Churches and Synagogues to open doors nationwide for national Black Ribbon Day

In November 2009, Black Ribbon Day, was declared a national day of remembrance for the victims of European communism and Nazism, by Canada’s House of Parliament by unanimous consent.

Black Ribbon Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on August 23, 1939. The pact between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia carved up the lands and people that lay between their borders and subjected them to brutal repression, murder and genocide. The Second World War was a direct result of the signing of this pact: nine days after the signing, Hitler’s troops invaded Poland and two weeks later, Soviet troops invaded Poland’s eastern frontier.

“The impact that this pact had on Canada and Canadians across our land is significant. Hundreds of thousands of people that were persecuted and driven from their homes in the war zone found refuge in Canada. Here they actively contributed towards building and developing the Canada we know today” says CEEC Chairman and Black Ribbon Day Founder, Markus Hess. “The salience of the evening is that a simple elegant avenue is provided for individuals across Canada in the most appropriate places to commemorate this tragic past.”

Coinciding with the synagogue and church memorials is a conference co-sponsored by the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre, the CEEC and the Black Ribbon Day Foundation. The conference has attracted leading historical political and historic academic figures to discuss the theme, “History, Memory and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe”.

For More Information Contact the Black Ribbon Day Foundation or the Central and Eastern European Council: info@blackribbondayfoundation.com

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Markus Hess
647-231-0058
mailto:mjhess2003@yahoo.ca
Marcus Kolga
416-833-5553

Listing of Current Participating Churches and Synagogues

Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr
404 Bathurst St.,
Toronto
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Lithuanian Church of the Resurrection
1 Resurrection Road,
Toronto, M9A 5G1
6:30-8:30 pm

St Peters Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
817 Mount Pleasant Rd
Toronto ON, M4P 2L1
Phone #: 416-483-5847
Key contact: Andres Taul

Peace Latvian Ev Lutheran Church
83 MAIN ST
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 1B5
(613) 230-4085

Estonian Baptist Church
883 Broadview Ave
Toronto ON, M4K 2P9
Phone #: 416-465-0639
Key contact: Juri Puusaag

First Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
18 Victoria Ave S
Hamilton, ON L8N 2S6
Phone #: 905-527-0410
Key contact Hannes Aasa

Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Of St Peter
6520 OAK ST
Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 3Z3
Phone #: (604) 263-1802
Key Contact; Walter Johanson

St. Johns Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church
200 Balmoral Av.,
Toronto .

UCC Media Contact
Darla Penner
Tel. (204) 942-4627
dpenner@ucc.ca
www.ucc.ca