Canadian Slovenian Historical Society
About Us
The Canadian Slovenian Historical Society (CSHS) is an independent society formed in 2002 to coordinate, research, record, and preserve the history of Slovenians in Canada. The CSHS logo combines the linden leaf and the maple leaf, both strong symbols of Canadian and Slovenian identities.
The historical evidence of Slovenians and their contributions to Canada are stored in the archives of the CSHS. Thousands of archival records, including letters, documents, photographs, artifacts, newspapers, postcards, books, tapes, vinyl records, and oral history digital records are carefully preserved, following established archiving regulations and practices.
This preservation ensures that Slovenians who settled in Canada are not forgotten by future generations. The ongoing task of sorting and cataloguing by the CSHS ensures that descendants, students, scholars, and historians have a resource to consult about censors and Slovenian communities across the country. Other ethnic groups interested in similarliy documenting their histories look to the example set by the CSHS.
The CSHS has full membership and recognition from the Archives Association of Ontario and the Canadian Oral History Association. It also belong to the Ontario Historical Society.
Our Mission
01.
Preserve the history of Slovenians in Canada
02.
Seek, locate, and acquire historical data of interest to our community (including manuscripts, art, and artifacts
03.
Establish a permanent location where to store and display historical data
04.
Raise funds to finance the archive
05.
Make documents available to scholars, historians, students, and various libraries and archives
Founding Members and the Board of Directors 2002
Front row left to right: Joseph Slobodnik, Jožica Vegelj. Stane Kranjc, Dr. Anne Urbančič, Frank Brence
Second row left to right: Dorothy Lenarčič, Jerry Ponikvar, Dr. Janez Vintar, Ema Pogačar and Dr. Franc Habjan
Stane Kranjc
It started with the idea of a book about Slovenians in Canada. Mr. Stane Kranjc, a prominent leader and long-time advocate for Slovenians in Canada, spent many years researching Slovenians in Canada, called on his contacts in the many clubs and organizations for Slovenians, even visited cemeteries and the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. In time, he realized the project was much too large for one person alone.
After consulting with members of the community, who gave their whole-hearted support, Stane formed a group of like-minded individuals, including several from academic environments, who would push the work forward. They agreed to work together in a new organization called the Canadian Slovenian Historical Society, Kanadsko Slovensko Zgodovinsko Drustvo, formally created in 2003 with Stane as its first president.
Our Logo
The first members of the board of directors agreed that a logo would help identify the newly established CSHS in the community. It would also reflect the dual nature and history of the community.
The use of the maple leaf, representing Canada, and the linden leaf, representing Slovenia, was already a popular theme (perhaps best utilized by author John Vintar in his book From Linden to Maple). In the logo, the intermingling of a maple leaf and a linden leaf ideally represents Canadians with roots in Slovenia. It is their histories that we research, record and preserve.
The red and green logo appears on all printed and digital materials of the CSHS, now widely recognized in the community.
The final design was created by Whitney (Kranjc) Rasksen. She was a student when she created the logo and representative of the descendants of immigrants from Slovenia.