By Mariia Bublykova, Year 12
For many years now, Canada has been home to the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. Today, approximately 4% of Canada’s population– roughly 1.36 million people–identify themselves as Canadian-Ukrainians. The history of mass Ukrainian migration to Canada can be traced back to the early 1800s, with some historical records indicating sporadic immigration as early as 1812. However, the first large waves of immigration came only at the end of the 19th century due to a federal program established in 1896. This program sought to settle the Canadian Prairies with Eastern European farmers by promoting Canada as the “Last Best West”. During that period most of the immigrants came from the Bukovina and Galicia regions of the Austro-Hungarian empire (modern-day Ukraine). They were drawn by the promise of land– households were offered 160 acres (64.7 hectares) of land for only $10–making it a truly attractive opportunity for many. The federal program appeared to be a huge success: the lands had proven to be fertile, and the abundance of wood eased the construction of new housing. As a result, the Ukrainian population in Canada grew dramatically, rising from 5,682 in 1901 to 75,432 by 1911, making up 1% of the country’s total population. Ukrainian immigration continued to grow over time, with the biggest waves of immigration coming right after WW1 and WW2. And still, even after almost 200 years, the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions are not only remembered and cherished, but often actively celebrated within the numerous Ukrainian communities in Canada.
In addition to numerous cultural festivals and local celebrations, a more modern but equally significant tradition has emerged in recent years—one celebrated by the Royal Canadian Mint: the annual launching of limited-edition Pysanka coins, heavily inspired by Ukrainian culture and traditional ornaments. Pysanka is an ancient tradition of decorating eggs, an art that originated in pagan times and was preserved through time by being its passing down through generations, and is still widely practiced today by numerous Slavic cultures during the celebration of Easter. The specific ornaments used as a reference for the collectibles come from different regions of Ukraine, featuring geometric shapes and symbols that convey themes of creation, light, hope, life, death, and rebirth—stories that have been told for thousands of years. Every year a new theme is chosen. This year, the chosen theme is “the eternal cycle of life”, drawing inspiration from the ways the cosmos was depicted in numerous different designs of pysankas trhoughout Ukraine.
In recent years, the Royal Canadian Mint has released several different designs of collectible coins in gold and silver, shaped and decorated as pysankas, featuring traditional ornaments each telling its very own special story. After the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Royal Canadian Mint raised over $1 million for Ukraine humanitarian relief through the sale of pysanka and the 50th Anniversary of the Summit series collectibles, not only promoting Ukrainian culture but demonstrating support for Ukraine in times of hardship.
Bibliography
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/ukrainian-canadian-history
- https://www.mint.ca/en/search?q=ukraine#archives
- https://canadiancoinnews.com/mint-raises-1m-from-pysanka-coins-summit-series-for-relief-efforts-in-ukraine/
- https://www.mint.ca/en/company/media-room/2023-05-10-the-royal-canadian-mint-raises-over-1-million-dollars-for-ukraine-humanitarian-relief-through-sale-of-pysanka-and-50th-anniversary-of-the-summit-series-collectibles?srsltid=AfmBOoqBqMlGJMhFkXCAq6Q6RIsxnIuRxL8ZC9xibADtbgQCyhgMwFPh
- https://cnuf.ca/
Images links
- https://thompsonscoins.com.au/cdn/shop/files/2025_20_Fine_Silver_Coin_-_Pysanka_REV_FQ_1__59386_grande.webp?v=1741752501
- https://www.mint.ca/globalassets/new-catalog/imported/prod-202669/202669_hero-1198.png?hash=638034314120000000
- https://cdncoin.com/cdn/shop/products/623932110670_a_600x600_crop_center.jpg?v=1664562408
