Ukrainian Canadian leaders hail agreement (09/04/05)

Ukrainian Canadian leaders hail agreement

The following statement was issued by representatives of the Ukrainian Canadian community in response to the announcement by Prime Minister Paul Martin, in Regina, Saskatchewan, of an agreement in principle to fund an initial package of commemorative and educational projects recalling Canada's first national internment operations.

This represents a goodwill gesture and a very welcome first step in securing recognition and reconciliation for the wrongs done to Ukrainians and other Europeans during this country's first national internment operations of 1914-1920, when thousands of men, women and children were needlessly imprisoned as "enemy aliens," had their wealth confiscated, were forced to do heavy labor, disenfranchised and subjected to other state-sanctioned censures.

We applaud the prime minister's personal involvement in helping to resolve this matter. We are also grateful for the contributions made by Minister of Multiculturalism Raymond Chan and Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale in making this a reality today.

In addition, we would like to recognize the tireless efforts of Inky Mark, member of Parliament, who over the years has raised awareness of this great tragedy among his fellow members of Parliament, government officials and fellow Canadians.

We look forward to the next step in the fall where we anticipate concluding a final agreement that will provide a proper acknowledgement and a series of commemorative, educational and community-building initiatives.

Subsequent educational, research and cultural initiatives will help teach future generations of Canadians about this episode in our national history and, hopefully, that will ensure that no other ethnic, racial or religious minority ever has to endure what our people did in a period of domestic and international crisis.

On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community:

Andrew Hladyshevsky, Q.C., president
Ukrainian Canadian Foundationof Taras Shevchenko

Paul M. Grod, LL.B., vice-president
Ukrainian Canadian Congress

Lubomyr Luciuk, Ph.D., research director
Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association

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