WHERE DID UKRAINIANS SETTLE IN CANADA AND WHY: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Abstract

The article provides a brief overview of the history of Ukrainian emigration to Canada. In particular, the historical context and features of different waves of emigration, starting from 1891 to the present day, are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the choice of residence by newcomers and the factors that influenced this decision. The author traces how immigration policy, as well as employment opportunities and the presence of relatives and friends, affected the settlement of Ukrainians in Canada. 
In particular, the article provides information about the first wave of immigration, when the government promised 64 hectares of land as homesteads for a nominal fee of $10. As a result of this policy, Ukrainian settlements were founded in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The article highlights the historical background of the second and third waves of emigration and the peculiarities of Canada's policy at the time, which resulted in a significant number of Ukrainians settling not only in the West of the country, but also in Ontario and Quebec. 
The article notes that there is no consensus among scholars on whether the arrival of Ukrainians from Poland, Yugoslavia, and other Central European countries in the 1980s should be distinguished as a separate wave. It also discusses emigration after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resettlement of Ukrainians in Canada over the past 30 years. Despite the fact that in the twenty-first century Ukrainians live almost all over the country, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have the highest percentage of people in Canada who declare their Ukrainian ancestry. 
Special attention is paid to the wave of emigration caused by russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Thanks to a special program of the Government of Canada, Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel, 298 thousand Ukrainians arrived in Canada between March 17, 2022 and April 1, 2024. The article presents the results of surveys of newcomers and information about the factors that influenced their choice of place of residence.