Fonds 20-005 - Andrej Potocký fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Andrej Potocký fonds

General material designation

  • Multiple media

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA ON0034 20-005

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

Physical description area

Physical description

183 cm of textual records
55 photographs : 54 b&w ; 1 col.
25 postage stamps
3 ribbons

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1893-1996)

Biographical history

Andrej Potocký was born in 1893 in the village of Sedliacka Dubová in Orava (Slovakia). Due to hardship, he left his country in July 1910 and joined his brother in Westley, British Columbia (Canada). Potocký found life in Canada far from easy, but the harsh rugged life of Orava had prepared him well for the Canadian wilderness. For 8 years, he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad and suffered many injuries to his legs. The search for other work led him across various regions in Canada. In April 1918, he finally settled in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario (Canada) where he worked as a checker for the Canada Steam Steamship Lines until his retirement in 1958.
Mr. Potocký was a member of the First Catholic Slovak Union, Branch 638, a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Steamship Clerks, Lodge 21 and a parishioner of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church for 78 years. Most significantly, he was a member of Branch 10 of the Canadian Slovak League (CSL) and served as the League’s Supreme National Secretary from 1935 to 1954
Through his lifetime, Mr. Potocký researched, documented and published many articles on the history of the Slovak people at home and abroad. In 1975, he was acclaimed as Honorary President of the Canadian Slovak League (CSL) and, in 1993, was recognized by Matica slovenská of Slovakia for his lifelong on behalf of the Slovak people.
Andrej Potocký married Anna Matulák on February 4th, 1919. They had been married for 63 years when she passed away in October 1982. Mr. Potocký died in 1996 at the age of 103. He was survived by 2 sons, Steve and Anthony, and 4 daughters, Anne, Cecilia, Agnes and Elizabeth. He had fifteen grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Custodial history

Scope and content

This fonds consists of documents relating to Andrej Potocký's life in Canada, involvement in the Canadian Slovak League (CSL) and Kanadský Slovák, including its administration, finances, events, membership, reorganization, incorporation, events, membership, donation to the Red Cross, Slovak personalities, history, culture, immigration and Church's action on Slovakia's right to independence.
It contains constitutions, by-laws, pledges of loyalties, reports, receipts, chronologies, a proclamation, renewals of insurance certificates, forms, collection sheets for funds, insurance and fire policies, telegrams, memoranda, newspaper clippings, articles, agreements, a mandate, meetings' minutes, proceedings, Senate of Canada Bill no. 15: an Act to Incorporate Canadian Slovak League, a response guide, petitions, black and white photographs, ribbons, a colour photographs, twenty-five stamps, resolutions, pleas, a CSL Great Bazar ticket, a greeting card, a commemorative postcard, book excerpts, notes, flyers, a booklet, account of events, a plane ticket, a news release, accounts books, scrapbooks, a diploma, pamphlets, letters, texts, obituaries and lists.
Some of the newspaper clippings were taken from the following newspapers: The Daily Times Journal, Fort William Times-Journal, Nová vlasť, The Chronicle Journal, Northwestern Ontario Catholic, Winnipeg Free Press, Daily Times, Jednota, Slovenskí jezuiti v Kanade, Port Arthur Daily Times, Ensign, Slovenskej Jednoty v Spojených štaroch a v Kanade, Slovák v Amerike, Macedonia Newspaper, The Plain Dealer, Kanadský Slovák, Zenska Jednota, The Globe and Mail, Slovenský Kurier, The Catholic world, Kalendár Jednota, Free Press Weekly Prairie Farmer, Čzeskoslenský svet, Labour, Times Journal, Svet v praze, Slovenskej Bratstvo, Slovák v Kanade, Toronto Daily Star and the Slovak World Congress (SWC) Bulletin.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

This fonds is organized in five series: Andrej Potocký: the person and his writings, Canadian Slovak League (CSL), Subject files, Pamphlets and Other publications.

Language of material

  • Czech
  • English

Script of material

  • Cyrillic
  • Latin

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

The letter from John Hudák dated July 19th, 1978 located in box 3, file 8 is restricted in keeping with relevant privacy legislation.

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

Finding aids

Associated materials

"Related material found Štefan Hreha fonds (20-010).
Related material found in Imrich Stolárik fonds (20-011).
Related material found in Andrej Kučera fonds (20-012) fonds.
Related material found in Canadian Slovak League (CSL) fonds (20-017).
Related material found in Peter Šuffák (20-036) fonds.

Additional issues of Slovak journals and newspapers available in various University of Ottawa's libraries:

Jednota (Cleveland, Ohio) (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: E 184 .S64 J38).

Slovák v Amerike = Slovak Americans (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: E 184 .S64 S59).

Slovenská obrana = Slovak defense (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: E 184 .S64 S596).

Nová vlast = The new country (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: FC 106 .S64 N68).

Catholic World (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): AP 2 .C3).

Katolícky kalendár Jednota (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): E 184 .S64 K25 and Morisset Library - General Collection: E 184 .S64 K27).

Fraternally yours, Jednota (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: E 184 .S64 F73).

Slovenskí jezuiti v Kanade (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): BX 3711 .A1 S56).

Dobrý pastier = The good shepherd (Morisset Library - Periodical: E 184 .S64 G647).
Literárny almanach Slovákia v Amerike (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): PG 2400 .L48).

Misionársky kalendár na rok... (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): BV 2300 .S6 M4).

Pútník Spolku sv Vojtecha Trnava (Off-Campus Storage - Storage (Annex): BX 4690 .S55 P88).

Slovak World Congress Bulletin (Archives and Special Collections (ARCS) - Slovak Archives and Morisset Library - Periodicals: DB 2743 .S84).

Slovak record (Archives and Special Archives (ARCS) - Slovak Archives: E 184 .S64 S467).
"

Related materials

Accruals

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number area

Standard number

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Control area

Description record identifier

CA

Institution identifier

ON0034

Rules or conventions

RAD

Status

Final

Level of detail

Full

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

Language of description

Script of description

Sources

Accession area

Related people and organizations

Related places

Related genres