The capital (pop 3 mln) of Ontario, and the largest industrial, trade, and financial center in Canada. It has one of the largest Ukrainian communities in Canada, and one of the most important Ukrainian communities outside Ukraine.
Ukrainian immigrants began to settle in Toronto early in the 20th century. The social structure of the Ukrainian community has changed considerably over the years. The first immigrants were mostly unskilled, low-paid laborers from Western Ukraine attracted by jobs on the railways, in factories and construction, and in domestic service. During the First World War skilled workers, tradesmen, and businessmen emerged. After the Second World War a significant number of Ukrainian veterans, many of them with a professional education, settled in Toronto. They were employed in the manufacturing industries, the service industries, trade, transportation, administration and construction. The professional group grew rapidly after the Second World War: there were lawyers, physicians, dentists, engineers, teachers and librarians of Ukrainian origin. Relatively few Ukrainians are found among university professors, top financiers, and civil servants.
Ukrainians have developed strong economic institutions in Toronto. They own large development firms and trade companies, real estate and insurance companies, dozens of hotels, and hundreds of stores. The Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Toronto has over 500 members and plays a leading role in Ukrainian economic and cultural affairs.
The first Ukrainian institutions to be established in the city were churches and schools. Today there are eight Greek Catholic and three Ukrainian Orthodox parishes in the city. There are also five Ukrainian Protestant churches in Toronto. The secular associations in the city are the Canadian League for Ukraine's Liberation, the Plast Ukrainian Youth Association, the Ukrainian Democratic Youth Association, sports associations, a number of veterans' associations, and several professional associations (engineers, teachers, lawyers). The head offices of practically all recently formed national organizations are in Toronto. The office of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians is also found there.
The larger civic organizations run elementary and secondary Ukrainian classes on Saturdays, and four Catholic schools have a heritage language program in Ukrainian. The independent H. Skovoroda courses on the secondary school level made a major contribution to education. The University of Toronto and York University provide courses in Ukrainian language, literature and history. The Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto is devoted to history. A Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Center was established in 1982.
Toronto is the most important Ukrainian publishing center in Canada. The Ukrainian press published in Toronto includes six papers and six magazines. There are two doily radio programs and two weekly Ukrainian TV shows.
A number of musical institutions are active in Toronto: the Lysenko Music Institute, the Canadian Ukrainian Opera Association and the Ukraine Millennium Foundation. Besides numerous church choirs, there are several concert choirs: the male "Prometheus" and "Burlaka" choirs, the female "Dibrova" and "Vesnivka" choirs, and the "Lysenko Chorus". Of the various drama groups the Toronto Zahrava Theater continues to perform, and the Avant-Garde Ukrainian Theater has staged experimental plays since 1984. A number of well-known Ukrainian artists work in Toronto. The Focus Gallery, St. Volodymyr Institute, and the Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation exhibit the works of Ukrainian artists from around the world.