Category Archives: canada

Holodomor Remembrance Flame in Alberta

The Edmonton Journal (and to a lesser extent the Edmonton Sun) ran articles of the Holodomor Remembrance Flame coming to Edmonton as part of its Canadian, American and World Tour of 33 countries. The day prior the Flame was in Vegreville. Presenting the flame in Canada is 87-year old Holodomor survivor Stefan Horlatsch who was 12 during the famine:

“There were many sad moments,” Horlatsch said, addressing students at Balwin. “I hope I can awaken us about what happened 75 years ago.”

Horlatsch spoke of the agony of losing 11 family members during the famine, while eating anything he could find in the woods to survive.

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“When I one day visited the house, there were three dead bodies already in the house and nobody was even planning to bury them because they were not strong enough,” said Horlatsch, who now lives in Toronto.

read on…

The tour continues on to Red Deer and Calgary tonight.

UPDATE: The flame double-backed to Edmonton on Saturday, being presented at the Alberta Legislature. Pictures are available here and here (thanks CyberCossack).

UPDATE #2: Pictures from Calgary are here!

UPDATE #3: Found some more pictures from the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Flickr.

Holodomor Remembrance Flame in Regina

The Holodomor Remembrance Flame wrapped up its toured through the prairies this week. The Regina Leader Post posted an article on it with an interview with Stefan Horlatsch, a Holodomor survivor who has been representing the flame in Canada:

Horlatsch was 12 in 1932 and has vivid memories of the famine. When the famine-genocide began, Horlatsch and his family were living in Zaporizhia in the eastern region of Ukraine near the Black Sea. His family’s land, livestock and grain were seized by Soviet authorities. His father was sent to Siberia like most of the men during this time.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress estimates that one-third of Holodomor victims were children. In that short period of time, one-quarter of the Ukrainian population died. The genocide policy introduced by then-Soviet leader Joseph Stalin included confiscation of all food both inside and outside the homes. Ukrainian people were forced to stay within their communities, therefore making it impossible to search for food.

The tour now heads to Alberta over the weekend, and then off to the US.

UPDATE: Click Here for pictures of this event

Support Bill 61 in Ontario – the Holodomor Memorial Day Act 2008

Dave Levac, MPP of Brantford introduced Bill 61 to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to make the 4th Saturday in November in each year Holodomor Memorial Day

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.

The Government of Ukraine, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, the Senate of Canada, 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.

It is appropriate to extend the annual commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor to Ontario. 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.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Holodomor Memorial Day

1. The fourth Saturday in November in each year is proclaimed Holodomor Memorial Day to commemorate the genocide by famine that occurred in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933.

Commencement

2. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3. The short title of this Act is the Holodomor Memorial Day Act, 2008.

If you live in Ontario, contact your MPP and tell them to support this bill! Manitoba already passed introduced legislation on the 4th Saturday in November to be known as Ukrainian Famine and Genocide Memorial Day! On Tuesday, the bill passed its second reading!

Nash Holos Ukrainian (Bilingual) Radio Program – April 27, 2008

Nash Holos: British Columbia’s longest-running and only bilingual Ukrainian radio program! It airs live Sundays at 6pm on 1320AM CHMB Vancouver.

On this week’s episode:
Sylvia has a recipe for mushroom stuffed eggs, Myrna describes Easter in Ukraine, Fr. Ihor Kutash on the Resurrection, an interview with pysanka artist Joan Brander and her new book launched recently in Washington DC, proverb, community events and plenty of great Ukrainian Easter music.

To listen, click on this mp3 or right click and ‘save target as’ to download

Ukrainian Time – April 26 2008

Ukrainian Time is a Ukrainian-language radio programme,
serving the Montreal community since 1963 and is hosted by Valentyna Golash. Material is often presented in English and French. Ukrainian Time is the media, which bonds the Ukrainian community in Montreal. The one-hour show is broadcast from Radio CFMB 1280 AM in Montreal on Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.

To listen, click on this mp3 or right click and ’save target as’ to download.