Ukrainians in Canada

In December 2020 we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Marta Krawciw-Barabash Ukrainian Music Festival. I am certain that Professor Marta Krawciw would have never imagined the Festival as it will proceed this year. The Festival will be held in December, as it has been for several years. In this challenging year, however, not exactly as we had hoped. We still intend to have a memorable and celebratory affair. It will be not only a memorable but also very unique! We have adjusted to the reality of a global pandemic, and are adhering to all the health and distancing rules. Our dedicated volunteers and our talented students and teachers are ready for the challenge! The 50th UMF is going Virtual!..

December 2020 will mark the world premiere of a Ukrainian documentary “UKE: The Untold Story of Hockey Legends,” produced and directed by Volodymyr Mula. Throughout the 100-year existence of the National Hockey League (NHL) there were over fifty Ukrainians who became the League’s champions, by far the largest representation of a nationality. The documentary will showcase the stories of successful NHL hockey players who had Ukrainian roots, including legends such as Wayne Gretzky, Terry Sawchuk, Orest Kindrachuk, Eddie Shack, to name a few...

The Former President of the Ukrainian World Congress Eugene Czolij became the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Montreal, QC. The official Agreement outlining the mandate of the Honorary Consul was signed on Friday, October 16, 2020. This mandate will extend to the entire province of Quebec and has marked the first time in history that Ukraine receives its diplomatic presence in this province. “This is an important geographical area and a unique person,” said Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada. Shevchenko expressed that "Quebec already stands out as leader among all Canadian provinces in terms of trade with Ukraine. And we are infinitely pleased that Ukrainian interests in Quebec will be represented by Mr. Czolij, an iconic figure for the international Ukrainian community and a brilliant, authoritative lawyer.”...

After Ukraine's loss of its War for Independence in 1918-1921, the country fell again under the control of neighbouring foreign powers, namely: Soviet Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania. This set the stage for the emergence of a massive Ukrainian Liberation Movement spearheaded by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which during World War II directed its struggle against Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Ukraine became the main battlefield between those two totalitarian superpowers, and where their violence was especially and unprecedentedly extreme...

On March 9, 2020 on Parliament Hill, Etobicoke Centre Member of Parliament Yvan Baker was elected Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG) during the annual general meeting. CUPFG is one of Canada’s largest and most active parliamentary friendship groups with over 100 members representing all political parties. The purpose of the CUPFG is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas between Canadian Parliamentarians and their counterparts in Ukraine and to promote and enhance the political, economic and cultural relations between Canada and Ukraine...

In celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the League of Ukrainian Canadians, the 65th Anniversary of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women and the 70th Anniversary of Ukraine Echo a Tribute Gala “Ukrainians. A Cause without Borders” was held at the Old Mill Toronto. The keynote address was delivered by the Rd. Hon Stephen Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada. During the Tribute Gala, the Rt. Hon Stephen Harper was awarded with the Pinnacle Award. This award was established in 2015 by the International Council in Support of Ukraine, the international umbrella organization for both LUC and LUCW, to recognize outstanding individuals who have contributed to a positive image of the Ukrainian identity on the...

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...