Canada Supports UNESCO Motion on Holodomor

Editor’s Note: On October 31, during Question Period in the House of Commons, Parliament of Canada, the Hon. Jason Kenney (Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) announced that on October 23rd (2007), Canada co-sponsored a motion by Ukraine and adopted by UNESCO that honours victims of the Holodomor Great Famine in Ukraine, 1932-1933.  The following is the dialogue in the House between MP James Bezan and Secretary of State Kenney.

Prior to the dialogue honouring victims of the Holodomor Great Famine, the special relationship between Canada and Ukraine was emphasised by MP Peter Goldring in recognition of 20 young Ukrainian interns in Canada participating in the Canada Ukraine Parliamentary Program.

Mr. Peter Goldring (Edmonton East, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize 20 youthful delegates from Ukraine who have visited with us for the past three weeks. They are here in members’ offices to gain valuable perspectives of Canada’s most important democratic institution: the Parliament of Canada.

These young people, representing the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, embody the highest ideals of achievement and community service. They are the future leaders of Ukraine. Young people like Yaroslav Udovenko from my office.

Canada and Ukraine are inextricably linked forever by prior migration. Fully one in thirty Canadians are from Ukrainian descent, as are my wife, daughters and granddaughter.

Ukraine holds a special place in the hearts of Canadians. Canada was the first country in the western world to accord diplomatic recognition in 1990 to an independent Ukraine.

As young emissaries, we wish them well…

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Mr. James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, the Great Famine in Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians died during Holodomor in 1932 and 1933.

Many Ukrainian Canadians survived the famine, while others had family and friends starve to death back in Ukraine.

Can the Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) share with the House the initiative Canada has taken to commemorate the millions of lives lost in this tragedy?

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Hon. Jason Kenney (Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), CPC):

Mr. Speaker, the member’s interest in this issue is evidenced by his bill on the Holodomor. Canada is connected to this dark chapter in history by more than a million Canadians of Ukrainian descent, many of whom lost family during the Holodomor.

On October 23, Canada co-sponsored a motion by Ukraine, which has been adopted by UNESCO, that honours the memory of millions who perished in the Famine and acknowledges it was caused by the brutal communist dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

Let me add that the government welcomes plans by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to launch a year of commemorative events next month [in November] surrounding the great historic tragedy of the Holodomor.