Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group

The Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group (UCAG) was formed in May 2022 by Ukrainian Canadians living in the Greater Vancouver Regional District as a direct response to Russia’s full-scale invasion. UCAG’s aims are many and intertwined: to promote Ukrainian culture and history to Canadians; to showcase contemporary Ukrainian arts, language, and culture, and highlight the many ways in which present-day Ukraine is modern and dynamic; to build community between temporarily displaced Ukrainians and Canadians; to provide comfort and support to Ukrainians – including Ukrainians temporarily seeking refuge in Canada, Ukrainian Canadians, and Ukrainians in Ukraine – who have been impacted by the war. Our programming generally takes the form of free events which bring Ukrainians and non-Ukrainian Canadians together. Highlights include the visual art exhibit War in Living Color at the Kent Gallery in July 2022; Black Ribbon Day 2022 in August 2022; Holodomor Memorial Day 2022 in November 2022 at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Centre, which honoured the seven million Ukrainians who lost their lives in the man-made famine of 1932-33; The record breaking human chain across Vanouver's Burrard Bridge to mark Ukrainian independence in 2023; As well as countless vigils, protests and rallies to give the community a voice in these troubled times. The Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group also runs the Rehabilitation Program for the Children of Fallen Heroes in Ukraine. It is the only program of its kind providing trauma therapy to grieving children in Ukraine, and it is completely organized and funded by the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group. The program brings grieving children to a peaceful retreat in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains for two weeks of trauma therapy, art therapy, and extracurricular experiences that equip them with the tools they need to grow into well-adjusted adults. The program is free to the children who participate, and brings together experts from around the world.