Toronto’s Multicultural Family

I could not go another week without devoting a post to the brave but desperate people of Ukraine.

Toronto is among the most multicultural cities of the world. Immigrants and refugees are welcomed here by the first monument they see: the Monument To Multiculturalism just outside Union Station. This memorial, designed in 1985 by Francesco Perilli, was intended to show man and doves crossing through and connecting the 4 meridians, creating a world of peace and respect.

Canada is a country built on the labour and loyalty of immigrants. Think of all the Chinese labourers who worked tirelessly in the 1800’s to build our trans-continental railway. A monument on Blue Jays Way is dedicated to those workers and the hardships they suffered as they worked to open up our country from sea to sea.

Think of the Irish peasants who, suffering from the potato famine in 1847, came here for a better life. The monument dedicated to them is built on the waterfront near Billy Bishop airport. The sculptor, Rowan Gillespie, has depicted faces torn by hunger and sadness. Once settled, the Irish immigrants had an advantage over other ethnic groups because they spoke English. They tended to settle and get jobs in the cities and towns where they landed.

Italian workers came too, many of them after the war ended in 1945, when construction jobs were plentiful. They often arrived courtesy of the family class immigration rules – where family members were invited to join their relatives who had already established themselves in Canada and had found steady employment. A touching monument to these Italians can be found on St. Clair Ave in the area where many Italians first settled. The inscription reads: “famigilia, lavoro, communita.” Family, work and community are part of the Italian tradition.

How do the Ukrainian people fit into this history? Ukrainians have been settling in Canada for a couple of centuries. Who has not passed by a Ukrainian Catholic church, or eaten perogies, or admired the intricate painting on those delicate Easter eggs? Who does not recognize the names of famous Ukrainian-Canadians such as politician Ray Hnatyshyn, astronaut Roberta Bondar, or hockey legend Wayne Gretzky?

Canada has the third largest Ukrainian population, after Russia and Ukraine. According to the 2016 census, there are about 1,400,400 Ukrainians living in Canada, many of them in the western provinces, and the rest in Toronto and Montreal. The first recorded Ukrainians arrived here in 1892 where several families moved to Edmonton and began farming. During world War I, a dark chapter in our history, Ukrainians were sent to work camps for the duration of the war. When they were released, they found good-paying jobs and built worthwhile lives, despite their ill treatment.

Already there is a park in Toronto dedicated to Ukrainian immigrants. An obelisk, erected in 1998, sits on a patch of land running along Scarlett Road north of Eglinton. We are ready to welcome more Ukrainian immigrants. We have the support systems: reception centres, ESL programs, welcome wagons. We even have the park!

Another inspiring monument to immigration sits at the foot of Yonge St. Sculptor Tom Otterness created this loving family vignette in 2007: dad holds 2 suitcases and stares loving at his wife, who cradles their tiny baby. Their faces are full of hope. Let’s give this same opportunity to those Ukrainian families headed our way.

Sue