Ukrainians in Canada

On February 21-23, 2020 the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) and the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW) hosted a Triennial National Convention at the Old Mill Toronto Ukrainian Cultural Center. The delegates from across Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. Catharines, Ottawa, Etobicoke, Hamilton, Toronto) discussed the work the impact of the LUC and LUCW funds such as "Friends of Ukraine Defense Forces", "Guardian Angels" and "Hero's Companion". Over the past six years, LUC and LUCW have continued to support Ukrainian soldiers, their families, orphans and internally displaced persons. "Friends of Ukrainian Defense Forces" Fund raised over $ 2,500,000 CAD in order to provide humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine. Orest Steciw, Roman Medyk, Bohdan Cherniawsky, Ihor Kozak and other leading members of LUC have repeatedly visited the front line. They met with...

“You were shoulder to shoulder with us in 2014,” said Poroshenko of Canadians when the ongoing illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia began. “We need peace, not capitulation.” Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019, addressed up to 300 elected officials, academics and community members in a lecture hosted by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta. He also met with Premier Jason Kenney Monday morning, whom Poros­henko praised for his support of Ukraine in 2015 as federal minister of defence. Edmonton is home to a sizeable Ukrainian population, and a Ukrainian consulate opened here in September 2018. Poroshenko noted the “very special” partnership between the two countries through history, language and migration, and stressed the urgency of challenging autocratic leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin as a united front...

Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression is entering a new dangerous phase. Unable to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, Russia is escalating its hybrid war against Ukraine by pushing the Euro-Atlantic community toward appeasement. Therefore, the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) respectfully calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Members of Parliament, and our fellow Canadians to oppose capitulation to Russia on Ukraine. The Ukrainian nation spontaneously mobilized and stopped Russia’s military machine. Initially, they did so as volunteer fighters in volunteer battalions. Today, Ukraine boasts the second-largest military in Europe, second only to Russia itself...

The Ukrainian Canadian community in Canada has many successful individuals. Most are not noticed outside their close circle, but some become recognized as outstanding. On March 20, 2019 two members of the Ukrainian Canadian community were honoured at the Schulich Alumni Recognition Awards 2019. Roman Dubczak (MBA ’87, CA, CPA, CFA, ICD.D) received the Outstanding Progress and Achievement Award. He has had a stellar business career since joining the CIBC in 1992. He is currently the Managing Director and Head of Global Investment Banking at CIBC. But Mr. Dubczak has also found time to give back to the community. He was recently the Chair of the St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation and CIBC Children’s Foundation. He is also a Director of the Fraser Institute, past Chair of the Investment Industry Association of Canada and...

North America’s Largest Celebration of the 28th Anniversary of Ukrainian Independence, organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress–Toronto Branch, was celebrated in Toronto at Centennial Park on Saturday August 24, 2019. OUR BEST EVENT EVER! Blessed with beautiful weather, attended by record thousands, greeted by representatives from the Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, charmed by songstress Oksana Mukha, “The Voice of Ukraine” herself, and entertained by the country’s Top Dance and Vocal Ensembles...

On behalf of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, I would like to sincerely thank Right Rev. Archpriest Makarenko, Rev. Oleh Kachur, our speakers and performer, members of the Ukrainian Youth Associations CYM and Plast, those responsible for technical assistance, our sponsors and organizers, our master of ceremonies, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Ontario Provincial Council for your support, and indeed all of you, ladies and gentlemen, for the contribution you have made to today’s flag-raising ceremony. This year’s observance marks the 28th anniversary of that moment in Ukraine’s history when the...

Blood of Our Soil, by Edmonton’s Lianna Makuch and presented by Pyretic Productions in association with Punctuate! Theatre at the Tarragon Extraspace, is based on her grandmother’s journal accounts of fleeing Ukraine during the Second World War. Like a carefully-preserved box of mementos, the play feels like a discovery of buried treasure. It has been in development for years, and the writing and production have been meticulously, finely honed in that time by the playwright/director Patrick Lundeen, and dramaturg Matthew Mackenzie (writer of the Dora-winning Bears, currently at Factory)...

The Holodomor Research and Education Consortium’s (HREC) Director of Education, who is also the Chair of the National Holodomor Education Committee (NHEC) of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) Valentina Kuryliw, is an honoree of the Ukrainian World Congress’s (UWC) highest accolade – the St. Volodymyr the Great medal. The medal was introduced in 1988 to acknowledge individuals for their special and significant contributions to the development of the Ukrainian community in the diaspora and/or Ukraine. Kuryliw was amongst 8 Canadians honoured “for a special contribution to promoting the image of the UWC, the development of Ukrainian community life in the diaspora, and support of Ukraine...

Many of today’s Ukrainian customs come to us from ancient times. In fact Ukrainian customs date from pre-Christian days. When Ukraine accepted Christianity in 988 AD, it was much simpler to incorporate the ideals of Christianity into the existing way of life, a life that was based on agriculture. After the official introduction of Christianity by Prince Volodymyr the Great, many of the folk customs and rites have been accepted by the church, and adapted to the spirit of the Christian religion. The most important and colourful part of Ukrainian Christmas traditions is the actual Christmas Eve, or Sviat Vechir, which revolves around the twelve course Lenten supper. This is a family affair or...

The boards of three Ukrainian Canadian foundations and Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies are proud to announce the Professor Manoly R. Lupul Endowment to Advance Ukrainian Language Education, co-founded to support programs in Alberta and beyond through the activities of the Ukrainian Language Education Centre (ULEC) at the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), University of Alberta. This unique initiative has been undertaken jointly by the Alberta Foundation for Ukrainian Language Education Society (AFUES; Vlodko Boychuk, President), the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies (CFUS; Olga Kuplowska, President), and the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF; Victor Hetmanczuk, President)...