Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, September Designation, Private Bill
Summary
Bill C-203, the Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, was introduced in the House of Commons on June 4, 2025 by Liberal MP Yvan Baker. The private member's bill proposes to designate September of each year as "Ukrainian Heritage Month" across Canada. The bill is currently outside the Order of Precedence, meaning it has not yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated and has not advanced beyond first reading.
“This enactment designates the month of September as "Ukrainian Heritage Month".”
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GovPing monitors OpenParliament.ca — Bills for new government & legislation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 3 changes logged to date.
What changed
Bill C-203 proposes to designate September as Ukrainian Heritage Month across Canada through federal legislation. The bill recognizes that the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived in Canada on September 7, 1891, and notes there are over 1.3 million Ukrainian Canadians contributing to political, economic, cultural, and social life across the country.
This private member's bill is not expected to create compliance obligations for regulated entities. It is ceremonial legislation recognizing a cultural heritage month and does not impose any regulatory, reporting, or financial requirements on businesses or individuals.
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Bill C-203
Ukrainian Heritage Month Act
An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month
Sponsor
Yvan Baker Liberal
Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)
Status
Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of June 4, 2025
Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-203.
Summary
This is from the published bill.
This enactment designates the month of September as “Ukrainian Heritage Month”.
Similar bills
C-203 (current session) Ukrainian Heritage Month Act S-210 (current session) Ukrainian Heritage Month Act S-276 (44th Parliament, 1st session) Ukrainian Heritage Month Act C-204 (44th Parliament, 1st session) Ukrainian Heritage Month Act C-314 (43rd Parliament, 2nd session) Ukrainian Heritage Month Act
Elsewhere
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-203s:
C-203 (2021) Soil Conservation Act C-203 (2020) An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another) C-203 (2020) An Act to amend the National Defence Act (maiming or injuring self or another) C-203 (2015) An Act to amend the Supreme Court Act (understanding the official languages)
- 1 st reading
Ukrainian Heritage Month Act Routine Proceedings
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-203, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce a bill called an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month. If passed, it would declare September of every year Ukrainian heritage month across Canada. I would like to thank the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore for cosponsoring this bill with me, and I hope that members on all sides of the House support it.
The first Ukrainian immigrants to Canada came to Canada on September 7, 1891. Today, there are over 1.3 million Ukrainian Canadians, and they make important contributions every day from coast to coast to coast, in all the ridings represented here, that touch our political, economic, cultural and social life.
Canada was the first country to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991. We have recognized the Holodomor as a genocide, and we continue to support the Ukrainian people in their fight for their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukrainian heritage month would give us an opportunity to celebrate Ukrainian heritage, the role that Canada has played in supporting Ukrainian Canadians and the role that Ukrainian Canadians play here in Canada.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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