THE ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE

Brantford, Ontario

BRANTFORD, Ontario - The Brantford Ukrainian community celebrated 11 years of Ukraine's independence by raising the Ukrainian national flag at Brantford City Hall on Friday, August 23.

More than 50 people were in attendance, including Dave Levac, member of Provincial Parliament Alderman Mike Hancock and the Rev. Zenon Didukh of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John.

A special guest was Jane Stewart, minister of human resources and member of Parliament for Brant. Ms. Stewart is one of the members of the Justice Committee who will decide the fate of Wasyl Odynsky, a man who has been cleared of all crimes and deemed a "victim of the Nazis" by Federal Court Judge W. Andrew McKay and yet who still may be deported.

Dr. John Skrypuch, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Brantford branch, presented Ms. Stewart with a copy of his daughter-in-law's novel, "Hope's War," which is about a teen whose Ukrainian-born grandfather has been unjustly accused of war crimes. Tucked inside the book were 62 individually signed postcards addressed to Ms. Stewart, protesting the government's policy on daturalization and deportation. Under the current policy, naturalized Canadians can be accused of crimes and stripped of their citizenship without ever being given a criminal trial.

Dr. Skrypuch thanked Ms. Stewart for her attendance at the flag-raising ceremony; he also took the opportunity to commend her for her record of honesty. "I trust you to do the right thing in the matter of Mr. Odynsky," he told her.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, September 22, 2002, No. 38, Vol. LXX

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