The first Ukrainians to land in Canada in 1891 and 1892 - Halifax, Nova Scotia - Human Migration Monuments on Waymarking.com

Inscription on the monument:

"Vytaiemo" is the traditional Ukrainian greeting of welcome. This sculpture is a memorial to the centenary celebration of the first Ukrainian immigrants who landed in Canada looking for a new life 1891-1892.'

'The bread and the salt placed on an embroidered towel is a traditional Ukrainian welcome representing life and the new life Canada had to offer.'

Sponsored by the Unkrainian Canadian Congress. The two draped Canadian flags of 1891 and 1991, represent the marriage of the past and present in their new country Canada.

Though it is believed that Ukrainians began arriving in North America since European exploration of the continent, there are no records of arrival for this earlier period. The first recorded Ukrainian settlers arrived in Canada in 1891 when two immigrants, Vasyl Eleniak and Ivan Pylypiw, from the Galicia province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire landed in Montreal. Within the years that followed, tens of thousands of Ukrainians arrived in Canada. Most Ukrainian immigrants of this period were identified on government records as arriving from their respective provinces in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as Poles, Russians, or Austrians. The vast majority of these immigrants settled in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta where they obtained land to farm. Others who preferred industrial occupations settled in various towns in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Approximately 150,000 Ukrainian immigrants arrived between 1891 and 1914.

During the First World War, Ukrainians from Galicia were classified as enemy aliens by the Government of Canada and over 5,000 Ukrainian Canadians were interned in camps. Ukrainian language schools were closed and the Ukrainian language press restricted. Regardless of this, over 10,000 Ukrainian Canadians fought in the War, with many anglicizing their names to avoid discrimination.

The second large wave of immigration from the Ukraine occurred after the First World War when the Ukraine became a part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. These refugees were welcomed by the already established Ukrainian communities. The Ukrainian Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches had parishes in most Ukrainian centres and these establishments were important places for social gathering.

Over 40,000 Ukrainian Canadians fought in the Second World War. After the end of this war, there was a third wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada. These were mostly refugees who began arriving from all over Europe in 1947. By 1952, over 32,000 new Ukrainian immigrants had settled in Canada. Most of these immigrants settled in the industrial regions of Quebec and Ontario.

Reference: (visit link)

Who placed it?: Unkrainian Canadian Congress When was it placed?: 1991 Who is honored?: Ukrainian Canadians Website about the Monument: [Web Link]

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