ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1891, Vasyl Eleniak and Ivan Pylypiw stepped onto Canadian soil and became the first two officially recorded Ukrainian immigrants in Canada. Dressed in sheepskin coats they were pioneers of the Ukrainian Canadian community, the fifth largest ethnic group in Canada, now numbering over 1,000,000. Canada had only seven provinces when the first Ukrainians arrived so they helped build Canada. They became pioneers of the Canadian West, breaking the virgin land and laying down a carpet of golden wheat. It was estimated by Senator Paul Yuzyk that Ukrainians pioneered 10 million acres of the prairies or 40 percent of Canada’s wheat land.

An interesting twist of fate is that the “first immigrant” from Ukraine came in 1842. It was a Ukrainian strain of early ripening wheat, called Red Fife. Together with the variety Marquis derived from Ukrainian wheat, they formed the basis of Canada’s early economic growth. It is fitting that Ukraine, known as the “Breadbasket of Europe” made Canada the “Granary of the World.”

Ukrainian immigration to Canada grew after Professor Joseph Oleskiw visited Canada in 1895 and wrote a book About Free Lands. A flood of immigrants from Western Ukraine (Austria-Hungary) totalling 180,000 came to Canada from 1891 to 1914. Most settled in Manitoba and areas of the Northwest Territories which in 1905 became the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1999, there were two Ukrainian Canadian premiers, Roy Romanow in Saskatchewan and Gary Filmon in Manitoba.

In the early years Ukrainians were known by several names such as Ruthenians, Rusins, Carpatho-Rusins, Galicians, Lemkos, and Bukovinians. In 1897, the first Ukrainian Orthodox Church was built in Gardenton, Manitoba, and in 1898 the first Ukrainian Catholic church was erected in Star, Alberta. Many Ukrainians, however, have become affiliated with the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Baptist churches. The Ukrainian churches, Orthodox and Catholic, celebrate Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th and Easter by the Julian Calendar. Ukrainian foods such as borshch beet soup, perogies (varenyky), cabbage rolls (holubtsi), kasha (buck-wheat), kolach (chala), and bublyky (bagels) came to Canada with the pioneers. Edmonton’s Cheemo Perogy Factory makes millions of perogies every week.

Unlike the Mennonites, Icelanders, and Russian Doukhobors, the early Ukrainian settlers received no financial assistance from the Canadian government. In fact, the government dumped trainloads of Ukrainians in the prairie wilderness and abandoned them to survive as best they could. The youngest suffered the most and deaths of babies were very high. In the NWT colony the death rate was 40 percent for infants under two years of age. Life for the early Ukrainian settlers was extremely difficult. The agricultural season was short and many had to work in coal mines, in lumber camps, and laying railroad tracks. But survival was easier because of the bloc settlements of Ukrainians which stretched in a belt from southeastern Manitoba northwest into Saskatchewan and Alberta. It culminated in the 5,000 square mile Ukrainian bloc settlement around Vegreville northeast of Edmonton. Every new wave of Ukrainian immigrants found integration into Canadian life easier because the existing community was able to help until the New Canadians could survive on their own.

The first Ukrainian language newspaper was the Canadian Farmer (Kanadiysky Farmer) in 1903 and, in 1904, the first Ukrainian book, Christian Catechism, was printed in Winnipeg. In 1905 the first Ukrainian bookstore was opened.

The first migration of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada was ended by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Some 10,000 Ukrainians served in the Canadian armed forces in the War and one, Philip Konoval, won the Victoria Cross which was awarded by the King. Ukrainian Canadians have demonstrated a remarkable loyalty to Canada and many died on the battlefields of Europe.

However, the outbreak of World War I aroused suspicion of foreigners and Ukrainians, who had come from Austria-Hungary, were classified as “enemy aliens.” Over 5,000 men, and some women and children, were interned for years in 25 concentration camps across Canada. They were incarcerated in places like Fort Henry and Banff National Park where they were forced to build roads, bridges, and other park development. These and other locations now have historical plaques marking the Ukrainian internment.

Second Wave of Immigration 1919-1939

The second period of immigration, 1919-1939, which brought approximately 70,000 Ukrainians to Canada, included many Ukrainian political refugees fleeing Communist oppression. With a Ukrainian Canadian community in place, they were warmly welcomed to established organizations, churches, and community halls. This inter war period was one of rapid growth. A whole string of local, provincial, and nation-wide organizations were established. For example, the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada was founded in Edmonton and soon had 100 branches and halls across Canada. The U.N.F. sponsored Ukrainian folk dance groups, like Edmonton’s Shumka, and choirs. In 1939 it established the first Ukrainian credit union in Saskatoon.

Because Ukrainians had been excluded from politics in the old country, there was considerable interest in Canadian politics. In 1926 Michael Luchkovich of Vegreville was the first Ukrainian Canadian elected to Parliament; in 1955 Senator William Wall was appointed; in 1957 Hon. Michael Starr became the first Cabinet Minister of Ukrainian origin; in 1958 Hon. John Yaremko, Q.C. was appointed to the Ontario Cabinet; in 1970 Stephen Worobetz was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan; and in 1988 Mr. Justice John Sopinka was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 1999 the magnificent John Sopinka Court House opened in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1990, Rt. Hon. Ray Hnatyshyn became Governor General of Canada, our nation’s highest honour.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress was founded in Winnipeg in 1940 as the national voice of the Ukrainian community in Canada. It is also a member of the Ukrainian World Congress which promoted the independence of Ukraine from Soviet Russia and on August 24, 1991 Ukraine declared its independence.

Third Wave of Immigration 1945-1954

The inter-war immigration was disrupted by the outbreak of World War II in 1939. During this war some 40,000 Ukrainian Canadians served in the armed forces. From 1945 to 1954 the third and smallest wave of Ukrainian immigrants (about 35,000) arrived. Among them were displaced persons (DPs), refugees, survivors of Auschwitz, and Ostarbeiters from German slave labour camps. Hailing from all parts of Ukraine, this group included academics, engineers, teachers, and doctors. This small immigration settled mainly in the cities of eastern Canada.

Immigration Since 1954

Since 1954 there has not been a wave of immigration but a steady trickle of a few hundred Ukrainians every year. They have come to Canada from Australia, Great Britain, South America, the United States, and Europe. The 1991 independence of Ukraine has now opened up immigration. The population growth of Ukrainian Canadians is almost entirely based on natural increase and out of 1,025,000 in the 1996 Canadian Census, about 95 percent are Canadian born. Ukrainian Canadians are no longer an immigrant community because they are now in their fifth Canadian generation.

Contributions and Achievements

Ukrainian Canadians are an active and vital force in this country. Builder William Teron in 1966 built the town of Kanata, which has become Canada’s “silicon valley,” and another builder, Toronto’s Peter Jacyk, has become a prominent philanthropist. James Temertey is CEO of giant Northland Power. Filmmaker Roman Kroitor was one of the founders of IMAX. Slawko Klymkiw is a senior executive at the CBC and Ivan Fecan is the CEO of the CTV Network. Comedian Luba Goy is noted for her role on the Royal Canadian Air Farce. Ted Woloshyn is a well-known personality on Toronto radio and Victor Malarek is a CBC TV personality. Some Ukrainian Canadians have found success in the USA such as Hollywood film director Edward Dmytryk and Alex Trebek, the host of TV’s Jeopardy.

In sports Wayne Gretzky traces his roots through his grandparents to Pidhaitse in Ternopil Province of Ukraine. World champion skier Steve Podborski and world champion curler Ed Werenich won honour for Canada. Edmonton’s Michael Slipchuk was Canadian Champion Figure Skater in 1992. Canadian swimming champion Joanne Malar won three gold medals and set a record at the 1999 Pan Am Games. The Hockey Hall of Fame includes such Ukrainian Canadian notables as goalie Terry Sawchuk, John Bower, Bill Mosienko (who in 21 seconds scored the fastest three goals in professional hockey history), and John Bucyk.

Academics include Dr. Joseph V. Charyk, born into an Alberta Ukrainian pioneer family, who became an eminent space scientist. President Kennedy appointed him head of the Communications Satellite Corporation (Comsat). Charyk placed the first satellites in space which provided TV around the world and allowed us to seethe first step of a man on the moon in 1969.

Writers such as Janice Kulyk-Keefer and Myrna Kostash, dramatist George Ryga, and poets Andrew Suknaskiand Peter Kuzyk, are well known in Canadian literature and have written about their Ukrainian heritage. Artist William Kurelek left a rich legacy of paintings and prize-winning books about the Ukrainian Canadian prairie experience. The prominent Canadian sculptor Leo Mol has left his mark on Canada with statues of Queen Elizabeth in Winnipeg, Prime Minister Diefenbaker in Ottawa, and Taras Shevchenko in Washington, D.C. Although Ukrainian Canadians are patriotic citizens of Canada they have maintained a strong interest in their roots and pride in their ancestral heritage. This is evident in the work of the Shevchenko Foundation in Winnipeg which is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian heritage in Canada. There are Ukrainian museums and libraries in Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and elsewhere. The large and fascinating Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village in Alberta captures the history of the Ukrainian Canadian pioneers.

Ukrainian studies, including Ukrainian language, literature, and history have been offered at many Canadian universities since 1949. The Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, at the University of Alberta since 1976, has provided a solid foundation for Ukrainian scholarship. Toronto’s Infoukes (http://www.infoukes.com/) is the largest Ukrainian internet site in the world.

Many annual festivals, monuments, and historical plaques across Canada celebrate, mark, and preserve the history and heritage of Ukrainians in Canada. Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival is held in Dauphin, Manitoba, every August. In 1961, a monument of Ukrainian poet, Taras Shevchenko, was unveiled by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker at the Manitoba Legislature. There is a monument of King Vladimir at the St. Vladimir Institute in Toronto. A large Ukrainian pioneer monument is on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature, and there is one at Hamilton City Hall. The largest Ukrainian monument is the giant Ukrainian Easter Egg (Pysanka) in Vegreville, Alberta, visited by Queen Elizabeth.

Ukrainian Canadians were the pioneers of the concept of multiculturalism which has been the official policy of the Canadian government since 1971. They have continued to preserve and develop their cultural identity in the Canadian mosaic. In the Greater Toronto alone, which has about 100,000 Ukrainian Canadians and is the most dynamic community in Canada, there exist some 150 organizations. Ukrainian Canadians are a very wellorganized community.

Andrew Gregorovich