HOLODOMOR COMMEMORATED IN THE PARLIAMENT OF CANADA
On the 79th anniversary of the Ukrainian Genocide
November 26, 2012 - Ottawa, Canada -On Thursday November 22nd, as part of National Holodomor Awareness Week, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) in cooperation with the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG) and the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada held a solemn commemoration on the occasion of the seventy-ninth anniversary of the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-33 on Parliament Hill.
The Holodomor was one of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind, the result of a deliberate plan by Stalin to subjugate Ukrainians and destroy the Ukrainian nation. For over seventy years the Soviet regime concealed the truth and misled the West in the hope that its memory would be lost forever.
The service on Parliament Hill was led in prayer by: Very Reverend Dr. Father Peter Galadza of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa, Very Reverend Father Ihor Okhrimtchouk of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Ottawa; and Very Reverend Dr. Ihor Kutash of St. Mary's the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Montreal.
UCC President Paul Grod spoke on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community praising the Government of Canada and all Parliamentarians for their support in acknowledging the Holodomor "(In Canada) we have witnessed statements about the Holodomor every day for the last three days in Canada's Parliament in addition to published statements by the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration as well as a number of Members of Parliament who made emotional statements commemorating this tragedy. In addition, most media outlets carried constant news stories this week, and many school boards across Canada held Holodomor memorials" Grod continued to state, "On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community, I thank and congratulate Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada's Parliamentarians and all those Canadians for their resolve in bringing the issue of Holodomor recognition to the forefront in Canada and Ukraine".
Many Ministers and Members of Parliament where in attendance, including Minister Peter Van Loan, Parliamentary Secretary Ed Komarnycky, CUPFG Chair and MP Robert Sopuck who was Master of Ceremonies for the evening. In addition, Members of Parliament and Community Representatives who addressed the commemoration were: Marco Shevchenko, Charges D'Affaires Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, James Bezan MP, Ted Opitz MP, Kevin Lamoureux MP, and Alexandrine Latendresse MP, Holodomor survivor Dr. Julia Woychyshyn, along with Paul Grod and Marta Tkaczyszyn from UCC National.
Holodomor survivor Dr. Julia Woychyshyn remembers
The special reading done by Holodomor survivor Dr. Julia Woychyshyn, provided those in attendance with a distinct perspective into the horrifying events of 1932 -1933. Dr. Woychysyn retold her childhood memories of living through the Holodomor and the terror it inflicted onto her family and village community. Candles were lit to honour the victims with a moment of silence and the commemoration concluded with the reading of the names of but a few victims who perished in the Holodomor.
In attendance were Members of Parliament, Laurie Hawn, Ed Komarnicki, Lawrence Toet and Mark Warawa. Greetings from Senator Raynell Andreychuk were presented by Michael-Paul Senkow.
Representatives from the Ukrainian Canadian community included, Mr. Mykola Bilaniuk, President UCC Ottawa; Mr. Ron Sorobey, the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Associated (UCPBA); Ms. Adriana Buyniak Wilson, President League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW); Ms. Marika Putko, UCC Quebec; Mr. Bohdan Shumsky of the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Ottawa; Mr. Cornell Popyk, Knights of Columbus, St. john the Baptist branch; and Mr. Roman Hruby, UNF Ottawa - Gatineau Branch among other members of the Ukrainian Canadian Community.
The UCC together with the CUPFG would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who attended the commemoration service in Parliament. We encourage all Canadians to take part in the various events associated with National Holodomor Awareness Week taking place across Canada throughout November.
We must never allow such a tragedy to repeat itself.
Ukraine remembers - the World Acknowledges
CUPFG Chair Robert Sopuck MP - Master of Ceremonies
