "On the Ground in Burundi" to support education and grassroots community development in rural Burundi).
Windsor-born Mike Brkovich and younger brother Don Brkovich played for Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 WCAA tournament, defeating Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores. Mike was one of the leading free throw shooters in Michigan State history. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1981, but never played in NBA. Mike was a member of the Canadian National Basketball team. Now retired from sports, both brothers are successful businessmen, Mike and Robert, his older brother, in Windsor, Ontario, and Don Brkovich in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Boxing
Heavyweight Neven Pajkić is perhaps the best-known Serbian Canadian boxer to date. He had 16 consecutive fights in his pro career without a single loss until he fought U.K.'s Tyson Fury in 2012. Bob Bozic was another strong puncher who fought in the 1970s. His record was 14 wins and three losses over a span of seven years before he hung up his gloves. He is a part-time bartender in New York City. One of the most promising women boxers is Jelena Mrdjenovich, born in Hay River, Northwest Territories, on June 24, 1982, to Serbian parents. She became the WBC and WIBA Featherwieght Champion for a while in 2012 before losing to Melissa Hernandez on a decision. On November 19, 2012, Mrdjenovich fought Franchesca "The Chosen One" Alcanter for the WBC/WIBF superfeatherweight title. Mrdjenovich won by stopping Alcanter in the sixth round TKO.
Judo
Born in Pančevo, Serbia, Sasha Mehmedovic is one of Canada's promising judokas, having participated in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. His father is a Black Belt, 4th dan.
Wrestling
Wrestling has become more of an entertainment sport requiring talent, skill and acrobatic agility more than brute strength. The wrestler who fits this bill is Nick Cvjetkovich.
Ski cross skiing
Nik Zoricic was a professional ski cross skier who tragically died after a severe crash during the 1/8-final of the World Cup event in Switzerland in 2012. He was a promising skier who improved dramatically in the last few years.
Fencing
Serbian Canadian fencer Eli Sukunda in the 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics, helped place the Canadian team 9th and 7th in Team Men's Sabre respectively. This was an unprecedented feat in Canadian fencing history, especially against fierce international competitors with a long tradition of fencing.
Poker
Poker is now being played on the Internet and TV crews are covering major tournaments where exceptional players not only get rich but become celebrities. One such professional poker player is Nenad Medić, who resides in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Chess
Some of Canada's top chess players have emerged from the Serbian communities, particularly George Raletich, who played in the Canadian Championship as far back as 1955; Slobodan Krstic (who was top board for Hong Kong in the Siegen 1970 and Skopje 1972 Olympiads) who won the 1974 Toronto Canadian Closed Championship; Smilja Vujosevic, the Canadian 1975 Women's Champion; and Dragoljub Milicevic who became the British Columbia Champion in chess in 1997, 2000, and 2001. Other FIDE Masters are: Goran Ivankovic, Goran Mikanovic; Goran Milicevic; and Nenad Ristovic.
At 1980 Olympiad at Valletta, Malta, Canada finished by sharing 8th to 9th in a record field of almost 100 countries, an amazing feat for a country with only three International Grandmasters. Serbian-born Milan Vukadinov (1936-2002) was one of the six who represented Canada at the time. Igor Zugic, a Serbian refugee from Sarajevo, arrived in Canada in 1993 when he was 12-years-old. He is now a Canadian International Master of chess who was the 2006 Canadian Champion.
See also
Further reading
- Canadian Serbs: a history of their social and cultural traditions (1856-2002)
- Community Life and Culture From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Serbs/Paul Pavlovich
References
- http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/demo26a.htm
- "Najstarija plomba na svetu". Politika. 2008-11-16. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
- http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0007293
- "Jutarnji list". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian).
- "Stana Katic obozavam akcijske scene postala sam pravi zenski superheroj". Jutarnji list (in Croatian).
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg23hBeZpDI
- "Sin Exclusive". Archived from the original on 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
- "28 Jun completes global awareness campaign, sends $1.5 million worth of aid to Kosovo Serbs". Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- "RTS: Srbija na vezi Interview (Serbian)". Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- "Pomoć od milion i po dolara na putu za Gračanicu (Serbian)". Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- "Serb diaspora sends USD 1.5 mil to Gracanica". Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- Vujcic, Djuradj (2006-10-18). "Najbolji kanadski fudbalski klub i prvi srpski, profesionalni, fudbalski klub u dijaspori" (in Serbian). Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- Template:Sr iconSrbin iz Superlige na golu Kanade!; mondo.rs, 23 November 2010
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