The CCUB, or Christian Communities of Universal Brotherhood, was a Doukhobor organization that included thriving businesses in Saskatchewan, largely in the Verigin area initially and then later in British Columbia. While early Doukhobor settlements (circa 1899) were focused in the Prairies (much of which later became Saskatchewan), many Doukhobors migrated westward after their right to live communally in Saskatchewan was retracted in the early 1900s. This led to major land losses in Saskatchewan, estimated at 773,000 acres. It also led to the beginning of new Doukhobor communities and thriving business under the CCUB in BC. Therefore, when the Depression hit in the 1930s, it affected Doukhobors across Western Canada. This included the 1938 foreclosure on CCUB and the sell-off of its assets in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Over the years, after settlement of debts, some funds remained in the hands of several financial institutions. In the 1970s, the Government of Saskatchewan collaborated with Doukhobors to consolidate these funds and accumulated interest into a fund that would be used to further the culture and heritage of Doukhobors in Western Canada: The Doukhobors of Canada CCUB Trust Fund Act (S.S. 1980) The original Fund consisted of $222,078 received from Canada Permanent Trust Co. in 1973 plus interest accrued to the Fund’s establishment in 1980 (ref. S.11(2) of the Act), for an initial fund principal of $267,000. The Act provided for spending only the interest generated by the principal plus any gifts or grants received. After consultations with our Doukhobor community across Western Canada and discussions with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, the original Act was amended in May 2021 by An Act to amend and repeal The Doukhobors of Canada C.C.U.B Trust Fund Act, allowing the Board to access the full principal of the Fund, as well as the interest.
A board was established, and continues to the present, to administer the Fund according to the provisions of the Act, with headquarters in the Village of Veregin, Saskatchewan. The Board consists of representatives from Saskatchewan (4), Alberta (1) and British Columbia (4), reflecting the distribution of the Doukhobor population. The Board has been active since it was established and distributes funding to Doukhobor groups in Western Canada via an open granting process. Funds must be used for projects or initiatives that further the culture and heritage of Doukhobors in Canada.
The Board is recognized in the Act as a corporate body and functions much like a Crown Corporation. The CCUB Trust Fund Board produces and files annual financial statements, which are reviewed by Saskatchewan’s Provincial Auditor and are available to the public.
The Doukhobors of Canada Christian Communities of Universal Brotherhood (C.C.U.B.) Trust Fund
The CCUB Trust Fund was established by Saskatchewan’s Minister of Finance to manage and disburse surplus funds that arose out of the liquidation of assets of the C.C.U.B. Ltd. and that remained unclaimed in the 1970s, with funds to be used to further the culture and heritage of the Doukhobors of Canada, with a focus on Canada’s three Western Provinces. The process for managing and disbursing the funds was defined in an act of the Saskatchewan legislature in 1979-80 called The Doukhobors of Canada C.C.U.B. Trust Fund Act.
Members of the CCUB Trust Fund Board are available to provide information or answer questions at the addresses listed below. The Board consists of nine members, as defined in The Doukhobors of Canada C.C.U.B. Trust Fund Act (Statutes of Saskatchewan, 1979-80), with representation from Saskatchewan (4), Alberta (1), and British Columbia (4).
| Peter Perepolkin, Chair | Castlegar, BC | perepolkinpeter@gmail.com |
| Sharon Nazaroff, Vice-Chair | Krestova, BC | nuera@shaw.ca |
| Mike Kanigan | Castlegar, BC | mfkanigan@telus.net |
| Fred Samorodin | New Westminster, BC | fsamorod@shaw.ca |
| John Popoff (resigned Jan’23) | Chestermere, AB | popoffjohn@shaw.ca |
| Linda Osachoff, Secretary | Canora, SK | linda.osachoff@gmail.com |
| Walter Ostoforoff, Treasurer | Canora, SK | wfostoforoff@yahoo.ca |
| Andrew T. Kazakoff | Kamsack, SK | akazakoff@sasktel.net |
| June Bold, Communications | Saskatoon, SK | boldj@shaw.ca |