Lviv-Alberta Relations

Lviv –– AlbertaAlberta RelationsRelations

PROFILE successfully in the region. Area: 21,800 km2 (3.6% of the  Lviv is home to many world-class  Future economic growth in the Ukrainian territory) cultural institutions, including a Western regions of Ukraine will be philharmonic orchestra and the due to industrial development, Capital: Lviv City (pop. 750,000, 2007) famous Lviv Theatre of Opera and with most industrial potential Population: 2.5 million (2009 est.) Ballet. located in Lviv Oblast. Language: Ukrainian  The Oblast is a member of the  Growing economic sectors in the international organization oblast include public health, Government: Appointed Regional “Carpathian Euroregion”, which recreation and tourism. Administration and elected Regional includes the cross-border Council (Rada) administrative areas of Poland,  Lviv’s main export destinations Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and are Russia, Poland, Slovakia and Head of Oblast (Appointed): Ukraine. the United Kingdom. Governor Mykhaylo Mykhayloych  Lviv’s main export products Tsymbaliuk  In 2006, the City of Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary. include: buses, alcoholic drinks, Currency: Hryvnia, $1CDN = 7.64 UAH textiles, beef, sunflower oil, (August 2010) mineral fertilizers, paper, RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW cardboard, and auto-loaders. Key Industry Sectors: forestry, paper, oil and gas, food processing, textiles,  Alberta has strong ethnic and  Lviv is rich in many minerals, agriculture, cattle, and sheep farming. cultural ties to Ukraine, including coke, sulfur, peat, salt, particularly in the western limestone and clay. Oblasts: 332,000 Albertans DID YOU KNOW? (10%) claim Ukrainian ancestry.  Lviv has some energy reserves,  Lviv City is approximately 535 km including natural gas, oil and coal.  Alberta has had a long history of from Kyiv. involvement with Ukraine and has  Lviv is a significant energy transportation hub. Every year,  The oblast shares a 278 km contributed to building social, northwestern border with Poland. political and economic reform in 17-19 million tonnes of oil is Ukraine. transported from Russia and  Lviv spent most of its near nine Kazakhstan through Lviv to centuries of existence first, as ECONOMY Central and Eastern Europe. part of the Austro-Hungarian  By 2007, total foreign direct Empire, then later as an  The food industry and agricultural investment (FDI) in Lviv was over important city in independent processing, mechanical US$653 million. Major investors Poland. engineering and energy sectors include: Poland, Germany, comprise more than half of  Lviv was declared a World Denmark and Hungary. industrial production in Lviv. Heritage site by the UNESCO in  The Lviv region is one of the most 1998. effective in Ukraine in attracting FDI, with over 1,200 businesses using foreign capital and working

Input was provided from the departments of: Advanced Education & Technology, Agriculture & Rural Development, Education and Energy August 2011

AGRICULTURE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA  The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage FUNDING Village is twinned with a historical  The region has 1.3 million hectares village museum in Lviv, facilitating of agricultural lands, making up various scholarly exchanges of  Alberta’s former Wild Rose 3.1% of the Ukraine’s total information with universities. agricultural lands. Foundation has matched funds raised by Alberta organizations for  Production is almost even split assistance programs in Western RECENT VISITS between livestock and crops Ukraine in the following areas: (especially grains, sugar beets, and  June 2006: Premier Ralph Klein led a mission to Lviv. flax). o To rebuild a Regional Physiopulmonary Centre in Lviv  August 2005: Chairman Petro  Agricultural Reform: In April 2000, and to provide technology for all collective agricultural entities in Oliynyk visited Alberta in honour of early detection and treatment of the Centennial and proceeded to Lviv were restructured. The process Tuberculosis ($25,000 in 2005) of privatizing land and registering the signature of a Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation its ownership is ongoing. Purchase of a portable digital X- (twinning) between Alberta and o ray machine in Western Ukraine Lviv Oblast. EDUCATION ($20,000 in 2004).  May 2002: while in Lviv during his  Every year, over 150, 000 students o To assist with the establishment mission to Ukraine, Premier Klein graduate from 62 postsecondary of a trade school in met with the Deputy Chairman of institutions in Lviv oblast. Malechkovitchi (Lviv Oblast) the Lviv Administration. Premier benefiting 900 children per year Klein was accompanied by  Alberta’s agreement with the ($5,000 in 2004). Department of Education and Community Development Minister Gene Zwozdesky and MLA Dave Science of Lviv Oblast State An annual 7-month Canada World Broda. Administration has resulted in a o Youth community development special advisor of Ukrainian exchange project between language and culture to Alberta women from Western Ukraine DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION Education since 2006. and the Canadian Prairies  The Ukrainian Ambassador to ($150,000 1999-2004).  The Canada-Ukraine Foundation Canada is currently vacant. (CUF), with offices in Winnipeg and  Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine is CULTURE Lviv, has sent several dozen Mr. Troy Lulashnyk. Ukrainian women to Red Deer on  In September 2006, the academic exchanges in the last  Ukraine’s Consul General in Government of Alberta signed an several years. Former Premier Klein Toronto, with jurisdiction over agreement with Lviv, establishing met with the alumni of this Alberta, is Mr. Oleksandr Danyleiko. genealogical research offices in Lviv exchange program during his  Canada’s Honorary Consul in Lviv is and Edmonton which will provide a Ukraine mission in May 2002. link between archival institutions Dr. Oksana Wynnyckyj.  In 2001, Alberta Education, through and record depositories in the two the CUF Education Consortium, sent regions ($200,000 over 3 years two Alberta teachers to Lviv to donated by Alberta government). assist in selecting resources and This project was renewed in 2010 various learning materials for and will soon embrace four Oblast Alberta's Ukrainian bilingual archives in Western Ukraine. program.  Alberta’s former Ministry of  In 2003, the University of Alberta Community Development has (U of A) renewed a Memorandum of established formal relations with Understanding with the Ivan Franko cooperating museums and scholarly National University of Lviv (IFNUL) institutions in Lviv and Chernivtsi in to facilitate academic exchanges. the areas of folklore, ethnography, and genealogy.  Every summer, the U of A offers its students an opportunity to  In 2003/2004, Lviv and Alberta participate in a travel-study participated in reciprocal traveling Ukrainian course in Lviv called exhibits. From April to October Ukrainian Through its Living 2003, the Ethnographic Museum in Culture. Lviv’s exhibit of traditional weavings was showcased at the Ukrainian Village, while the Alberta exhibit on Josef Oleskow (the father of organized Ukrainian immigration to Canada at the end of the 19th century) has been travelling throughout museums in Western Ukraine.

For more information, contact: Alberta Intergovernmental, International and Aboriginal Relations Tel: 780-427-6543 Fax: 780-427-0699 www.albertacanada.com