The first Ukrainians in Canada, Ivan Pylypiw and Vasyl Yelynyak, originally from the village of Nebyliv in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, arrived in Canada aboard the steamship Oregon on September 19, 1891. Their arrival marked the beginning of a wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada’s untamed lands.
In 1892, these two Ukrainians facilitated the relocation of several families from Ukraine to Canada, establishing the first and largest Ukrainian settlement in Edna-Star, (now the province of Alberta). By 1914, the settlement extended 110 kilometers from Edna-Star in the west to Slawa in the east and approximately 70 kilometers from Smoky Lake in the north to the outskirts of Mundare and Vegreville in the south.
Today, this area is known as Kalyna Country Ecomuseum, an open-air eco-tourism museum that recreates the life and culture of Ukrainian settlers in Canada from 1892 to 1931.
The mass migration of Ukrainians to Canada is attributed to Joseph Oleskow, a well-known advocate for emigration from Galicia and Bukovina in the late 1890s. In 1895, after visiting Canada and being impressed by its agricultural potential, Oleskow’s public lectures and brochures, such as On Free Lands and On Emigration, encouraged many peasants, primarily from Galicia, Bukovina, and Zakarpattia, to move to the vast, untapped lands of Canada.
Waves of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada
According to the 2021 Census, the Ukrainian community in Canada comprises 1,258,635 people (3.5% of the total population). However, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress estimates the community exceeds 1,359,000 individuals.
The major hubs of organized Ukrainian-Canadian life include Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, and others.
The Ukrainian community in Canada actively preserves and enriches Ukrainian cultural heritage, including language, traditions, and customs, which have become integral to Canadian heritage.
Annually, approximately 10 Ukrainian festivals are held across Canada. The oldest among them is the Canadian National Ukrainian Festival, organized in Dauphin, Manitoba, since 1965. The largest Ukrainian festival in North America is the Toronto Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival, held annually in Toronto.
The Ukrainian community in Canada has an extensive network of over 1,000 organizations, including cultural, religious, academic, and artistic groups such as choirs, dance ensembles, theaters, and museums.
The majority of political, cultural, and religious organizations of the earlier waves of Ukrainian immigrants are coordinated under the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The current president of the UCC is Alexandra Chyczij.
Additionally, UCC National Ukrainian Education Council supports educational initiatives, fostering cooperation among Ukrainian schools and educators. There are over 70 educational institutions in Canada offering programs such as Ukrainian bilingual education, cultural courses, and Saturday schools.
The Ontario government announced the introduction of a mandatory 10th-grade history course on the 1932-1933 Holodomor in Ukraine, starting in September 2025. This course will educate students on the Soviet regime’s totalitarian policies that caused the man-made famine, killing millions of Ukrainians, and discuss how totalitarian ideologies lead to political repression.
Canada is a vital center for Ukrainian studies, with approximately 30 academic institutions dedicated to Ukrainian history, culture, and contemporary issues. These centers contribute significantly to academic and cultural understanding through research projects, educational initiatives, and archival collections.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), headquartered in Toronto, coordinates Ukrainian diaspora efforts globally, representing over 20 million Ukrainians in more than 60 countries. The UWC is currently led by President Pavlo Grod.
In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Canada launched programs like the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) to simplify visa applications for Ukrainians and their families, granting residency, work, and study rights in Canada.
As of April 1, 2024 (the program's conclusion), Canada had received 1,189,320 applications, approved 936,612, and welcomed 298,128 Ukrainians. Despite the program's end, Canada continues to support Ukrainians by providing favorable residency conditions.
The Ukrainian-Canadian community plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian, financial, and material aid to Ukraine amid Russia’s aggression. Initiatives such as the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, organized through the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, are vital in delivering assistance to those in need.
Canada remains a cornerstone of Ukrainian life abroad, fostering ties between Ukrainians and Canadians and supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom and independence.