10/11/2026
Across Time and Loss: 135 Years of Finding Home — gratitude as our project comes to a close 💙💛
What began with a single idea grew into a meaningful project that united Ukrainians from Vancouver to Ottawa.
What does it mean to find home again? Through art, Ukrainian Canadians from different generations shared their answers—stories of migration, memory, loss, resilience, and belonging.
Maple Hope Foundation’s project brought together 38 artworks by 23 artists from six provinces, selected from submissions by 45 artists across Canada. Our main exhibition at the Ukrainian New West Fest 2026 on September 19 introduced these stories to a festival audience of approximately 4,500 people.
The idea came from our colleague, a Ukrainian therapist who fled the war Tanya Seliverstova who was inspired by our support group participant, an artist from Ukraine Oksana Kachurovska. Oksana was displaced first from Donetsk to Kyiv and then to Vancouver. Her eldest son is fallen defender of Ukraine, and her youngest son is missing in combat. Through painting, Oksana found a way to express her grief. Other women in our support groups also gradually returned to creating after displacement had interrupted their artistic lives. This exhibition offered a place to be seen, to reconnect with their creativity, and to belong. Special gratitude goes to our exhibition curator Alina Senchenko.
The project also included four presentations of "Resilience in Bloom" in Vancouver, New Westminster, and Victoria, alongside seven art therapy workshops in Vancouver and Ottawa for Ukrainian newcomers, teenagers, and children.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Shevchenko Foundation for supporting this meaningful work.
Thank you to our partners Ukrainian New West Fest 2026, UWAC Ottawa / Ukrainian Women's Association Of Canada Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Neibourhood House, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Ukrainian Credit Union Limited in Ottawa, Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Victoria Branch —for providing spaces, supplies, and opportunities to connect.
We are grateful to NGO “Серце назовні and Vira Lytvynenko for sharing *Resilience in Bloom*, and to Helenko for donating her paintings connecting Vancouver with 24 Ukrainian cities.
To every participating artist: thank you for trusting us with your work and your stories. To our coordinators, team members, workshop facilitators, and volunteers: thank you for your care, time, and dedication. Our entire project team consisted of Ukrainians who had fled the war and lost their homes. Together, they helped create a welcoming space for others.
Hanna Khondak Oksana Kachurovska Tanya Seliverstova Mariia Kharchenko Julia Yushchenko Helen Helenko Hanna Kis Svitlana Kominko Svetlana Katiukha
Thank you to everyone who visited, purchased artwork, shared our posts, or joined a workshop. You helped turn an exhibition into a place of connection.
We carry home within us—and through art and community, we find it again.
A few reflections from participating artists:
Daryna Snizhna
“I created my sketch during the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while sheltering in a basement during yet another air raid alert. It was an instinctive attempt to convey how the siren felt inside me—the fear, despair, and overwhelming pain. It seemed impossible to bear that pain… Looking back, I understand that this moment became a turning point and eventually led me to leave my home to protect my child.”
Maryna Danovska
“I never planned to leave Ukraine. Even imagining that I would go so far from my home, family, and friends was difficult. But in 2024, my family and I arrived in Canada, and I had to begin building a new life far from everything familiar.
“My works emerge from the situations I experience—from difficulties, changes, memories, and moments of joy. Immigration taught me how important human connections are.
“In Canada, I realized that adapting to a new society does not mean forgetting my identity. I can embrace a new culture while remaining Ukrainian. I can share my culture with others and, at the same time, feel equal and accepted here.”
Tetiana O’Donnell
“When the latest wave of Ukrainians arrived in Canada, I listened to their stories. Many spoke about the people they had been forced to leave behind. Their experiences reminded me of the family members my parents left behind when they immigrated to Canada after the Second World War.
Roksolana Uhryniuk
“They are all different: those who prepared to leave in advance; those who had not planned to leave but had the opportunity; and those who lost everything and saw their whole lives flash before their eyes…
“In the first few months, they are very busy taking care of basic needs—housing, documents, school, and work. Only then do they begin to immerse themselves in this new world, with its different mindsets, values, and outlooks on life.
“At the same time, they hold on to Ukraine, where relatives, friends, and acquaintances remain. The divide between these two worlds can be summed up in one phrase: ‘Hi! How are you?’
“This seemingly ordinary phrase, which you hear dozens of times a day, spans an enormous gulf. Because how can you be feeling right now? Your country is at war, your friends are on the front lines, and checking the news has become a morning and evening ritual, like prayer. So the polite response, ‘I’m fine, thank you,’ creates an incredible dissonance in your mind.”
Oleksandra Babiichuk
“Since the war began in Ukraine, I have created a series of paintings through which I express sorrow, pain, and hope for the future.
“My painting is more than a house—it is a childhood memory, a longing for my homeland…”
Halyna Yehorova
“…Through colour, light, and atmosphere, the artist reveals… an inner journey—from loss to hope, from silence to creative self-expression.
“…The work reflects the quiet strength of the friendships we choose: finding someone who understands your emotional language, sees both your joy and your pain, and reminds you that even the most unfamiliar place can become home.”
Reflecting on her participation, Halyna added:
“In September, during the Ukrainian festival in New Westminster, I participated in an art exhibition for the first time in my life. It was dedicated to the 135th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada.
“Taking part was very important to me. It was more than an opportunity to present my artwork—it was a way to express myself, support Ukrainian culture, and share who I am and my story in a new country.
“Through art, I can convey my emotions, my perspective, and a part of myself. It is especially meaningful to be among Ukrainian artists, support one another, and work together to preserve and present Ukrainian culture in Canada.
“I am very grateful to Maple Hope Foundation for this opportunity. For me, it was another step toward finding my place in Canada, expressing myself, and continuing to create. My sincere thanks to everyone involved in organizing this event.”
Dariia Skirda
“After leaving Ukraine and beginning a new chapter of life in Canada, I thought a great deal about what it means to leave a familiar world behind while carrying its memories with you. For me, hope is not about pretending that difficult things do not exist. It is about finding the strength within yourself to look toward the light and keep moving forward.”
Lena Shee
“After arriving in Canada, I gradually understood that starting over does not mean erasing what was lost. It means learning to live with that loss and allowing it to become part of who you are.”
Iryna Petryk
“My paintings exist at the boundary between reality and imagination, where memory is not something fixed but is constantly recreated and reinterpreted.”
Katia Sivak
“The stories once passed down from my great-grandmothers to my mother, and then to me, are now part of my own motherhood. I tell them to my children and reinterpret them together with them.”
Milana Shekera, age 11
“Canada has given my family and many other Ukrainian families a safe place to live, an opportunity to start over, and hope for the future. I am grateful for the kindness and support we have received here. At the same time, I will always remember where I come from and keep Ukraine close to my heart. With every painting I create, I hope to give people a little warmth, a little hope, and a reason to smile.”
Vladyslava Molchanova
“We carry home within us and find it again through family, culture, memory, and connection with others.”
Reinel Paramonova
“It embodies the unbreakable spirit of generations of Ukrainians who sought safety, hope, and a sense of belonging while preserving the culture and traditions that continue to enrich Canada.”
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