World’s third-largest Ukrainian population is in Canada, and there are plenty of genealogical resources available

The first two Ukrainian settlers arrived in Canada in 1891 followed by tens of thousands until the start of the First World War. Most Ukrainian immigrants of this period were identified on government records as Poles, Russians, Austrians, Bukovinians, Galicians and Ruthenians, arriving from provinces in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The vast majority of these immigrants settled in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

The second large wave of immigration from Ukraine occurred after the First World War. These immigrants were welcomed by the already established Ukrainian communities.

Source: Library and Archives Canada

It’s a very sad time in the world right now.

For anyone with relatives who once lived or still live in Ukraine, Russia’s invasion is especially difficult.

According to Wikipedia, in 2016, there were an estimated 1,359,655 persons of full or partial Ukrainian origin residing in Canada (the majority being Canadian-born citizens), making them Canada’s eleventh largest ethnic group and giving Canada the world’s third-largest Ukrainian population behind Ukraine itself and Russia.

Given the size of the Ukrainian population in Canada, it should come as no surprise that there are a number of excellent resources for researching one’s Ukrainian Canadian family history.

A Google search for “Ukrainian Canadian genealogy” uncovers several resources in the results.

Library and Archives Canada, for example, has a section on its website, called Ukrainian Immigrants, 1891-1930, and it has a searchable database.

The University of Alberta’s Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies’ website provides free access to a number of digitized publications about Ukrainians in Canada.

Peel’s Prairie Provinces — also managed by the University of Alberta — is a wealth of information from a variety of sources, such as newspapers, books and images, for researching ancestors who lived in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Look for Henderson’s Directories in the Featured Collections section. Entering Ukrainian in the search box on the home page, category by category, produces more than 5,000 results in newspapers and the bibliography.

Another good website to explore is the FamilySearch Wiki. Enter “Ukrainian Canadian” in the search box on the FamilySearch Research Wiki main page to find good information and resources. The FamilySearch Wiki, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, is an example of what is available.