By Petro Lopata

(11/11/01) With well over 500 people in attendance for a wreath laying ceremony in Toronto, Ukrainian war dead – representatives of both Canadian and Ukrainian armed forces – were honoured with a memorial service, song and marching band. Starting at St Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, the procession of veterans, members of the armed forces, clergy, “Avanguard” band and the public winded its way down La Rose Ave to the Ukrainian Memorial Park. Located at the intersection of Scarlett Rd and Eglington Ave, the park is home to a granite obelisk honouring the millions of Ukrainians who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In addition to Yaroslav Sokal, vice consul of Ukraine in Toronto and veteran Joseph Iwach for the Government of Canada, representatives of all the major Ukrainian Canadian organizations laid wreaths at the foot of the obelisk. Michael Kalimin, himself a Canadian veteran, and Irene Waschuk paid respect on behalf of the Ukrainian National Federation and its affiliates. Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada president Andrij Slavych and UWVA member Roman Shelestynskyj also laid wreaths before the monument. Veteran Volodymyr Suchnacky, president of the UNF West Toronto branch acted as MC for the proceedings inviting community leaders to offer their thoughts on the sacrifice of fallen Ukrainian men and women.

Mr Sokal, speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian governement and people, declared that “independent Ukraine should become a monument for our fallen soldiers”.

Dr Lubomyr Luciuk, a reasearch director with the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association and a professor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, delivered the keynote address. He said that we must “remember that nearly 10,000 Ukrainians volunteered for Canadian Armed Forces in WWI”, despite a “background of state-sanctioned oppression [a reference to Canada’s policy of enemy alien internment – Ed.]” attempting to prove they “were as loyal as any other Canadians.”

Reinforcing this message, Andrew Grego-rovich, the New Pathway’s associate editor, and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Ukrainian Branch 360, noted that even though Ukrainians during WWII represented only three percent of Canada’s population, their casualties amounted to 10 percent of the total suffered by its armed forces.