Czech Weekend and the 70th Congress of the CSAC

At the end of October 2025, Ottawa hosted the “Czech Weekend” marking the 107th anniversary of the founding of independent Czechoslovakia. The event, organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa in cooperation with the Czech and Slovak community, featured cultural, social, diplomatic, and sporting activities.

On Friday, October 24, the weekend opened with the Gala Evening of the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada (ČSSK), where Czech Ambassador Martin Tlapa delivered a speech. During the event, the Masaryk Awards – granted since 1985 to individuals and organizations for their contributions to the Czech and Slovak community in Canada – were presented to Martin Jelinowicz, Miloš and Linda Králík, Miloslava Minnes, Robert Tmej, and Romana Zemanová.

The following day, October 25, the 70th Congress of ČSSK took place. Delegates reviewed activities from the past two years and elected new leadership. Michelle (Míša) Čipera was elected chair, succeeding David Beneš. The congress also discussed greater involvement of the younger generation and plans to modernize the organization’s communication channels. A message from Jiří Krátký, the Special Envoy for Czechs Living Abroad at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was read, and representatives of Camp Hostýn presented their traditional Czech-Slovak summer camp near Montreal, inviting children to attend in 2026.

As part of the celebrations, the embassy hosted a concert of Czech music at Knox Church in Ottawa. The performance featured opera singer Whitney Leigh Sloan and the piano Duo Zumi (Zuzana Šimurdová and Mikołaj Warszyński). The program included the Czech and Canadian national anthems, works by Antonín Dvořák, and other Czech compositions. More than two hundred guests attended the concert, followed by a reception at the Czech Embassy.

The weekend concluded with the fifth annual “Run for the Republic,” organized by Sokol Ottawa with support from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite the cold morning weather, dozens of runners of all ages participated. Participants received medals and traditional Czech and Slovak refreshments.