Agreement in principle on redress for internment is announced in Canada

OTTAWA - After 12 years of broken promises, the Liberal government finally took the first step towards resolving the issue of redress for Canada's Ukrainian community.

On August 24 the government announced an agreement in principle that provides an initial payment of $2.5 million to Canada's Ukrainian community for the purpose of commemoration and education. The agreement was reached with a team of negotiators representing the Ukrainian Canadian community.

The proposal for a settlement was first brought forward in 2001 by Inky Mark, member of Parliament for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, Manitoba, with the tabling of Bill C-331, the Ukrainian Canadian Recognition and Restitution Act. C-331 was subsequently re-tabled in 2002 and then in 2004. It has been debated in the House of Commons and is currently being reviewed by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Mr. Mark explained, "When I was elected as a member of Parliament, one of my first acts was to consult with Canada's Ukrainian community to draft Bill C-331. It called upon the federal government to: acknowledge that thousands of Ukrainian Canadians were unjustly interned and disenfranchised in Canada during the first world war; provide funding to commemorate the sacrifices made by these Canadians and; to develop educational materials detailing this dark period of Canada's history."

"Finally, after two decades of lobbying and 12 years since Jean Chrétien, the former prime minister, wrote a letter promising to deal with the issue, this Liberal government has taken the first step toward resolution."

Provisions of the agreement in principle include:

• an initial contribution of $2.5 million to the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko through the Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education (ACE) Program;
  
  
• coordination by the Shevchenko Foundation, in consultation with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the implementation of commemorative projects over the next three years on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community; and
  
  
• commencement of work by the community on proposals to help commemorate their historical experience and educate Canadians about those experiences and the contributions the Ukrainian Canadian community has made to Canada.

Mr. Mark, who is a vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, noted: "A lot of hard work has gone into reaching this first step. The federal government must now continue this work with Canada's Ukrainian community to ensure that this dark history doesn't repeat itself."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, September 4, 2005, No. 36, Vol. LXXIII

| Home Page |