Minister To Discuss Ukrainian Canadian Redress Settlement

On Friday, February 16th, 2007, the Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, will meet with designated representatives of the Ukrainian Canadian community (Paul Grod, Andrew Hladyshevsky and Lubomyr Luciuk) to continue negotiations to secure a timely and honourable settlement of claims arising out of Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914-20.

  On Saturday, February 10th, a meeting held in Toronto, with attendees from across Canada, reconfirmed the community’s position on redress and the appropriate commemorative and educational initiatives needed to honour the memory of the internees. The upcoming meeting with Mr, Kenney and call for his support to resolve issues around redress settlement include:

       Thousands of Ukrainians and other Europeans were unjustly interned (imprisoned in Canadian labour camps) during Canada’s first national internment operations (1914-20).  What little wealth they had was confiscated, some of which was never returned.  Many were disenfranchised (right to vote revoked) and suffered other state-sanctioned censures. 

      The economic losses of our community amounted to no less than $32.5 to $43.3 million (according to a 1991 PriceWaterhouse report). 

      Bill C331 – Internment of Persons of Ukrainian Origin Recognition Act (November 2005) – is now law and mandates the government to negotiate a settlement;

      There has been no action (including funding) resulting from the Agreement in Principle signed with the previous government (August 2005);

      The community is seeking $12.5 million to undertake a series of commemorative, research, cultural and educational initiatives to benefit all Canadians.  The funds are to be managed by the Ukrainian Canadian community through The Taras Shevchenko Foundation;

      We seek no individual compensation, nor apologies, only timely recognition to ensure the last known survivor of this episode, Mary Manko, can bear witness to an honourable reconciliation.

      In light of today’s geopolitical climate, Canadians can learn a historical lesson about this period in Canada’s history.

Speaking after the meeting confirming the Community’s position on redress, negotiator Paul Grod, Vice President, Ukrainian Canadian Congress said “We have sent (Mr. Kenney) a letter in advance of our meeting outlining the community’s position on redress … settlement embodying the principles of justice exemplified in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association President, John B. Gregorovich added “We appreciate how Prime Minister Harper and Mr. Kenney are taking steps to move this matter forward.  We have a united community position on redress which was reconfirmed in a letter the Secretary of State will be receiving later today. That document reiterates what our requests have been, and remain. The delegation therefore expects to have a frank and open dialogue with Mr. Kenney that will lead to a timely and honourable settlement of this matter, bringing long-overdue closure to an historic injustice while the last known survivor of the internment operations, Mary Manko, remains alive and so able to bear witness to this reconciliation.”

In press releases, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association are calling upon Canadians to contact the Hon. Jason Kenney, inform other Conservative MPs and raise the Government of Canada’s awareness that redress settlement is very much a Canadian issue and has wide ranging implications on both the local and national scale.

For a list of Conservative Members of Parliament and associated contact information, visit: http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1051/