The Church, currently a metropolis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, is part of the wider Eastern Orthodox communion, however was created independently in 1918.

At first Archbishop Alexander agreed, but later declined; however, the UGOC's First Sobor (Church Assembly) still took place as planned on December 28, 1918 in Saskatoon.

Nonetheless, Archbishop John (Theodorovich) began to serve the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA to become their Primate and Metropolitan.

After a few years as acting Primate of the UOCC, certain controversies laid around Archbishop John, due to his uncanonical ordination to bishop.

However, due to some misunderstandings, and arguments about how the church should be governed (mostly between himself and Semen Sawchuk), he resigned as Primate in 1950 at X Sobor in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In response the UOCC contacted Metropolitan Polycarp (Sikorski) (who was the head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Abroad, composed of refugee bishops formerly affiliated with the Polish Orthodox Church in German-occupied Ukraine) for assistance, and he agreed to send some bishops over to help the faithful in Canada.

After the resignation of Archbishop Mstyslav the Consistory appealed to Metropolitan Polycarp of the UAOC for assistance in finding bishops for the UGOCC.

By the time another special sobor was called in 1951 four potential bishops, all consecrated in German-occupied Ukraine during World War II, had been found.

Two others, Archbishop Michael (Khoroshy) and Bishop Platon (Artemiuk), came to Canada at the invitation of the Consistory and with the blessing of Metropolitan Polycarp.

Four years after his enthronement as primate of the UGOCC Metropolitan Wasyly consecrated Archimandrite Yurij (Kalistchuk) as Bishop of Saskatoon.

In July 2010 another special sobor of the UOCC was held to nominate a successor to the newly retired Metropolitan John.

[4] After a year of deliberation, the UOCC began the use of the Revised Julian Calendar on 20 December 2023, following the same decision recently made by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and now matching the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

[6] According to the custom of the UOCC the Church's primate is the titled the "Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Canada" and serves as the diocesan or ruling bishop of the Central Eparchy.