Bezan Receives Honorary Life UPBCW Membership and Ukrainian Medal

WINNIPEG - On January 13, 2011 during the Malanka Celebration (Ukrainian New Year’s Eve) at Canad Inns in Winnipeg, James Bezan, Member of Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake, received a couple of accolades for his work in the Ukrainian community. 

Bezan received an honorary life membership from the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Winnipeg (UPBCW).  Bezan is a regular member of UPBCW and was previously recognized with the club’s Distinguished Service Award  for his work to establish the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day and declaring the Holodomor (the Great Man-Made Famine of 1932-33 in Ukraine) a genocide orchestrated by Joseph Stalin and the former Soviet Union.

Also speaking at Malanka was His Excellency, Dr. Ihor Ostash, Ambassador of Ukraine, who presented Bezan with Ukraine’s medal for the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In November 2008, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko announced that Bezan would receive this award which is Ukraine’s highest civilian award.  The Order is awarded on the basis of the decree of the President of Ukraine as his recognition of people who have made a historic contribution on behalf of Ukraine.

“I am honoured and humbled to be recognized in such a way by the Government of Ukraine and by the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Winnipeg.  I look forward to working on forging even stronger ties between Canada and Ukraine,” said Bezan. “I’m excited about the work we’ve begun with our youth and developing a stronger trading relationship between our two great nations.”

Bezan thanked everyone involved with the passing of his Holodomor bill, calling it an accumulation of the assistance of many people.  He also congratulated Leonard Derkach, MLA for his honorary life membership award by UPBCW; and Dr. Taras Babick and Leisa Szwaluk, who were also recognized by the Ukrainian government.

MP James Bezan, who is of Ukrainian heritage, has had several achievements in the Ukrainian-Canadian community:

•     Sponsoring and passing Bill C-459, “An Act to establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day and to recognize the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide”, which received Royal Assent on May 29, 2008.

•     On April 22, 2009, tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to enforce the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.  Bill M-356 asks the government to take necessary steps to refuse entry to Canada to people who have engaged in, or been a member of a group such as the KGB, NKVD, Gestapo, Al Qaeda, or the Taliban, that has engaged in acts of espionage, subversion, terrorism, genocide, or crimes against humanity. It also calls on the government to denaturalize and deport those who have obtained Canadian citizenship under false pretences and to enforce removal orders against all persons who are inadmissible to Canada.

•     Instrumental in hosting and organizing the celebration of the 17^th anniversary of Ukraine’s national referendum on its independence.  During the ceremony held in the Parliament of Canada, a rare reproduction of one of Ukraine’s sacred national treasures - the 16^th century Peresopnytsia Gospel - was officially presented to the Library of Parliament in Ottawa. 

•     Awarded the Holy Medal of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in recognition of his historic contribution to the recognition of the Soviet-imposed Holodomor and also for his efforts to facilitate the presentation of the replica Peresopnytsia Gospel to the Library of Parliament, Canada.

•     Honoured by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Canadian Friends of Ukraine, the League of Ukrainian Canadians and the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women.

PHOTOS

1 - L. to R.: MP James Bezan and His Excellency, Dr. Ihor Ostash, Ambassador of Ukraine

2 - L. to R.: Sylvia Todaschuk and Taras Sokolyk of UPBCW and James Bezan, MP