Our Story

About Us

After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, a small group of Yukoners were stricken and felt the need to act and find ways to help.

Throughout 2022, we held informal fundraisers and donation collection drives. Volunteers also did extensive work to support the Ukrainian newcomers that found their way to Whitehorse after fleeing the war.

In January 2023, we officially formed a non-profit society, the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon. The Yukon has a small population, but is mighty in its efforts to continue supporting Ukraine.

While continuing to help Ukrainian newcomers in the Yukon, we also focus our efforts on collecting donations to provide medical and humanitarian aid to our two partners in Ukraine: the civilian hospital in the city of Yuzhnoukrains’k, Mykolaiv Oblast, and the Charitable Foundation “Pokrova Chortkiv” in Chortkiv, Ternopil Oblast.

Our small society of dedicated volunteers is a group of regular people who have diverse backgrounds. Most of us are members of the Ukrainian-Canadian diaspora.

In 2023, we sent two teams to Ukraine with antibiotics, military first aid supplies, hospital equipment, electronics, and warm clothing.

October 2023 saw the visit of Chortkiv Mayor Volodymyr Shmatko and two other delegates, Serhii Budenkyvych and Marta Hlubish, to Whitehorse, where the new sister city relationship between Chortkiv and Whitehorse was made official.

Our third Yukon to Ukraine mission took place in March 2024, when we delivered more medical and hospital supplies, as well as a medical evacuation vehicle, to Yuzhnoukrains’k and Pokrova Chortkiv.

Over the three Yukon to Ukraine trips we have made so far over $175,000 CAD of medicines and supplies have been delivered to hospitals and other agencies.

Our UCAY team is very thankful to have trusted partners in Ukraine who continue to work with integrity to serve their communities. We are grateful that Yukoners continue to support our efforts to directly deliver assistance to where it is so desperately needed.

Dyakuyu to our partners who allow us to magnify the impact of the financial donations we receive:

• Whitehorse Firefighters’ Charitable Society
• Health Partners International of Canada, for donated medicines
• Dave Bryenton of Edmonton, for wholesale pricing on military first aid supplies
• Air North and Air Canada, for transporting many suitcases over thousands of kilometres
• Yukoners – individuals and businesses – without you we could not do this vital work