Celebrating Ukrainian migration to Canada

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/04/2016 (3683 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Did you know 2016 marks the 125th anniversary of Ukrainians in Canada?

The first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada began in 1891. Encouraged by reports from fellow countrymen and by advertisements from the Government of Canada, most left the old country in search of land, opportunity and freedom.

Most hailed from Western Ukraine and settled in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta as farmers. Others found work as labourers in cities such as Winnipeg. A few were intellectuals and clergy.

The first wave was halted by the onset of the First World War.

The spirit of the Ukrainian pioneers prepared the way for the waves of immigration which followed. Their foresight, endurance and faith laid the foundation for the great strides and accomplishments of succeeding generations.  

During the inter-war period, a second wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada occurred. As with the first wave, most hailed from Western Ukraine. Most found work as labourers in Quebec and Ontario in Canadian frontier industries such as mining and forestry. Some settled on the prairies or in Ontario as farmers. Others found work as labourers in cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.

The third wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada came following the Second World War. Most immigrants had been displaced from their homeland and most found work as labourers in cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.

From the 1950s through until the 1980s, Ukrainian immigration to Canada was limited to a trickle.

Since 1991, though, there has been a fourth wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada. That was the year Ukraine celebrated its independence and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.  

Ukrainian Canadians have made and continue to make remarkable contributions to Canada. Indeed, the Ukrainian Canadian experience is a part of our shared heritage as Canadians.
To mark the 125th anniversary, the province has proclaimed 2016 the Year of Manitoba’s Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Heritage.

Darlene Litchie is a community correspondent for Transcona.