Saskatchewan Regulations 58/2026, The Heritage Recognition (Ukrainian Heritage Month) Regulations, formally designates September as Ukrainian Heritage Month in Saskatchewan. Made through Order in Council 369/2026, the regulations were established under section 6 of The Heritage Recognition (From Many Peoples, Strength) Act. Their purpose is primarily commemorative and educational, recognizing the history, experiences and contributions of Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian community.

The designation connects September to a significant milestone in Ukrainian Canadian history. The regulations note that the first official Ukrainian immigrants to Canada, Wasyl Eleniak and Ivan Pylypiw, arrived on September 7, 1891. Ukrainian settlement in Saskatchewan followed soon afterward, with the first permanent settlements established in the Montmartre-Candiac area in 1895–96 and the Grenfell-Yorkton area in 1896–97. Over subsequent decades, tens of thousands of Ukrainians immigrated to Saskatchewan, making Ukrainian heritage an important part of the province’s demographic and cultural history.

The regulations also recognize difficult and often overlooked aspects of that history. During the First World War, many Ukrainian immigrants were unjustly classified as “enemy aliens” and imprisoned during Canada’s first national internment operations between 1914 and 1920 following the implementation of the federal War Measures Act.

The regulation places this history within a broader record of Saskatchewan’s recognition of Ukrainian experiences. It specifically refers to the province’s 2008 enactment of The Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act, which recognized the Holodomor, the man-made famine in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 under the Soviet Communist regime of Joseph Stalin, as genocide. It also highlights Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, and Canada’s position as the first Western nation to recognize Ukrainian independence.

Beyond historical commemoration, Ukrainian Heritage Month is intended to acknowledge the continuing relationship between Saskatchewan and Ukraine. The regulations identify longstanding cultural and educational exchanges and shared commitments to human rights, democracy and respect for international law.

A central feature of the designation is recognition of Ukrainian contributions to Saskatchewan’s development. The regulations identify impacts across cultural identity, architecture, arts, education, language, politics, the economy and social life. More broadly, they credit Ukrainian Canadians with contributing to the development of Saskatchewan and Canada’s diverse and multicultural society.

Saskatchewan (58/2026) September 8, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.