Unconfirmed settlement before 1891 Minority opinions among historians of Ukrainians in Canada surround theories that a small number of Ukrainians settled in Canada before 1891. Most controversial is the claim that Ukrainians may have been
infantrymen alongside
Poles in the
Swiss French “
De Watteville's Regiment” who fought for the
British on the
Niagara Peninsula during the
War of 1812 – it has been theorized that Ukrainians were among those soldiers who decided to stay in
Upper Canada (
southern Ontario). Other Ukrainians supposedly arrived as part of other immigrant groups; it has been claimed that individual Ukrainian families may have settled in
southern Manitoba in the mid- to late 1870s alongside
block settlements of
Mennonites and
other Germans from the
Russian Empire. Because there is so little definitive documentary evidence of individual Ukrainians among these three groups, they are not generally regarded as among the first Ukrainians in Canada.
First wave: Settlers, 1891–1914 stamp commemorating the centennial of Ukrainian settlement in Canada, 1891–1991 During the nineteenth century the territory inhabited by Ukrainians in Europe was divided between the
Austro-Hungarian and
Russian empires. The
Austrian crownlands of
Galicia and
Bukovina were home to many Ukrainian speakers. Austrian Galicia was
one of the poorest and most overpopulated regions in Europe, and had experienced
a series of blights and famines. Emigration on a large scale from Galicia to the
Balkans (the
north-south border region of
Croatia and
Bosnia) and even to
Brazil was already underway by 1891. The first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada began with
Iwan (Ivan) Pylypow and
Wasyl Eleniak, who arrived in 1891, and brought several families to settle in 1892. Pylypow helped found the
Edna-Star Settlement east of
Edmonton, the first and largest Ukrainian
block settlement. However, it is Dr
Josef Oleskow, along with
Cyril Genik, who are considered responsible for the large Ukrainian Canadian population through their promotion of Canada as a destination for immigrants from western (Austrian-ruled) Ukraine in the late 1890s. Ukrainians from
Central Ukraine, which was ruled by the
Russian monarchy, also came to Canada – but in smaller numbers than those from Galicia and Bukovina. Approximately 170,000 Ukrainians from the Austro-Hungarian Empire arrived in Canada from September 1891 to August 1914.
Clifford Sifton, Canada's
Minister of the Interior from
1896 to 1905, also encouraged Ukrainians from
Austria-Hungary to immigrate to Canada since he wanted new
agricultural immigrants to populate
Canada's prairies. After retirement, Sifton defended the new Ukrainian and East European immigrants to Canada – who were not from the United Kingdom, the United States, Scandinavia, Iceland, France or Germany – by stating: This Ukrainian immigration to Canada was largely
agrarian, and at first Ukrainian Canadians concentrated in distinct block settlements in the
parkland belt of the
prairie provinces:
Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and
Manitoba. While the Canadian Prairies are often compared to the
steppes of Ukraine, the settlers came largely from Galicia and Bukovina – which are not steppe lands, but are
semi-wooded areas in the
foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. This is why Ukrainians coming to Canada settled in the wooded
aspen parklands – in an arch from
Winnipeg and
Stuartburn, Manitoba to
Edmonton and
Leduc, Alberta – rather than the open prairies further south. Furthermore, the
semi-feudal nature of land ownership in the Austrian Empire meant that in the "Old Country" people had to pay the
pan (landlord) for all their firewood and lumber for building. Upon arriving in Canada, the settlers often demanded wooded land from federal
Dominion Lands Act registry officials so that they would be able to supply their own needs, even if this meant taking land that was less productive for crops. They also attached deep importance to settling near to family, people from nearby villages or other culturally similar groups, furthering the growth of the block settlements. Fraternal and
benevolent organizations established by these settlers include the
Ukrainian Labour Farmer Temple Association (ULFTA, affiliated with the
Communist Party of Canada), the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood (UCB, affiliated with the
Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada), the UCB and USRL are member organizations of the
Ukrainian Canadian Congress today. By 1914, there were also growing communities of Ukrainian immigrants in eastern Canadian cities, such as
Toronto,
Montreal,
Hamilton, and
Windsor. Many of them arrived from the provinces of
Podillia,
Volhynia,
Kyiv and
Bessarabia in Russian-ruled Ukraine.
Internment (1914–1920) , Banff National Park , Kapuskasing, northern Ontario From 1914 to 1920, the political climate of the First World War allowed the Canadian government to classify immigrants with
Austro-Hungarian citizenship as "aliens of enemy nationality". This classification, authorized by the August 1914
War Measures Act, permitted the government to legally compel thousands of Ukrainians in Canada to register with federal authorities. About 5,000 Ukrainian men, and some women and children, were
interned at government camps and work sites. Although many Ukrainians were "
paroled" into jobs for private companies by 1917, the internment continued until June 20, 1920 – almost a year after the
Treaty of Versailles was signed by Canada on June 28, 1919. There are some two dozen Ukrainian-specific plaques and memorials in Canada commemorating Canada's first national internment operations, including several statues – on the fairgrounds of Canada's National Ukrainian Festival south of
Dauphin, Manitoba, the grounds of the
Manitoba Legislative Building in
Winnipeg; and at the locations of the former internment camps in
Banff National Park,
Alberta,
Spirit Lake (La Ferme),
Quebec, and
Kapuskasing,
Ontario. Most were placed by the
Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association (UCCLA) and its supporters. On August 24, 2005, Prime Minister
Paul Martin recognized the Ukrainian Canadian internment as a "dark chapter" in
Canadian history, and pledged $2.5 million to fund memorials and educational exhibits following several months of negotiation with the Ukrainian Canadian community's representatives, including the UCCLA,
Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko (also known as the Shevchenko Foundation), establishing the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF). The Endowment Council of the CFWWIRF uses the interest earned on that amount to fund projects that commemorate the experience of Ukrainians and other Europeans interned between 1914 and 1920. The funds are held in trust by the Shevchenko Foundation. Amongst the commemorative projects funded by the Endowment Council was the unveiling, simultaneously across Canada, of 115 bilingual plaques on August 24, 2014, recalling the 100th anniversary of the first implementation of the
War Measures Act. This was known as Project "Сто" (
Sto; meaning "one hundred"), and organized by the UCCLA.
Second wave: Settlers, workers and professionals, 1923–1939 , taken in May 1934. Photograph from the
M.O. Hammond fonds held at the Archives of Ontario. In 1923, the Canadian government modified the
Immigration Act to allow former subjects of the Austrian Empire to once again enter Canada – and Ukrainian immigration started anew. Ukrainians from western
Volhynia – the
Polesie and
Wołyń Voivodeships (under Polish rule), and southern
Bessarabia – also known as the
Budjak (under Romanian rule), joined a new wave of emigrants from Polish-governed
Galicia and Romanian-governed
Bukovina. Around 70,000 Ukrainians from
Poland,
Romania, and
Czechoslovakia arrived in Canada from 1923 to September 1939, The majority became workers in the growing industrial centres of
southern Ontario, the
Montreal region and the
Eastern Townships of Quebec; the
mines,
smelters and
forests of
northern Ontario; and the small heavy industries of urban
western Canada. – which supported the idea of a Ukrainian "
Cossack kingdom" led by
Pavlo Skoropadskyi; and the rival
Ukrainian National Federation (UNF) in 1932 – which supported the idea of an
independent Ukrainian republic and politically supported the
armed Ukrainian nationalist insurgency in Polish-occupied Western Ukraine. The UHO ceased to exist by 1960, while the UNF continued to expand and became the largest and most influential Ukrainian organization in Canada, spearheading the creation of the coordinating Ukrainian Canadian Committee (later
Ukrainian Canadian Congress) during World War II.
Third wave: Workers, professionals and political refugees, 1945–1980s From 1945 to 1952, most Ukrainians coming to Canada were political refugees and Displaced Persons. In the aftermath of the Second World War, many Ukrainians who had been displaced by the war began to immigrate to Canada. These immigrants were often refugees who had been forced to flee their homes and were looking for a safe haven. In the 1950s and 1960s, many Ukrainians who had been living in displaced persons camps in Europe were given the opportunity to immigrate to Canada. These immigrants were often highly skilled and educated, and they contributed to the growth and development of Canada's economy. Another wave of Ukrainian immigration occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, driven by political and economic factors. Many Ukrainians were dissatisfied with the Soviet regime and its policies, and were looking for greater freedoms and opportunities. Additionally, economic factors such as a shortage of jobs and a declining standard of living also played a role in driving migration. During this period, many Ukrainian immigrants settled in urban areas, such as Toronto and Montreal, and found work in manufacturing and other industries. Despite facing some challenges with discrimination and prejudice, Ukrainian immigrants were able to establish strong communities in Canada and preserve their culture and heritage. The result was large Ukrainian communities in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. They established a number of new organizations and affiliated newspapers, women's and youth groups, the most prominent of which was the Canadian League for the Liberation of Ukraine (renamed the League of Ukrainian Canadians after the collapse of the USSR in 1991). The League joined the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (later
Ukrainian Canadian Congress) as a member organization in 1959.
Fourth wave: Post-independence immigrants, 1991–2021 After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, emigration from Ukraine increased. Rising levels of corruption, the dismantlement of some social services, low-paying employment as well as a loss of jobs in Ukraine, made immigration attractive once again. Many Ukrainians saw Canada as a land of opportunity and a place where they could build a better life for themselves and their families. The Canadian government also made it easier for Ukrainians to immigrate, offering various programs and initiatives designed to attract skilled workers and entrepreneurs. One of the most popular programs for Ukrainian immigrants was the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which allowed skilled workers to immigrate to Canada based on their education, work experience, language proficiency, and other factors. Many Ukrainians also immigrated to Canada through family sponsorship, as they had family members already living in Canada. In addition to economic opportunities, Ukrainians were also attracted to Canada's multicultural society and the freedom and rights afforded to its citizens. Many Ukrainian immigrants have made significant contributions to Canadian society in various fields, including business, academia, politics, and the arts.
Post-2022 migration In early 2022, Russia began building up troops on Ukraine's border and on February 24,
invaded Ukraine, starting a full-scale war. In response to the resulting
Ukrainian refugee crisis, Canadian government introduced a temporary visa program,
Canada–Ukraine authorization for emergency travel. In total, 1,189,320 applications were received, of which 962,612 (approximately 80.94%) were approved. As of April 1, 2024, 298,128 people had arrived in Canada under the CUAET program. ==Participation in the Canadian economy==