Yanda, Doris Elizabeth, 1905-2005 : Doris E. Yanda, community leader and author, was born on March 16, 1905 in Gimli, Manitoba to Ukrainian pioneers who arrived in Canada in 1900. The family moved to southwestern Saskatchewan when she was very young. She attended high school and college in Saskatoon where she also attended the P. Mohyla Institute from 1920 until 1926. She began to write at an early age and wrote poems, articles and stories during her life under the names of Dorothy Yanda, Elizabeth Young and Daria Mohylianka. In 1923, she was one of the organizers of the Ukrainian Ladies Society of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and she held various executive positions including vice-president and president. She married Dmytro Yanda, a lawyer, in June, 1926 and continued her involvement in the Ukrainian community. In 1926, she was one of the founders of the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada (UWAC) also holding various executive positions at the national level including vice-president, president (1935-1936) and editor of the women's page. She was involved in speaking and organizing tours across Canada. She convened the Ukrainian National Handicraft Exhibit in 1935. She was also active in the National Council of Women and the Women's Council of Canada. In 1952, Mrs. Yanda was honoured with an honorary life membership in the UWAC.
She was a member of the Canadian Authors' Association since 1934. She has published twelve books on various literary subjects under various pen names. She was editor of the Women's Page in the newspapers, Ukrainian Voice and Ukrainian Farmer. She was also on the eitorial committee of the Ukrainian Voice.
During the Second World War, she was very active in voluntary war work in Edmonton. She was involved in numerous organizations such as Red Cross, War Savings Stamps, Regional Advisory Committee of the Wartime Price Control Board and the Local Council of Women. She was chairman of the B.C. Flood Relief Fund in 1948 and she also wrote on this disaster for the popular press.
In 1949, she and her husband toured over twenty Displaced Persons Camps in western Europe and back in Canada, she was again involved in voluntary work to assist the newly arrived Ukrainian Displaced Persons. She made speaking tours about the DP situation in Europe after their return to Canada. Through her work she facilitated the immigration of many Ukrainian Displaced Persons and refugees to Canada.
In 1962 Mrs. Yanda published her first book of poems in Ukrainian. Mrs. Yanda was widowed in 1969 and then married John McMullan. She was instrumental in establishing and teaching Ukrainian weaving courses at the Banff Centre - School of Fine Arts from 1976 to 1987.
During her life, she received many awards and distinctions from various national organizations and from the Ukrainian community including the Taras Shevchenko Medal.
Doris Yanda died on 27 December 2005 in Edmonton at the age of 100.