Remembrance Day at the Ukrainian National Federation in Toronto

Remembrance Day services were observed by the Ukrainian Canadian community on November 11, organized by the Toronto Branches of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Ukrainian Canadian Women’s Committee who also hosted a dinner reception that followed at the Ukrainian National Federation Community Centre on Evans Ave.

Earlier in the afternoon, a Memorial Service and wreath laying was held at the Monument for the Unknown Soldier at the Ukrainian Canadian Memorial Park on Scarlett Rd. with the participation of Ukrainian veteran’s organizations. The program was organized by the UCC Remembrance Day Committee and conducted by its Chair, George Serhijczuk. The main address was given by local MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Etobicoke Centre. In attendance, were veterans who served Canada and Ukraine in past wars with special guests from Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Thirteen Ukrainian Officers were participating in a NATO English Language Program conducted at Canadian Forces Base, Camp Borden north of Toronto.

The Dinner program for the Ukrainian Officers and invited guests was conducted by Iryna Patten, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Women’s Committee – Toronto Branch and the following remarks were delivered by Andrew Gregorovich as the memorial dinner event’s main speaker:

Today is Remembrance Day, a day when we remember the sacrifice of men and women in the Armed Forces of Canada and Ukraine.

First of all, we honour our special guests today – the Ukrainian Officers who are located at Camp Borden.

WE REMEMBER all the Ukrainian Canadian soldiers who have fought for Canada in six wars. The first war Ukrainians fought for Canada was before Canada was founded. This was the War of 1812 when the American Army invaded Canada and captured Toronto, The American Army burned the Town of York (now Toronto) and in retaliation, the British Navy captured the American Capital Washington and burned the President’s Residence. The Americans painted the building white and it became the White House thanks to Toronto.  In 1812, there was no Ukrainian community in Toronto and the Ukrainian soldiers were De Meuron and De Watteville mercenary soldiers fighting with the British.

Ukrainians, called Galicians then, served in the Canadian Army during the Boer War 1899-1902. This war is of interest to us because the world’s first concentration camps were established in this British war against the Boers (or Hollanders in South Africa. In World War I, about 10,000 Ukrainian Canadians served and the Canadian hero Filip Konowal won the Victoria Cross given by the King of England.  Queen Victoria established the Victoria Cross for British heroes of the Crimean War. Every Victoria Cross is made from the metal of cannons the British captured in Crimea. So, every Victoria Cross was once in Ukraine. In front of the Ontario Parliament they are two cannons from Crimea, Ukraine, which Queen Victoria gave to Ontario. In World War II, over 40,000 Ukrainian Canadians served in our Armed Forces and over 4,000 were killed in action. A few Ukrainians have also served in the Korean War and now in the Afghanistan War.

WE REMEMBER that the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainska Povstanska Armiya / UPA) with up to 200,000 soldiers fought against both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia in the hope of winning independence for Ukraine.

WE REMEMBER that this year is the 100^th Anniversary of the Birth of General Roman Shukhevych, designated a Hero of Ukraine, by President Victor Yushchenko, who led UPA against in its war against Soviet Russia. He was killed in 1950 when he was surrounded by NKVD Soviet Secret Police near Lviv.

WE REMEMBER World War II, when millions of Ukrainian soldiers fought against Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Most of them were in the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Ukrainian Front Armies. The 1^st Ukrainian Front Armies captured the Auschwitz Death Camp and under Marshal Ivan Konev, reached and helped capture Berlin in April 1945. The book “Bezsmertia” states that 4.5 million Ukrainian soldiers were killed in World War II. At the end of WWII, the American Army had 3 million soldiers in Europe in contrast to the 7 million Ukrainians who fought against Hitler. We know that three quarters of WWII in Europe was fought on the Eastern Front and the Western Allied Front was a much smaller battle theatre although D-Day and Normandy from American movies dominates our conception.

WE REMEMBER that we contributed inventions to the war effort against Nazi Germany. Igor Sikorsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and built his first two helicopters there. He built the world’s first successful helicopter in the USA and it was used in WWII to rescue wounded soldiers. The Dzus Fastener, invented by Ukrainian American William Dzus, became vital in American aircraft production. Ukrainian American George Kistiakovsky made the detonator for the first Atomic Bombs.

WE REMEMBER that the best tank in WWII was the T-34 which was designed in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The first 1,000 tanks were built in Ukraine by Ukrainian workers and made out of Ukrainian steel. When the Wehrmacht (German Army) invaded Soviet Ukraine on June 22, 1941, they were astonished to encounter the T-34 which was far superior to all German Panzer tanks at that time. It was the T-34 that captured Berlin according to many historians. German tank expert Heinz Guderians said in 1941, the T-34 was “vastly superior’ to German tanks. We also remember that the KV-1 heavy tank  was designed by a Ukrainian M. Dukhov. Katyusha rockets were designed by principal designer Ukrainian Ivan Gvai, who had led a design team in 1939.

WE REMEMBER our history. Historical Memory is important. Exactly 350 years ago in 1657, Cossack Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky died before he could establish permanent independence for Ukraine.

WE REMEMBER the great victory of the Ukrainian Cossacks led by Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky almost 350 years ago in the 1659 Battle of Konotop when the Muscovite/(Russian) Army was so completely destroyed the ruler of Muscovy was ready to flee from the Kremlin.

WE REMEMBER that the Battle of Poltava in July 1709, when Hetman Ivan Mazepa and King Charles XII of Sweden fought against Tsar Peter the 1^st (the Great) with Ukrainian independence hanging in the balance. Voltaire said “Ukraine has always aspired to freedom.”

WE REMEMBER that Communist Soviet Russia published propaganda and disinformation (dezinformatsia) against our Ukrainian military heroes like Mazepa and Petlura. Unfortunately, the people of Ukraine today do not know their history. Ukraine has a weak historical memory. Fortunately, independent Ukraine has started the slow process of correcting the historical record which was distorted by neighbouring countries.

Glory to Canada! Slava Kanadi!