MONTREAL — The golden anniversary of the trilingual Abaka, the first Armenian newspaper founded in Canada, was celebrated on Sunday, November 1, in the Centre Arménie of Laval, a suburb of Montreal, with over 300 guests. The event was held under the aegis of the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada Bishop Abgar Hovakimyan and the patronage of Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Canada Anahit Harutyunyan and featured a popular star from Yerevan, singer Sophie Mkheyan.
The evening was a successful fundraiser for the newspaper, which is supported by many individual donors as well as the Tekeyan Cultural Association Central Board and the Armenian General Benevolent Union Central Board. After the dinner service, the master of ceremonies, Salpi Haladjian Margossian, welcomed guests and invited Avedis Bakkalian, editor of Abaka, to speak on the role of the Armenian press, and in particular that of Abaka, for the Armenian community.
Margossian then called to the podium Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, the president of the Central Board of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada, and one of the main founders of Abaka, to speak. He highlighted the great contribution of the group of dedicated people who helped found and then continued the work of the newspaper over the decades, many of whom have passed away. He stressed that the establishment of Abaka was the result of a plan executed through consistent work. The goal was to inculcate a strong Armenian national character to the newly formed Canadian-Armenian community and to make sure its connection with the Armenian homeland and the Armenian diaspora remained constant.
Dr. Gundjian noted that the birth of Abaka was the result of the century-old patriotic tradition and inspiration of great leaders and intellectuals of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL or “Ramgavar”), such as Vahan Tekeyan, Mihran Damadian and Kersam Aharonian. He said that the 50 years that were being celebrated that night were truly part of a battle without beginning or end.
After this reference to a battle, Dr. Gundjian thought it appropriate to introduce to the audience Armenian national hero Lt. Col. Sargis Stepanyan, who was present as a guest. He pointed out that Stepanyan had made a supreme sacrifice in defending his homeland and lost three of his four limbs in the process. The entire audience expressed its profound respect for the hero through a thunderous standing ovation.
After Dr. Gundjian’s speech, Ambassador Harutyunyan expressed her appreciation for the 50 years of consistently broadminded and honest journalistic labor of Abaka, which has been supportive of the homeland. She included in her appreciation all those who have been carrying out this difficult work, especially the current editor Avedis Bakkalian, the first editor Arsen Noubar Mamourian, and Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, the latter having played a decisive role in creating the main infrastructure of the Canadian-Armenian community.
