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Ontario recognizes the Holodomor as genocide - Bill 147 |
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| Bill 147, 2009 |
Projet de loi 147, 2009 |
| An Act to proclaim Holodomor Memorial Day |
Loi proclamant le Jour commémoratif de l’Holodomor |
Preamble
The Holodomor is the name given to the genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. As many as 10 million Ukrainians perished as victims of a man-made famine under Joseph Stalin’s regime, with 25,000 dying each day at the peak of the famine. |
Préambule
L’Holodomor désigne la famine génocide qui a sévi en Ukraine en 1932 et 1933. Quelque 10 millions d’Ukrainiens et d’Ukrainiennes ont péri alors, victimes de la famine provoquée sous le régime de Joseph Staline. Au paroxysme de la famine, 25 000 personnes en mouraient chaque jour. |
| The Government of Ukraine, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, the Parliament of Canada, the Senate of Canada, the Governments of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, UNESCO, the United Nations and over 40 other jurisdictions around the world have officially condemned the Holodomor or recognized it as genocide. Ukraine has established the fourth Saturday in November in each year as the annual day to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor. |
Le gouvernement de l’Ukraine, la Chambre des représentants et le Sénat des États-Unis, le Parlement et le Sénat du Canada, les gouvernements de l’Alberta, du Manitoba et de la Saskatchewan, l’UNESCO, l’Organisation des Nations Unies et plus de 40 autres ressorts du monde ont officiellement condamné l’Holodomor ou l’ont reconnu en tant que génocide. L’Ukraine a désigné le quatrième samedi de novembre de chaque année comme jour annuel pour commémorer les victimes de l’Holodomor. |
| On May 29, 2008, the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide(“Holodomor”) Memorial Day Act (Canada) was enacted to recognize the famine as an act of genocide and to establish throughout Canada the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day on the fourth Saturday in November in each year. |
Le 29 mai 2008, la Loi sur le Jour commémoratif de la famine et du génocide ukrainiens («l’Holodomor») (Canada) a été édictée afin de reconnaître la famine comme un génocide et d’instituer, dans tout le Canada, le Jour commémoratif de la famine et du génocide ukrainiens («l’Holodomor») le quatrième samedi de novembre de chaque année. |
| To memorialize those who perished, it is appropriate to extend to Ontario the annual commemoration of the victims of the Ukrainian genocide by famine. A memorial day provides an opportunity to reflect on and to educate the public about the enduring lessons of the Holodomor and other crimes against humanity. |
Afin d’honorer la mémoire de ceux et celles qui ont péri, il convient que l’Ontario commémore aussi chaque année les victimes de la famine génocide ukrainienne. Un jour commémoratif est une occasion de réflexion sur les leçons durables de l’Holodomor et d’autres crimes contre l’humanité et de sensibilisation à celles-ci. |
| Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows: |
Pour ces motifs, Sa Majesté, sur l’avis et avec le consentement de l’Assemblée législative de la province de l’Ontario, édicte : |
Holodomor Memorial Day
1. Throughout Ontario, the fourth Saturday in November in each year is proclaimed Holodomor Memorial Day to memorialize those who perished as victims of genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. |
Jour commémoratif de l’Holodomor
1. Le quatrième samedi de novembre de chaque année est, dans tout l’Ontario, proclamé Jour commémoratif de l’Holodomor pour honorer la mémoire de ceux qui ont péri, victimes de la famine génocide qui a sévi en Ukraine en 1932 et 1933. |
Commencement
2. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent. |
Entrée en vigueur
2. La présente loi entre en vigueur le jour où elle reçoit la sanction royale. |
Short title
3. The short title of this Act is the Holodomor Memorial Day Act, 2009. |
Titre abrégé
3. Le titre abrégé de la présente loi est Loi de 2009 sur le Jour commémoratif de |
ONTARIO RECOGNIZES THE HOLODOMOR
The Holodomor Memorial Day Act, Private Member’s Bill 147 recognizing the Holodomor as an act of genocide and providing for the declaration of Holodomor Memorial Day on the fourth Saturday in November in each year in the Province of Ontario, was passed by the Parliament of Ontario on Thursday, 9 April 2009.
The passage of the bill represented the culmination of an arduous process that started more than two years ago. Then Minister of Labour and current Speaker of Parliament, the Hon. Steve Peters, initiated the discussion of Holodomor awareness, which was followed by a long series of consultations with Members of the Provincial Parliament and the introduction of the first Holodomor Private Member’s Bill 61 by MPP Dave Levac on 17 April 2008. Bill 61 stalled in Committee and was re-introduced as the second Holodomor Private Member’s Bill 147 on 19 February 2009, this time as a tri-sponsored Private Member’s Bill. The co-sponsors, led by Dave Levac, Liberal MPP for Brant, along with Cheri Di Novo, NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, and Frank Klees, PC MPP for Newmarket-Aurora joined forces to introduce Bill 147, and MPPs from all sides of the Legislature made history by unanimously supporting the first tri-sponsored Private Member’s Bill of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. And so, on 9 April 2009, Bill 147 known as the Holodomor Memorial Day Act passed third reading at Queen’s Park and will soon become Ontario law.
In addition to Mr. Levac and Mr. Peters, the MPPs who supported Holodomor recognition from the beginning and spoke out about it were the Hon. Donna Cansfield, the Hon. Peter Fonseca, Laurel Broten, Khalil Ramal, Maria Van Bommel, Cheri Di Novo, Frank Klees, Ernie Hardeman and Gerry Martiniuk. We are grateful to them, and in particular to Mr. Levac, for their wisdom and leadership in moving the process forward to eventual Holodomor recognition. We would also like to thank Mr. Levac’s staff, in particular Susan Ho and Chris Yaccato, for their dedication to this project.
We would like to sincerely thank the Ukrainian World Congress; the Ukrainian Canadian Congress; the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches in Canada; Ukrainian community leaders; the various Holodomor Committees, especially the London Holodomor Committee; members of the Parents’ Committee on the Holodomor; members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians /League of Ukrainian Canadian Women Joint Committees on the Holodomor, in particular their team leaders; and indeed all members of the Ukrainian Canadian community , who signed more than 8,100 hard-copy petitions and almost 4,600 on-line petitions, for their unwavering support in moving the process of Holodomor recognition forward. Copies of all signed petitions were sent to Mr. Levac’s office as further evidence of support.
Last but not least, we would like to thank all members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW), Allan Rewak in particular, for their undying dedication to this project. LUC and LUCW initiated the process of Holodomor recognition in Ontario - both Bill 61 and Bill 147 - and invested much time and effort in coordinating the day-to-day consultations and negotiations. Special thanks go to the Presidents of LUC and LUCW, Oleh Romanyshyn and Chrystyna Bidiak.
The passage of Bill 147 and the recognition of the Holodomor as an act of genocide is a significant victory for the Ukrainian Canadian community and the Ukrainian people as a whole. It will make the next step easier by providing a basis on which Holodomor education in Ontario can eventually become a compulsory part of the high school history/social studies program, and Holodomor Education Week as part of the school curriculum. Most importantly, the passage of Bill 147 is a tribute to all those, many of whom are no longer with us today, who struggled for decades to lay the foundation for the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide, and for the education of future generations to be aware of all genocides as crimes against humanity and proactively prevent them from ever happening again.
Orest Steciw Holodomor Projects Coordinator for the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women
To access Second Reading of Bill 147 in Hansard, please click on http://hansardindex.ontla.on.ca/hansardEISSUE/39-1/L119.htm#TopOfPage
For MPP Dave Levac's opening remarks, please click on http://hansardindex.ontla.on.ca/hansardespeaker/39-1/l119-757.html
To view film on Second Reading of Bill 147, please click here
THE HOLODOMOR MEMORIAL DAY ACT PASSES THIRD READING
All Parties Unanimously Support Legislation that
Commemorates Victims of the Man-Made Famine of Ukraine
April 9, 2009
Queen’s Park – Making history today, MPPs from all sides of the Legislature unanimously support the first tri-sponsored Private Member’s Bill of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Bill 147, the Holodomor Memorial Day Act passes third reading at Queen’s Park today.
The co-sponsors, lead by Dave Levac, Liberal MPP for Brant, along with Cheri DiNovo, NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, and Frank Klees, PC MPP for Newmarket-Aurora joined forces on February 18, 2009 to introduce Bill 147 which commemorates victims of the man-made famine of Ukraine.
The legislation provides for the declaration of Holodomor Memorial Day on the fourth Saturday in November in each year in the Province of Ontario.
The Holodomor is the name given to the man-made famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933, in which as many as 10 million Ukrainians perished as victims under Joseph Stalin’s regime to consolidate control over Ukraine, with 25,000 dying each day at the peak of the famine in 1933.
Ukraine has established the fourth Saturday in November in each year as the annual day to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor. When passed, this Bill will extend the annual commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor to Ontario.
QUOTES
"Today is an important day for Ukrainian-Canadians and especially, for family and friends who fell victim of the Holodomor," said MPP Dave Levac Brant. "The remembrance of these horrors from the past requires our attention."
"Finally Ukrainian Canadians will have the respect for all the victims of Stalin's genocide they've been praying for in this Province," said Cheri DiNovo, MPP Parkdale-High Park.
"It is an honour for me as a Member of the Ontario PC Caucus to co-sponsor this Bill which is enacted into law today," said Frank Klees, MPP Newmarket-Aurora. "Those who have advocated for many years to have the truth concerning the Holodomor publicly recognized can take heart knowing that their persistence has been rewarded."
Raphael Lemkin, the Jewish-Polish scholar who was the father of the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide and coined the term "genocide", applied it to the destruction of the Ukrainian nation as follows: "This was not simply a case of mass murder. It was a case of genocide, of destruction, not of individuals only, but of a culture and a nation."
"The passage of Bill 147 is a tribute to all those Ontarians, many of whom are no longer with us today, who struggled for decades to lay the foundation for the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide," said Orest Steciw, Holodomor Projects Coordinator at the League of Ukrainian Canadians.
"Today, the Government of Ontario paid tribute to the millions of innocent victims of the Holodomor, condemned the heinous crimes of the Soviet Communist regime, and restored historical justice. We applaud your perseverance and resolve to ensure the passage of Bill 147 that proclaims the fourth Saturday of every November as a day of remembrance-Holodomor Memorial Day and that recognizes the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as an act of genocide," said Chrystyna Bidiak, National President of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women. "Learning the truth about all crimes against humanity is the only way we can ensure that criminals will no longer be emboldened by indifference and that such dark pages in history will never be allowed to happen again."
"This is the first tri-sponsored bill to pass in the history of Ontario," said Dave Levac, MPP Brant. "Through the creation of a Holodomor Memorial Day, we mend a wrong in world history and in defiance to tyranny and oppression, continue to preserve the culture, heritage and way of life of the Ukrainian people."
CONTACTS: Dave Levac, Liberal MPP Brant
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The following are photographs taken on April 17, 2008 at Queen's Park, immediately after MPP Dave Levac had introduced the Holodomor Memorial Day Act in the Ontario Legislature.
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From left to right: Oleh Romanyshyn, MPP Dave Levac, Orest Steciw. |
From left to right:
Third row - MPP Dave Levac, Consul General Olexander Danyleiko, Orest Steciw, Marc Shwec.
Second row - Jerry Lagoznik, Irene Mycak, Andrew Gregorovich, Chrystyna Bidiak, Oksana Prociuk, Oleh Romanyshyn.
First row - Anna Lagoznik, Zenia Semiwolos (Holodomor survivor), Peggy Galan, John Skrypuch, Rev. Father Stephan Didur, Paul Grod.
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Holodomor: Genocide by Famine
One of the main activities of the League of Ukrainian Canadians ( LUC ) and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women ( LUCW ) is to organize joint educational and informational projects with organizations in Ukraine to help raise awareness of the history of the Ukrainian people and promote the tenets of democracy and respect for human rights.
Therefore, on the 75th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33, the League of Ukrainian Canadians, in cooperation with the Museum of Soviet Occupation of the Kyiv Memorial Society in Ukraine and LUCW, has produced the exhibit Holodomor: Genocide by Famine. James Mace, the Director of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine, once said: "The Ukrainian Famine was the crime of the century that nobody's ever heard of."
LUC and LUCW have dedicated considerable resources to raise awareness of what the Holodomor really was, a genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian people. It is our hope that by teaching our children about this and other genocides, we can ensure that such crimes never occur again.
The exhibit is composed of 101 panels as follows: a) 8 introductory panels include basic facts, a glossary, the genocide in historical context, and a map of the Holodomor area; b) 7 panels include collectivization and the destruction of Ukrainian farmers, opposition to collectivization, and Soviet reaction to opposition; c) 4 panels include why the genocide was organized, as well as key documents; d) 11 panels include how the genocide was organized, as well as the blacklisting of villages, ban on travel, the "Law of Five Grain Stalks," total confiscation of foodstuffs, and export abroad; e) 3 panels include starving children; f) 6 panels include appeals for assistance from within the Holodomor area; g) 7 panels include losses and rigged demographics; h) 2 panels include ghost towns; i) 4 panels include the organizers and perpetrators of the genocide; j) 4 panels include eyewitness reports; k) 3 panels include denial and cover-up; l) 14 panels include protests and attempts at relief, as well as the International Day of Mourning and Protest, the League of Nations, and the assassination of Stalin's envoy by Mykola Lemyk; m) 7 panels include government documents on the genocide; n) 4 panels include the genocide in publications; o) 3 panels include U.S. and International Commissions on the genocide; p) 3 panels include why the Holodomor was a genocide; q) 7 panels include Holodomor remembered, as well as statements of the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine, statements of survivors, leaders and researchers, and Holodomor monuments erected worldwide; and r) 4 panels include Holodomor acknowledged, as well as the Law of Ukraine on the Holodomor, and international and national jurisdictions that have condemned the Holodomor or recognized it as genocide.
The authors of the exhibit are as follows: concept, research and development – Oleh Romanyshyn, Andrew Gregorovich, and Orest Steciw; graphic design and layout – Myhajlo Hucman and Volodymyr Paslavskyi. The exhibit was created and is copyrighted by the League of Ukrainian Canadians. For the purpose of continuing research on the Famine Genocide and further expanding the exhibit as an educational tool, contributions can be made to the Ucrainica Research Institute.
The following are photographs taken on April 18, 2008 at the opening ceremonies for the Holodomor exhibit. The opening ceremonies took place at Toronto City Hall.
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Archbishop Yuriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Bishop Stefan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church perform an ecumenical prayer as part of the official opening ceremonies of the Holodomor exhibit.
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Irene Mycak, Chair of the UCC Holodomor Committee and MC of the opening ceremonies, acknowledges Mykola Latyshko, a Holodomor survivor.
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Michael Ignatieff, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, with Holodomor survivor Kateryna Shcherban.
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Irene Mycak, MC and longtime member of the League of Ukrainian Canadians.
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Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, addresses the public at the opening ceremonies.
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Dave Levac, MPP for Brant and author of the Private Member’s Bill called the Holodomor Memorial Day Act. The Bill will commemorate the Holodomor as genocide on the fourth Saturday of each November.
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At the opening ceremonies for the exhibit, Dave Levac said, "A great many Ontarians have no personal experience of forced famine or tyranny, no way of knowing the anguish and chaos that plagued a dictator’s time in power.
Some of us cannot comprehend the insanity of human loss that occurred in Ukraine from 1932-33.
For that reason amongst others, it is important for all Ontarians to commemorate Holodomor and the Ukrainian community who bore its burden....
In closing, 'Never Again' has often been used as a rallying call of outrage with crimes against humanity.
That is why commemorating the Holodomor through the efforts of the League of Ukrainian Canadians here today, through the novels of my constituent Marsha Skrypuch, or through Acts of Parliament, is so important.
So we can truly claim 'NEVER AGAIN!'"
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Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby, official sponsor of the Holodomor exhibit, addresses the public at the Toronto City Hall Rotunda.
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At the opening ceremonies for the exhibit, Orest Steciw concluded: "As the truth about the genocide emerges, we, the descendents of the victims of the Holodomor, demand justice.
We appeal to Canadians and indeed the world community. You must learn what really happened in Ukraine 75 years ago. You must condemn this evil act for what it really was, a genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian people. You must educate future generations to condemn all genocides and to proactively prevent them from ever happening again. Only this can change humanity for the better.
This exhibit is a tribute to all those, many of whom are no longer with us today, a tribute to all those who struggled for decades to lay the foundation for exhibits such as this, and for the eventual recognition of the Holodomor as genocide."
Orest Steciw, Holodomor Projects Coordinator for LUC and LUCW, explains the importance of the Holodomor exhibit.
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Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, sums up concerns and future aspirations regarding a similar Bill to the Holodomor Memorial Day Act at the Federal level, and explains the importance of the International Remembrance Flame.
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The International Remembrance Flame is being passed from Australia to the North American continent.
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Stefan Romaniw, Chair of the International Holodomor Committee, and Stefan Horlatsch, Holodomor survivor, together light the International Remembrance Flame.
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Stefan Horlatsch passes the eternal light of memory to the Ukrainian Canadian youth.
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Stefan Horlatsch, together with Ukrainian dignitaries and community leaders, on the grounds of Nathan Phillips Square.
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On August 17, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Andy Luty and Mary Luty, met with Deb Matthews, MPP for London North Centre and PA to the Minister Responsible for Women's
Issues and to the Minister of Community and Social Services.
They presented Deb Matthews with a copy of the documentary film, "Harvest of Despair", and consulted with her on issues pertaining to Holodomor recognition and genocide education.
To learn more about Deb Matthews, please visit her website, www.debmatthews.onmpp.ca
In the photograph: Deb Matthews. The photograph was taken from Deb Matthews' website.
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On August 7, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians, Peter Kryworuk, Bohdan Yemchuk and Eugene Sawchuk, met with Chris Bentley, MPP for London West and Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
LUC representatives provided Mr. Bentley with a brief historical summary of the Holodomor, as well as steps taken to date to have the Holodomor recognized as genocide on all levels of government in Canada.
They explained that Ukrainian Canadians in Ontario are hopeful that after the elections a Government Bill will be introduced to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Holodomor and recognize the Holodomor as genocide.
Mr. Bentley was receptive to and supportive of the issues raised.
To learn more about Chris Bentley, please visit his website, www.chrisbentley.onmpp.ca
In the photograph, from left to right: Eugene Sawchuk, Chris Bentley, Peter Kryworuk, Bohdan Yemchuk.
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On August 1, 2007 representatives of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Lily Hopcroft and Grant Hopcroft, met with Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford and Progressive Conservative critic to Municipal Affairs and Housing. They presented Mr. Hardeman with a copy of the documentary film, "Harvest of Despair", and exchanged views with him on the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide. Mr. Hardeman said that there are few survivors of the Holodomor left, and that it would be a noble gesture to acknowledge their suffering by recognizing the Holodomor. He emphasized the importance of all-party support.
To learn more about Ernie Hardeman, please visit his website, www.erniehardemanmpp.com
In the photograph : Ernie Hardeman. The photograph was taken from Ernie Hardeman's website.
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On July 30, 2007 representatives of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Lily Hopcroft, Grant Hopcroft and Luba Kaipainen, met with Maria Van Bommel, MPP for Lambton - Kent - Middlesex and
PA to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. They presented Maria Van Bommel with a copy of the documentary film, "Harvest of Despair", and exchanged views with her on the recognition of the Holodomor as genocide and the inclusion of the Holodomor as a compulsory component of Ontario's education curriculum.
To learn more about Maria Van Bommel, please visit her website, www.mariavanbommel.onmpp.ca
In the photograph : Maria Van Bommel. The photograph was taken from Maria Van Bommel's website.
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On July 27, 2007 representatives of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Lily Hopcroft, Grant Hopcroft, Luba Kaipainen and Dmytro Nebor, met with Steve Peters, MPP for Elgin - Middlesex - London and Minister of Labour.
Mr. Peters described the process involved in getting the Holodomor recognized as genocide in the Legislature, suggested that a Private Member's Bill would be easier to pass than a Government Bill, and assured the representatives of LUC/LUCW that he would support the passage of a bill recognizing the Holodomor as genocide. He emphasized the importance of all-party support.
To learn more about Steve Peters, please visit his website, www.stevepeters.com
In the photograph : Steve Peters. The photograph was taken from Steve Peters' website.
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 On July 23, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW), Irene Schumylo Newton and Maria Korda, met with Kim Craitor, MPP for Niagara Falls.
They consulted with Mr. Craitor on educating students and the public about the Holodomor, as well as recognizing the Holodomor as genocide in November of each year. Kim Craitor said more discussion will be needed in the future to fulfill our goals on Holodomor education, and that he is very supportive of our cause.
To learn more about Kim Craitor, please visit his website, www.kimcraitor.com
In the photograph: Kim Craitor. The photograph was taken from Kim Craitor's website.
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 On July 23, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Dmytro Nebor and Luba Kaipainen, met with Khalil Ramal, MPP for London-Fanshawe.
They discussed the issue of Holodomor awareness and a bill recognizing the Holodomor as genocide. Luba Kaipainen and Dmytro Nebor presented Mr. Ramal with a copy of the documentary film, "Harvest of Despair", and greetings from Premier McGuinty for the exhibit "Not To Be Forgotten", displayed at the London Public Library (Central) in London, 2005.
To learn more about Khalil Ramal, please visit his website, www.khalilramal.onmpp.ca
In the photograph: Khalil Ramal. The photograph was taken from: www.khalilramal.onmpp.ca/photos.htm
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On July 20, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians, Yuri Spolsky and Orest Steciw, met with Peter Fonseca, MPP for Mississauga East.
LUC representatives presented Mr. Fonseca with a copy of the documentary film, "Harvest of Despair", and a complimentary package of official documents recognizing the Holodomor as genocide. To learn more about Peter Fonseca, please visit his website: www.peterfonseca.onmpp.ca
In the photograph: Peter Fonseca. The photograph was taken from Mr. Fonseca's website.
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On July 27, 2007 Orest Steciw and Volodymyr Paslavskyi, members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians, and Anne Szepetyk, member of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, met with Laurel Broten, MPP for
Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Minister of the Environment.
LUC/LUCW representatives presented Ms. Broten with a copy of the documentary film on the Holodomor, "Harvest of Despair", and discussed the issue of building support for Holodomor recognition.
To learn more about Laurel Broten, please visit her website, www.laurelbroten.onmpp.ca
In the photograph, from left to right: Anne Szepetyk, Laurel Broten, Orest Steciw, Volodymyr Paslavskyi.
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On July 26, 2007 members of the League of Ukrainian Canadians, Orest Steciw, Volodymyr Paslavskyi and Danylo Bodnaruk (Secretary of the League of Ukrainian Canadians' Hamilton chapter), and the President of the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women's Hamilton chapter, Parania Bodnaruk, met with Ted McMeekin, MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot and PA for the Minister of Education.
LUC/LUCW representatives presented Mr. McMeekin with a Holodomor package, including the latest official documents on the Ukrainian Famine Genocide, and a copy of the documentary film "Harvest of Despair". Together they discussed the issue of Holodomor recognition.
To learn more about Ted McMeekin, please visit his website, www.tedmcmeekin.com
In the photograph, from left to right: Ted McMeekin, Parania Bodnaruk, Orest Steciw.
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THE HOLODOMOR MEMORIAL DAY ACT PASSES THIRD READING
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