Praying for Truth in Calgary-March 16

Фото: Volodymyr Kukhtevych
Ukrainian flag over Historic City Hall in Calgary
March 7-16, 2014

Manipulation of events happening in Ukraine border on the absurd lately. As a Canadian, aware of my citizen rights and responsibilities, it astounds me to hear a foreign power blatantly state their military forces may occupy a portion of Ukraine, and the world should simply stay quiet. And when a foreign entity decides to hold a referendum on sovereign land, by the point of a gun, the world should, again, stay quiet.

The children of Ukraine and her international diaspora understand and respect that the rule of law stands to protect the peace, protect life, protect property and agreements that bind civil society. That is, perhaps why many have emigrated to lands where law and order abide. That is why, in these early spring days in Calgary, the Ukrainian community is again gathering to stand in solidarity with Ukraine in her struggle to enter a new future, one designed and selected by her law abiding citizens!

Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi and the city administration have approved the flying of Ukraine's flag over our beautiful city this week to honor the Ukrainian people during the Sochi Paralympic games - from March7-16th, 2014.. This symbolic act of solidarity with freedom loving people should give hope and confidence to people all over the world that Canada stands for peace, for civil society, for honoring of laws and responsible citizenship.

I understand that Montreal's multi-ethnic community recently gathered in similar fashion, joining Syrian, Georgian, Tatar, Muslim, Jewish, Venezuelan, Lithuanian, Polish and other communities, in a huge outpouring of mutual support for those whose homeland has been negatively affected by their "interesting" relationship with Ukraine's north eastern neighbour. Let us, Calgarians, in similar fashion, stand together in solidarity for truth, dignity, the rule of law, and the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of freedom aspiring nations.

Citizens for a better world, please join Calgary in prayer for Ukraine's sovereignty on Sunday, March 16th at 4PM in front of Calgary's Historic City Hall at 700 Macleod Trail SE. More information from Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Robert Kalinovich at 403-703-4425 or Halia Wilson at 403-512-2263.

Calgary's 2012 Holodomor Commemoration

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Calgary honored the Holodomor with a commemoration event that took place at 11 AM on Saturday, November 24, 2012 in the St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church Cultural Centre.  Master of Ceremonies - Michael Ilnycky, President of Calgary's Ukrainian Canadian Committee.

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About a dozen students from Calgary's Ukrainian Student's Society presented a montage of poems, and verses (presented by Roman Storoschuk and Katrusia Owad,), an interpretive dance by Christina Chumak, and song accompanied and sung by Stephania Romaniuk.

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Dr. Roman Serbyn, a Canadian historian of Ukrainian origin, Holodomor scholar, and guest speaker from Montreal,  spoke in brief about how the Holodomor came about, and used the terms "post genocidal community" and "post colonial community" as descriptors of the Ukrainian community's internal perceptions of this experience.  Internal community change, and external acknowledgement is now possible because of free-er access to historical documents which irrefutably attest that the Holodomor was an act of intentional destruction of the repository of ancestral memory - the people of Ukraine.

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A Memorial Service (Panachyda) was served by the clergy of Calgary's Ukrainian churches, St. Stephen the Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The participants prayerfully joined in the singing of Vichnaya Pamyat' - the prayer for eternal memory of the reposed.

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Organizations listed participated by laying wreaths of memorial:  Sister Servants of  Mary Immaculate, Assumption of the  Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Senior's Club at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Knights of Columbus-St. Nicholas Ukrainian Council #7659, Order of St. Andrew, Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada-Calgary, Ukrainian Museum of Canada-Calgary Collection, Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada, League of Ukrainian Women in Canada-Calgary Branch, Barvinok Ukrainian Dance Society, Yalenka Ukrainian Dance Society, Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre, Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, Plast Ukrainian Scouts, CYM Ukrainian Youth, CYMK Ukrainian Orthodox Youth, Ukrainian Student's Society at the University of Calgary, SOS Ukraine, Ogen House Ukrainian Cultural Society, Echos of Ukraine Television Program, Ukrainian Canadian Civil  Liberties Association, Ukrainian School at Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Slava Chamber Choir, Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association, Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, Friends of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Separate School Division, City of Calgary, Government of Alberta, Government of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

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Our elected officials from three levels of government came to honor the event.  Speeches were given by elected officials, representatives of each respective level of government - Alderman Jim Stevenson - Ward 3, Government of Alberta - Linda Johnson, Calgary Glenmore and Government of Canada - Michelle Rempel, Calgary Centre North.

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An important forward looking presentation was given by the representative of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights -  Eric Hughes.  He spoke of the upcoming opening of the new museum in Winnipeg, the complexity of this human rights issue and the truly significant and critical role Canada's new museum will play in uncovering the truths for future generations - may they learn from the lessons of the past.








Thanking all the guests for their generous participation in today's commemoration, MC and UCC Calgary President Michael Ilnysky thanked CYM Ukrainian Youth Association for the Display and Artwork from the Kyiv Art Institute - and then  invited everyone to sing O Canada, the national anthem of Canada, and Sche Ne Vmerla Ukraina - the national anthem of Ukraine.  Then everyone was invited to a Hungry Lunch of broth and bread.

Where is Calgary's Internee Plaque?

Calgary's first Ukrainian church rang its bells in 1912, in what is currently Tuxedo area.  Local Calgarians of Ukrainian ethnicity, coal miners, labourers, farmers and ranchers joined in prayer together - celebrating their ancestral faith.  However, this high moment was short lived.  The many men, women and children who celebrated the liturgy together, were soon engulfed in another tragedy - the WW1 war time internment of "enemy aliens".

Newly minted Canadians, people of Ukrainian ethnicity from the breadbasket of Europe, holding a variety of citizenship papers including those of Austro-Hungary (WW1 enemies of the British Empire) were declared enemy aliens. During World War 1, these people were gathered in 24 internment camps across Canada, and some of them were, if not locals, then itinerant workers in the Calgary area.  Who were they? What are their names? What became of them?

The Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association has been a leader in the Ukrainian Canadian struggle for government ackowledgement of what happened to Ukrainians and other East Europeans during Canada's first national internment operations of 1914-1920.  With over twenty years of service to the community the UCCLA has gained public attention, but only recently, in 2008, did the signing of a technical document establish a $10 million dollar endowment fund within the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko.  With these funds, UCCLA has been instrumental, with the Canadian government, in establishing memorial sites, and permanent markers at the various sites across Canada to pay tribute to those internees.  One such site is at the Castle Mountain Internment Camp site near Calgary, but most recently another marker was unveiled and blessed in the Whitney Pier district of Sydney, Nova Scotia. 

Like Calgary's 1912 establishment of its first Ukrainian church, the ethnically Ukrainian congregation at Whitney Pier in Sydney, Nova Scotia celebrated its church's first Divine Liturgy in 1912.  Sydney was grievously affected by the internment operations, and now there is a monument to acknowledge that fact, thanks to UCCLA and the local community.

Calgary's Ukrainian community suffered too.  During the First World War, many people were interned, leading to the closing of the first Ukrainian church in Calgary.  The community life of Ukrainians here in Western Canada was forever changed.  Some say that even after nearly a hundred years have passed, this event still resonates in the minds and hearts of families and friends here..  Could it be that this trauma led to immediate assimilation, and intentional loss of ancestral culture, language and family ties?

In defence of the human rights and civil liberties of the entire Ukrainian community here in Canada, but specifically Calgary, I wonder where in the city of Calgary there is such a place of honor? 

For more information, check THE NEW PATHYWAY, Thursday, October 11, 2012 page 6 for two more articles.  Also check www.infoukes.com/newpathway
And CAPE BRETON POST, 21 September, 2012