OTTAWA – On November 20, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada held a well-attended, solemn commemoration in Canada’s Parliament to mark the 84th anniversary of the genocidal Holodomor.
In 1932-1933, the totalitarian Soviet regime of dictator Joseph Stalin sentenced the Ukrainian nation to death by starvation. Millions of children, women and men were condemned to death because of the Ukrainian people’s aspiration for independence, and their desire to speak their language and maintain their culture and traditions.
The UCC welcomed Holodomor survivors Dr. Julia Woychyshyn and Halyna Zelem, who lit the ceremonial candle at the beginning of the ceremony on Parliament Hill.
The master of ceremonies of the commemoration was Member of Parliament Borys Wrzesnewskyj, chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Rev. Andrew Onuferko led the opening prayer.
Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defense; Andrew Scheer, leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, and Guy Caron, parliamentary leader of the New Democratic Party, delivered remarks.
Andriy Shevchenko, ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, delivered moving remarks on behalf of the government of Ukraine, and Cassian Soltykevych, UCC executive committee member, spoke on behalf of the UCC and National President Paul Grod.
Bohdan Onyschuk, chair of the Holodomor National Awareness Tour, spoke about the work of the tour and the mobile classroom, and presented a trailer of a new documentary film, “Hunger for Truth: The Rhea Clyman Story.” The film tells the story of Rhea Clyman, a Canadian journalist who witnessed the Holodomor and was one of the first journalists who reported on the genocide.
The choir of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church led the singing of “Eternal Memory” and the Rev. Ihor Okhrimtchouk led the assembled guests in the closing prayer.
“On behalf of the UCC, I would like to express sincere gratitude to Minister Sajjan, Mr. Scheer, Mr. Caron, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj and Ambassador Shevchenko for their heartfelt and poignant words honoring the memory of the victims of the Holodomor,” said UCC CEO Ihor Michalchyshyn. “We thank the many MPs, senators, representatives of diplomatic missions and members of the Ottawa community who attended the Holodomor commemoration ceremony at the Parliament of Canada.”
Earlier in the day, Members of Parliament and guests to Parliament Hill had the opportunity to visit the Holodomor National Awareness Tour Mobile Classroom, which has been travelling across Canada to provide students with an innovative learning experience about social justice, human rights and democratic values in relation to the genocide by famine that killed millions of Ukrainians.