Ukrainian Winnipeg – from A to Z

Transcona

Winnipeg

Whether you’re a Ukrainian entrepreneur looking to promote your business, or a consumer looking to experience Ukrainian culture or support Ukrainian-owned businesses, the Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg website is for you. The site showcases more than 140 businesses across 28 categories, including handmade food, home improvement and cleaning services.

Creator Mila Shykota, who works for the provincial government, said she got the idea about a year ago from a cultural project at work in which employees took turns describing the food and culture of their countries of origin.

“When I was preparing my own presentation about Ukraine, I thought it would be great to collect all Ukrainian restaurants and cafes into one booklet so my colleagues can buy Ukrainian food and souvenirs,” Shykota said.

As she began to collect the information, Shykota expanded the project to include the many talented, self-employed people making ends meet as tradespeople, crafters and making food. She then added companies and organizations that sell Ukrainian food and gifts or showcase Ukrainian culture.

The result is the Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg. Find it online at terrence97423.softr.app or on Facebook and Instagram. Despite not yet being indexed by Google, the site has garnered several thousand views since it went live on Feb. 1.

Shykota, who now lives in Transcona after moving to Canada following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, said the guide serves several purposes. It is a one-stop shop for Ukrainian newcomers to find goods and services offered by people who often speak Ukrainian; Ukrainian entrepreneurs can also showcase their skills to a larger audience; and it also allows consumers to find affordable services across the site’s 28 categories.

“The biggest one is home improvement — tiling, flooring, door installation, window installation, home appliance repair,” Shykota said. “They are often less expensive than the big companies, if you need to repair something. You can call a big company with a big history, but they have big expenses. Or you can call an individual who will provide high-quality service and be cheaper as well.

“It is convenient for service providers and businesses to reach new clients and for customers to find what they are looking for in one place.”

Site visitors can enter a keyword for the type of service they seek, or an area of town to learn who offers different services nearby. Each company has its own page that can include photos, reviews, contact information, a list of services offered and descriptions in both English and Ukrainian.

“It’s about Ukrainians but not (just) for Ukrainians,” Shykota said. “It’s for all Winnipeg citizens.”

Shykota invites business owners and service providers to register their business on Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg. For more information, email mila655@gmail.com or visit the Ukrainian Guide to Winnipeg’s social media sites.