History

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, originally named the Ukrainian Canadian Committee, was established in November 1940 on the initiative of the Federal Government of Canada and non-Communist Ukrainian organisations to organise a broad Ukrainian community into an umbrella-like framework for a united war effort during the Second World War and Postwar period. Although politically and religiously neutral UCC has played a vital role in advocating for their resettlement in this country on behalf of the 200,000 Ukrainian refugees trapped in Western Europe after the conflict with the federal government of Canada. Later the post-war shifts in the image of the population, including urbanisation and the movement towards higher education, inevitably contributed to cultural and lingual assimilation.

Nowadays UCC has been establishing multilevel leadership through its regional and municipal affiliates and have been instrumental in raising matters of interest to the broader community including unique interests of the young generation of Ukrainian Canadians at the correct policy level.

1891

THE FIRST IMMIGRATION

The first recorded Ukrainian settlers arrived in Canada in 1891.
Within the years that followed, tens of thousands of Ukrainians arrived in Canada.
The vast majority of these immigrants settled in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta where they obtained land to farm.
Manitoba, especially its capital city Winnipeg, will always have great historical significance in the settlement of Ukrainians in Canada.
This was the first stopping place for groups of Ukrainian immigrants who dispersed from here to their final destination, the homesteads.
In 1891, the year of the first wave of settlement, there were 4,833,000 souls in Canada and 152,506 in, Manitoba.

1922-1939

THE SECOND IMMIGRATION

The Second Immigration (1922-1939) was smaller than the first and numbered about 68,000 people.
For the first time, immigrants began to arrive in numbers from Volynia, which also had fallen under Poland.
Most of the immigrants were still farmers, the unskilled and semi-skilled who were being pushed out of their homeland by the bleak economic and political future which they faced.

Nov 1940

FORMATION UKRAINIAN CANADIAN COMMITTEE

Since 1918, attempts to cooperate among the competing non-communist organisations had been intermittent but ineffective.
For its part, the federal government was keen to establish a cohesive Canadian war effort, and worked to arbitrate political divisions.
It funded a meeting in Winnipeg in November 1940, which led to the establishment of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee.
This national coordinating body has played an invaluable role in organising the propagation, protection and advancement of Ukrainian ethno-cultural culture in Canada and, since its founding, in fostering multiculturalism.
The Canadian Ukrainian Congress was created to unite all Ukrainian organisations under one governing body and to coordinate the member organisations' activities and represent them before governments and the Canadian community. Organizational representation came from youth, professionals , educators and associations who made a definite contribution to Canada's Ukrainian Community

May 1945

THE SECOND WORLD WAR ENDED IN EUROPE

More than two million Ukrainians found themselves outside their Soviet occupied homeland when World War II ended in Europe in May, 1945.
▪ Ukrainians in Canada , the United States and South America had lobbied their respective governments to prevent repatriation and recognise refugees as residents.
▪ The plight of the refugees (displaced persons or DPs) presented the Ukrainian Canadian Commission with an opening and a challenge.
▪ The UCC approached this issue in two ways, with good participation from the public.
▪ To provide financial and moral assistance, the Ukrainian Canadian Relief Fund was established; it convinced Ottawa to allow refugees to enter Canada.
▪ The problem of immigration was much harder than receiving help.
▪ Uncertain as to the economic consequences of demobilisation, the government became hesitant to accept European refugees.
▪It was due primarily to the contributions of Anthony Hlynka, MP for Vegreville and a neglected comrade of Third Immigration, that Ukrainian and other Eastern European refugees were finally admitted to Canada.
▪ Hlynka is working closely with the UCC and has actively and skilfully lobbied for a change in immigration reform. Helped by post-war economic boom in the resource sector, Ukrainian pressure has helped open Canada to the new immigrants.

1946-1961

THE THIRD IMMIGRATION

▪ The Third Immigration (1946-1961) contributed the smallest number of people, some 37,000 in all.
▪ The immigrants had one common feature -they were political refugees.
▪ Some were professionals from the sciences, humanities and the arts, others were craftsmen, and still others were labourers and farmers.
▪ For the first time they came from all regions of the Ukraine.
▪ The UCC has succeeded in reconciling old-line organisations with Third Immigration organisations, building the requisite stability in the Ukrainian culture.
▪ In 1951, about 84,000 Ukrainians took up residence in Ontario, and Toronto became the capital of the Third Immigration▪ The Third Immigration (1946-1961) contributed the smallest number of people, some 37,000 in all.
▪ The immigrants had one common feature -they were political refugees.
▪ Some were professionals from the sciences, humanities and the arts, others were craftsmen, and still others were labourers and farmers.
▪ For the first time they came from all regions of the Ukraine.
▪ The UCC has succeeded in reconciling old-line organisations with Third Immigration organisations, building the requisite stability in the Ukrainian culture.
▪ In 1951, about 84,000 Ukrainians took up residence in Ontario, and Toronto became the capital of the Third Immigration

Aug 1970

THE FIRST FOLKLORAMA

Folklorama made a profound impact on Ukrainian Community. Folklorama was first held in August 1970.It was originally intended to be a one-time occurrence in celebration of Manitoba’s centennial. It was deemed such a success that it became an annual event. The first festival was only a week long, featuring 21 different cultures; it drew approximately 75,000 separate pavilion visits.
Ukraine-Kyiv Pavilion is among four of the original pavilions that still exists today and has participated in all 48 Folklorama festivals since 1970.

1989

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN COMMITTEE WAS RECOGNISED AFTER 1989 AS THE UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CONGRESS

1991

THE FOURTH IMMIGRATION WAVE

The Fourth Wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada occurred after Ukraine became an independent country in 1991.
The immigrants have come Canada under very different circumstances.
Many of them are well educated professionals, most speak English, and generally speaking, they have come here voluntarily to improve their economic lot or to get away from the tribulations of a post-Soviet country struggling to “westernize”.

2020

NOWADAYS

Currently UCC has established multilevel representation through its regional and local branches who have been instrumental in raising matters of interest to the larger community including unique needs of the young generation of Ukrainian Canadians at the proper government level.

More details about UCC history is here.