Canadian issues

More than two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing war in the country’s east has been making significantly fewer appearances in Western media. At a time when the war on Europe’s doorstep seems to be fading from public consciousness, fighting has actually been intensifying, throwing the Minsk peace talks further into irrelevancy. Despite these trends diaspora organizations in Canada continue to raise money to support the Ukrainian army and its volunteers. One such organization is the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) and its fund, Friends of the Ukrainian Defense Forces (FUDF). Since its...

“There used to be so many of them – they had their own schools, cultural centres, mosques” recalls one former resident of Crimea, referring to the Crimean Tatar population that was once a prominent feature of the peninsula. That was before the Second World War. Today, the ethnic makeup of Crimea looks much different, largely the result of a 1944 genocide carried out against the Crimean Tatars by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In May of that year Stalin ordered the deportation of 230,000 Crimean Tatars on trumped up charges that they collaborated with the invading Nazi forces. Of those deported, nearly half died. Crimean Tatars are now facing a...

To mark the 125 Anniversary of the settlement of Ukrainians in Canada on March 10, 2016 the Province of Manitoba proclaimed 2016 The Year of Manitoba's Ukrainian-Canadian Cultural Heritage. At the March 10th session of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, the Premier of Manitoba Hon. Greg Selinger, read a proclamation which had the support of all parties represented in the House. Prior to reading the Proclamation, Premier Selinger stated, “Mr. Speaker, 125 years ago, in 1891, the first Ukrainians made their journey to Canada in search of freedom from oppression and an opportunity for a better life. Many settled here in Manitoba where they have made tremendous contributions to the social, cultural and economic fabric of our province. Today there are over 170,000 Canadians of Ukrainian descent in our province, more than any other province or territory in Canada...

The Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Andriy Parubiy began his official trip to Canada and the US on February 21, 2016. The one week long trip included numerous meetings and round tables in Toronto, Ottawa and Washington (DC). Multiple meetings with the leaders of the Ukrainian Canadian community in Toronto marked the first day of the official visit. Mr. Parubiy has answered numerous question of interest to the Ukrainian community, including tough questions on corruption, reforms and the current political turbulence in the Verkhovna Rada. The video from the Question & Answer session can be watched on Forum TV on...

Conservative National Defence critic James Bezan today issued the following statement marking an important anniversary in Ukraine’s struggle for peace, democracy and freedom. “Today we remember the ‘Heavenly Hundred’, who tragically lost their lives two years ago while peacefully protesting their pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych and demonstrating their European aspirations. “Conservatives continue to condemn the illegal...

The Minister for Canadian Heritage, Mélanie Joly, is being asked for help in saving a Great War cemetery holding the remains of at least 16 "enemy aliens." During Canada's first national internment operations of 1914-1920, a large camp holding Ukrainians and other Europeans was established at Spirit Lake, (today, La Ferme) in the Abitibi region of Quebec. It held hundreds of Ukrainians and other Europeans transported and forced to do heavy labour there for the profit of their jailers. Many of the men, women, and children imprisoned were...

“Western leaders need to listen to what Yevhen Marchuk has to say.” These are the words that General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, repeated to politicians and newspaper reporters during his recent visit to Canada. Both General Wesley Clark and former Ukrainian Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk were in Toronto, Canada at the invitation of the International Council in Support of Ukraine, headed by its president, Yuri Shymko, a Canadian parliamentarian and former president of the Ukrainian World Congress. Founded in 1967, the ICSU is an international coordinating body that promotes government...

If astronauts seek to travel to new galaxies, then Larysa Ivshyna, the editor-in-chief of Ukraine’s newspaper Den, is a modern-day explorer who strives to open up new horizons in the information sphere. Under her creative direction, Ukraine’s most prolific newspaper, Den, has been at the forefront of awakening Ukraine’s untapped intellectual potential. During her recent visit to Canada, at the invitation of the International Council in Support of Ukraine, Larysa Ivshyna was welcomed by her admirers from various academic and research institutions in Toronto – home of the largest Ukrainian community in Canada. Ms. Ivshyna was invited to visit the Petro Jacyk Central and...

These elections saw over 350,000 candidates running for over 168,450 positions in municipal, district, and regional councils. Governing the elections was a highly complex, much-criticized electoral law adopted in mid-July. Runoff mayoral elections and re-run elections for certain councilor seats were held three weeks later, on 15 November. According to the new local election law, a candidate had to be included in a party list in order to be able to run. However, to be...

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) met with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Stéphane Dion in Ottawa yesterday to discuss key issues of importance to our community. The UCC delegation, which included UCC National President Paul Grod, UCC Director of Government Relations Paul Migus, UCC Ottawa President Yaroslav Baran, and UCC Senior Analyst Orest Zakydalsky, presented a comprehensive briefing to Minister Dion on the current situation in Ukraine. Key components...