City St George’s Alumni Ambassador Denys Volkov (BA Business Studies, 2003) recently received a King Charles III Coronation Medal for his contributions to life in Canada. We last interviewed Denys in 2017, and much has happened since then: a promotion to Executive Director of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), the impact of world politics and misinformation on his work, and a war against Russia in his original home country, Ukraine. Denys shared his thoughts on the world we live in today.
“It was a very nice surprise. I’m very honoured. First of all, to receive this medal as somebody who lives in Canada, but also somebody who lived and studied in the United Kingdom,” Denys Volkov (BA (Hons) Business Studies, 2003) reflects on receiving a King Charles III Coronation Medal this autumn.
“Two Members of [Canadian] Parliament nominated me, and when I talked to them, they reflected on my history of coming to Winnipeg in 2003 from the United Kingdom and contributing to both political landscapes.
“I work as Executive Director of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), but I also do a lot of volunteer work, so the award, from what I understand, is due to my contribution to life in Canada.”
Denys, one of City St George’s Alumni Ambassadors, says he moved from Ukraine to the UK to practice his English but didn’t have a long-term plan. In 2003, he was awarded a BA in Business Studies from City St George’s, having studied at Witan International College. He then moved to Canada to pursue a Master of Public Administration Degree on a joint programme by the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg, was offered a job at the City Clerk’s Office at the City of Winnipeg, and his career path in government relations was set.
Last time Denys was featured on City St George’s Alumni blog in 2017, Denys was the Director of Advocacy and Communications for the AMM. Since then, he’s become the Executive Director for the entire association.
According to Denys, the organisation represents all 137 municipal councils in Manitoba, and his work includes liaising with senior officials from external organisations, the federal and provincial governments and municipalities, and the media.
“You have to consistently advocate on the issues that are important to the municipal sector,” he says.
“I just got off a call talking about a massive infrastructure deficit that a lot of our communities are facing and that we need to work on together with federal and provincial governments to provide funding for clean water, better roads, bridges, and recreation infrastructure.”
But Denys’ job title isn’t the only thing that has changed in the past eight years. Global politics and conflicts have affected Denys’ personal and professional life.
“Of course, everybody who’s from Ukraine is affected by this war,” he says.
“I’m just pleased that both Canada and the United Kingdom are strong supporters of Ukraine right now.
“I think the world is too small not to care about what’s happening in Ukraine and my message is always let’s stand up for democracy because this is something worth fighting for.”
Despite having lived abroad for over twenty years, Denys remains connected to his home country, in peacetime and at war. Until recently, he served on the Board of Directors for The Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok), one of the largest Ukrainian cultural and heritage resource centres in North America, and in 2014, he participated as Director of Communications in the Canadian Elections Observation Mission (CANEOM) in Ukraine.
Currently, he’s involved in several fundraising and advocacy projects to support those involved in the war efforts.
“There’s an organisation in Canada called Ukraine War Amps. They support families and soldiers who unfortunately, had their limbs amputated, so they require extra financial support,” Denys says.
“There are also many great fundraising initiatives through the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF), for example, which is a national advocacy group for Ukrainian diaspora here in Canada. I’m speaking at their conference next month on effective advocacy efforts.”
According to Denys, Manitoba has some of the friendliest people in the world and a large Ukrainian population, two factors that have made him feel so welcome in the region.
“Canada has one of the strongest Ukrainian diasporas outside of Ukraine, formed over the years with multiple waves of immigration from the late 1800s, and the province of Manitoba especially, is one of the provinces where a lot of early settlers from Ukraine settled over 100 years ago.”
Immigration has been at the forefront of people’s minds in both North America and in the UK lately. Having lived in three countries and been nominated for the RBC Canada’s Top 25 Immigrant Awards in 2019, a national programme that celebrates the achievements of Canadian immigrants, Denys is familiar with the topic.
“I’ve myself debated [this question] in my head for years,” he says.
“I think, number one, immigration is and can be a very effective way to fill vacancies and to bring people who can contribute to the economy. Having said that, I’m also a big proponent of making sure that all the rules are followed; that people who come to the country find ways to become part of the community, contribute to the life of the host nation, pay taxes, integrate into the cultural fabric of the community, while still preserving their heritage.”
Canada, like many countries, has an ageing population, and according to Denys, immigration is one way to fill vacancies that support communities.
“It’s a very complex issue, but I believe it’s both on the countries that invite immigrants and on the immigrants themselves to find that sort of balance where both parties can mutually benefit from the relationship.”
Canada is feeling the effects of global politics in its own way, sharing long borders with both the USA and Russia, and this has a regional impact as well.
“We are one hour away from the border with the United States, and 80% of Canadian GDP goes to the United States, so we certainly see the effects tariffs are going to have on Canada. In our everyday work life, we have to find ways to respond to external challenges,” Denys explains.
“Whether they are tariffs or security-related because Canada has a very open border up North, and on the other side of that is the Russian Federation, which is waging conflicts around the world right now.
“There are big issues that do affect decisions local officials make, and I give full credit to elected officials here in Canada because most of the time these jobs outside of the City of Winnipeg are part-time jobs, and, in my opinion, they don’t get compensated well enough for being elected officials but they have to make tough decisions.”
Denys explains how municipal-level governments in Canada are the only ones that, by law, are not allowed to run a deficit, so rising costs provide real challenges.
Misinformation, disinformation, and “fake news” have also become a serious issue in local politics, according to Denys.
“I would never have thought 10 years ago, when I was observing elections in Ukraine and we talked about misinformation and disinformation, that this would affect local politics in Manitoba, that was not on my bingo card, but now there are a lot of conspiracy theories that we see over land use planning, for example.”
To combat this new threat, Denys and his organisation are developing support for the members of the AMM.
“We are working on a project right now that will be released in December and will give tools to municipal officials to understand what misinformation and disinformation is and how to try and tackle that going into municipal elections in 2026,” he says.
With so much having changed in the past eight years, it’s no wonder Denys’ primary focus for the future is to “simply” remain on top of the multiple challenges he is dealing with.
“I always try to reach out to people from other places, cities, municipalities, and countries to see how we can share best practices because I think the world is much faster right now than when you first interviewed me,” he says.
“I would say trying to stay on top of different developments locally, regionally, and nationwide would be my top priority right now.”
In 2017, Denys was asked for his advice to anyone who wanted to follow in his footsteps. Then, he encouraged self-belief and not being afraid of the unknown. This is one aspect that has not changed.
“I would say take the chance. I took a chance studying at what was then called City University London. Take risks that are calculated but try to get out of your comfort zone and explore the world,” he says.
A big congratulations to Denys Volkov for receiving a King Charles III Coronation Medal in Canada. Thank you for giving us an update!