Eighty Thousand Voices - Lethbridge Exhibition Park 2013

Eighty Thousand Voices
one of the songs presented at the Calgary/Banff unveiling
June/September 2013
amk

Between September 30, 1914 and November 7, 1916, hundreds of civilian internees cycled through the Lethbridge Internment Camp, one of 24 such sites in Canada first National Internment Operations. The camp operations treated men, women and children who arrived in Canada carrying Austro Hungarian Empire documents as enemy aliens.  In hindsight it has been revealed that most of them were ethnic Ukrainians, immigrants to Canada, whose homeland was caught in the borderland territorial land grabs by empires surrounding Ukraine.

The impact of this type of war measure's act upon newly minted (or almost minted) Canadians, was huge. In this 99th anniversary year of commencement of the First World War, the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Lethbridge city officials are unveiling a permanent memorial plaque to these civil internees on Tuesday, October 29th at 1:30 PM at the Lethbridge Exhibition Park, 3401 Parkside Drive South.

The ceremony will take place outside the South entrance of Heritage Hall, pending weather. With significant construction under-way in the area, traffic flow issues may cause guests concern. Therefore Calgary's Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association is planning to arrange for transportation for interested guests to the site at Lethbridge Exhibition Park.

For more information contact UKRAINIAN CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF CALGARY at 403-670-5477 or e-mail: admin@ucpbacalgary.org or www.ucpbacalgary.ca.  To make a donation, please contact Roman at  media@uccla.ca.

New Pavilion at Cave and Basin Opening June 20

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amk2013

Banff's Cave and Basin is a popular tourist attraction featuring thermal waters and a protected environment for rare plants and creatures, but is also celebrates Canada's National Parks and our history. A while back ukrainiancalgary blog received an invitation to the reopening of the Banff Cave and Basin historical site, and ceremonial opening of the new exhibit honoring Canada's First World War Internment Operations on June 20, 2013.

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So I recently visited the Cave and Basin site, and was surprised by the nostalgic trip it presented. When I was there the site was dripping in rain, hazy with mist and fragrant with natural beauty. The Cave and Basin site in Banff is absolutely gorgeous. Walking around the site, we found the new pavilion, which a worker called the Tea House - still under construction. Inquisitive, we silently walked down the stairs to the marsh to see a beaver, birds, little fish and a remarkably tranquil natural area, and we wished had lounge chairs.

The Government of Canada and its Ukrainian Community have achieved a financial redress settlement by which an educational and commemorative endowment is providing Parks Canada the financial resources required to build a permanent exhibit. The special site will honor Canada's first national internment operations at the Cave and Basin site in Banff National Park. The permanent display will provide visitors an opportunity to appreciate how Canada takes responsibility before all its citizens to honor Canadian history, the complex but true stories of people with aspirations, for themselves, their kin, their nation and the world. 



amk2013

Looking forward to the Thursday afternoon ceremonies at the Pavilion on June 20, 2013 - see you there!





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Building Empathy for One Another's Experience

Calgarians can be rightly impressed with the vocal community involvement of its residents, both current and former.  One such champion of human rights and freedoms is former Calgarian Roman Zakaluzny - Roman Junior to some of us.  His involvement in the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association as a champion for the Canadian perspective on taxpayer support of Canadian museums is worth mentioning.  I hope you enjoy the read. 

http://newcanadianmedia.ca/index.php?id=4135:groups-allege-hierarchy-of-genocides-at-new-museum&option=com_k2&view=item

Pavilion at Cave and Basin in Banff

While in Banff National Park, enjoying the amazing vistas of Canada's jewel of public parks, it is not difficult to lose oneself completely.  Pristine glacial fed rivers, forests full of wilderness, and the serene sense of peace not to mention the mind opening scent of that many pine trees - Banff is truly Canada's gift to the future. Many of us head to Banff for a sense of healing, for a hike, to experience the beauty.

Banff is just over 100 years old.  Recalling the past, the Banff experience is also an opportunity to recall Canada's first national internment operation of 1914-1920.  On Thursday, June 20, 2013, Parks Canada Agency, National Historical Recognition Project (Banff) is hosting an opening event for a pavilion at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site.  Project Lead Steve Malins has graciously extended the invitation to ukrainiancalgary readers to join in the opening events.  Thanks to the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association for helping to extend the invitation far and wide. 

For more information contact www.uccla.ca


http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2013/01/castle-mountain.html
http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2013/02/national-internment-art-mural-project.html