In 2023 the University of Debrecen and the Consulate General of Hungary in Montreal initiated a project to explore and preserve the history and heritage of the Hungarian community in the city. With the participation of COHDS and members of the Hungarian diaspora in the city, this endeavor has expanded into an international, interdisciplinary research, educational and community project. Besides publications (books and scholarly articles), one of the main objectives was to conduct oral history interviews and create a digital mapping platform presenting the most important organizations, venues, and events of the community complete with descriptions, images, as well as excerpts from interviews. COHDS hosted a community event in June 2024 and a year later the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize our collaboration and possibly also expand it. On December 1 COHDS will host a research showcase and storytelling panel to share findings of the project, including the interactive map that brings to life the one-hundred-year-old history of Hungarians in Montreal. The event features presentations by Balázs Venkovits (UD) and Sonya Di Sclafani (COHDS), as well as a panel of Hungarian-Canadian elders sharing their life histories and reflecting on their memories of making Montreal home.
