The New Pathway presents remarks by the Hon David Kilgour, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and Member of Parliament (Edmonton Southeast) to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council Hetman Awards Banquet, Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex, November 21, 2002 Edmonton, Alberta

Dorohi pani i panovy. Dobrij vechir! Duzhe pryjemno buty s’ohodni z vamy. Honoured guests, good evening. It is a pleasure to be with you today.

Receiving this award tonight is an extraordinary honour. Ive received various awards over the years, but this one is particularly special. It comes from Alberta the best province in the country! It comes from Edmonton, part of which I am honoured to represent. And it comes from you the Ukrainian Canadian community, which has stood by me for over twenty years.

The award tells me Ive been doing my job, but its more than that. It stands for teamwork and friendship. Being with you tonight, and over the years, has made me feel like youve accepted me as one of your own. But you are also a crucial part of my community one I can truly count on, for which I humbly thank you. And you are a community that, from the 1890s, has helped build this city, province, and country into what we are today.

My three visits to Ukraine in the late 1980s and 1990s were particularly special. I saw firsthand what brings and keeps you together your shared passion, your history, your belief in your culture, your faith. Mykhailo Hrushevsky captured this history in his extraordinary History of Ukraine-Rus.

These volumes, eloquently translated into English, act as a window into the soul of your nation your narod. You have persevered through centuries of foreign occupation and oppression. The great poet, Taras Shevchenko, called Ukraine this land of ours that is not ours. If Hrushevsky and Shevchenko were alive today, they would be two of millions of Ukrainians whose dreams for independence have come true.

The road since independence has not been easy. Your sisters and brothers continue to face hardships, as do many countries around the globe the challenges of governance, for example ... natural disasters, especially floods ... humanitarian concerns, such as the plight of orphans ... environmental and occupational hazards ... It is heartening to know though that there are people like you, the late Dave Sereda, Peter and Olya Savaryn and Bill and Ollie Diachuk, who remain ready to help this incredible country face whatever obstacles may lie ahead.

And there are signs of progress. Only today, I learned from a grain broker that Ukraine will export about 17 million tonnes of wheat this year, including 350,000 tonnes to Canada, of all places.

The path to democracy is always a struggle; for many of you, it is the realization of a lifelong dream. That dream extends to your Ukrainian identify, whether you live in Edmonton, Kharkiv, Toronto or Lviv. Unfortunately, the injustices and conflicts of the past continue to haunt your community, even here.

Theres internment, for example. Isn’t it about time that we acknowledge what happened and work at setting things right? Just yesterday, in the House of Commons, I spoke with my colleague, Inky Mark, who has reintroduced a Private Members Bill that would have the government acknowledge what happened and make reparation. I understand the bill has widespread support among the UCCLA, UCC-APC, and many of you. I applaud your initiative. We need to acknowledge these wrongs. It is part of our history; we need to make sure it never happens again.

There is no time to get into the so-called D & D [Deportation and Denaturalization Ed] process, which has caused such grief, but I want you to know that I remain committed to you. Your community leaders have met with me over the years, most recently over your concerns regarding D&D. I’ve raised these with my colleagues and will continue to do so, whether in Cabinet or in the House. Please know that you not only have me as your MP; you also have me as a lifetime friend.

On that note, thank you again for this very special award and for your hard work and support over the years. Pryjmit’, vid sertsia, moju schyru podiaku. I wouldn’t be here if it werent for you.