The Canada-Ukraine Foundation marks 30 years of humanitarian action on May 29, 2026, with a milestone anniversary gala at Toronto’s historic Arcadian Court, and the evening’s centrepiece is a moderated conversation with one of Canada’s most celebrated and outspoken literary voices. Margaret Atwood, whose advocacy for Ukraine has been as clear as her fiction, will sit down for an intimate discussion on shared values, power and identity, moderated by Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc. It’s the kind of conversation that earns its stage.
The numbers behind this anniversary are worth understanding. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the generosity of Canadians channelled through CUF has raised over $100 million in humanitarian assistance, reaching more than 7 million people. That is not a retrospective figure. It represents ongoing, active work, and the May 29 gala is framed not as a look back but as a re-commitment to what lies ahead.
“The Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s 30th Anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary generosity of Canadians and the impact solidarity can have in times of unjust war,” says Valeriy Kostyuk, Executive Director of CUF. “As Ukraine continues to defend the democratic principles we value so deeply, this anniversary is both a celebration of what we have accomplished together and a recommitment to the work that lies ahead.” That framing gives the evening a weight that goes well beyond the usual gala format.
The moderated conversation is made possible through the support of the Temerty Foundation, the event’s official Conversation Partner. The evening also features a cocktail reception beginning at 6:30 p.m., dinner and live music, bringing together community leaders, donors and partners who have been central to CUF’s work since its founding in 1995 at the 18th Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
Arcadian Court, located at 401 Bay Street in Toronto’s Simpson Tower, is one of the city’s most storied event spaces, and the setting feels appropriate for an anniversary of this significance. Tickets and table inquiries can be directed to info@cufoundation.ca or through cufoundation.ca. Thirty years of solidarity, and the work continues.