The Ukrainian community in Canada will enter September without a federally recognized heritage month after MPs failed to complete debate on Bill S-210 before the House of Commons adjourned for the summer.
The bill has passed the Senate, won unanimous support at second reading in the House by 318-0, and cleared the Canadian heritage committee without amendment. It is now at third reading—the final House debate stage before a vote—but the legislative process remains unfinished.
Bill S-210 designates September as Ukrainian Heritage Month every year, marking the first arrival of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada in 1891. The bill was introduced in the Senate by former Senator Stanley Kutcher and sponsored by MP Yvan Baker in the House of Commons.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) urged the House of Commons to adopt the bill before the summer recess, which began on June 18.
On June 12, in the third reading, the Speaker dropped the bill to the bottom of the order of precedence after the time for discussion had run out. Baker said the final vote on the bill might not happen until the fall if the debate did not happen in time, as the Parliament’s Hansard transcription described.
Orest Zakydalsky, the senior policy advisor at UCC, regretted having the bill stalled in the House until September, when Parliament resumes its meetings.
“We had hoped to see the bill passed in June, and we were disappointed to see that it was not adopted before the House rose,” Zakydalsky said. “We hope to see that legislation passed as soon as possible.”
Efforts to pass the bill before summer recess
On May 21, the UCC issued a statement urging MPs to pass Bill S-210 as the Ukrainian diaspora across Canada celebrated by wearing a traditional Ukrainian shirt called a ‘Vyshyvanka’, an intricately embroidered garment.
“Adoption of Bill S-210 would be both a fitting acknowledgement of the contributions Ukrainians have made to Canada – and a strong signal of support to the Ukrainian people, who heroically defend their country from Russia’s genocidal war of aggression,” said Alexandra Chyczij, the national president of the UCC.
Chyczij said passing the bill before the summer recess meant the Ukrainian diaspora can celebrate the Ukrainian Heritage Month this September “from coast to coast to coast of our great country.”
During the third reading of the bill, Baker urged the MPs to allow the debate before the allotted time ended so the bill could go to a final vote the following week and Kutcher, who is in poor health, could watch the bill pass.
The liberal MP emphasized that Kutcher, members of the UCC and himself had reached out to all parties to ask for help in expediting the passage of the bill. “I would argue that there has never been a more important time to pass this bill than now,” Baker said.
An ailing senator’s wish
Following his retirement, Kutcher, a youth-mental health expert and a member of the Ukrainian diaspora, shared why he introduced the bill in the first place: for the recognition of how the Ukrainian Canadian community has contributed to the growth and prosperity of Canada.
[Introducing the bill] was “a recognition of their cultural, ethno-cultural contributions as well to the tapestry that makes up the Canadian firmament,” Kutcher shared.
Honouring Ukrainian heritage on Canada Day
During Canada Day, Kutcher said the country should honour Ukrainian heritage the same way it honours every heritage. “Canada is a multicultural country. That is one of its tremendous strengths,” he said.
“Canada celebrates many heritage months and heritage days, but heretofore has not seen fit to find an opportunity to designate a Ukrainian Heritage Month.”
Despite the unfortunate delay, Zakydalsky shared what Canada Day means for Ukrainian immigrants in Canada. Since March 2022, more than 305,000 people have arrived in Canada through the Canada–Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel, a temporary measure for Ukrainians and their eligible family members fleeing Russia’s invasion.
Zakydalsky said Canada Day is a time to remember those who fought for freedom and a holiday for the Ukrainian community to remember how Canada is helping Ukrainians defend themselves against Russia’s invasion. “So it’s both a day of celebration and a day to reflect for us.”
Despite the bill being held up, Zakydalsky said the UCC will continue advocating for the adoption of the heritage month bill in the House. “We look forward to continuing to work with all Canadians as we always have.”
The House is scheduled to return Sept. 21, but no date has been set for Bill S-210 to resume third-reading and debate, or receive a final vote. Zakydalsky said the UCC would continue pressing MPs to pass it.
Jonah Jung
Joonha 'Jonah' Jung is a student journalist from BCIT who is passionate about covering community affairs and cultural issues.
