Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Ontario Provincial Council applauds statement by Premier Dalton McGuinty marking the Holodomor

Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Ontario Provincial Council applauds statement by Premier Dalton McGuinty marking the Holodomor

November 25, 2010 – Toronto, Ontario: The Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Ontario Provincial Council welcomed today’s statement by Premier Dalton McGuinty commemorating the Holodomor, highlighting the need to raise international awareness and teach younger Ontarians about this tragedy…

Statement By Premier McGuinty Marking The Holodomor

We are extremely fortunate to live in a strong, caring province. One of the great things about Ontario is that we welcome people from around the world. And while we all call Ontario our home, we know that many of our fellow Ontarians remain deeply and profoundly connected to their homeland.

That is why it is so important that all Ontarians recognize and remember the horror that took place in Ukraine during the darkest days of the Stalinist regime. The deeply tragic events of the Holodomor touched the lives of Ontarians of Ukrainian descent — which means it touches all of us.

During the years 1932 and 1933, some ten million people starved tragically and needlessly in Ukraine. A region that had been called the “breadbasket of Europe” lost the ability to feed its own population. Parents watched helplessly as their children died of hunger. The elderly — after a lifetime of labour — were denied the dignity of declining years lived in peace and security. At the peak of the famine, 25,000 people died each day.

These events are now consigned to history. And the suffering that occurred — while deep — grows more distant each year. That is why it is so important to honour the memory of the millions of lives, hopes and dreams that were cut short. We can — and we must — remember this genocide and teach our young people about it — and about the sanctity of all human life.

That is why it is important that governments do their part to promote awareness of the Holodomor. We all have a duty to make knowledge and information available to our children and grandchildren.

Ontario has enacted the Holodomor Memorial Day Act. The legislation is the result of all political parties coming together in a common cause. Under the legislation, the fourth Saturday in November will be a day of remembrance.

In support of this initiative, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration’s website is helping to raise awareness of the Holodomor. It contains a resource that parents and teachers can use to teach children about the great suffering — and also the tremendous courage — of the Ukrainian people.

Our government supports Ukraine’s efforts to raise international awareness of the Holodomor and I am proud of the work done by my colleague, Brant MPP Dave Levac. I congratulate him on the great honour of becoming Chevalier of Ukraine’s Order of Merit.

Throughout Ontario, there are thousands of people of Ukrainian descent who work hard to build good lives for their families and to create a stronger Ontario for all of us. This diversity helps to make Ontario the best province in the greatest country in the world.

But such good fortune also comes with an obligation to honour and remember the culture, history and achievements of those nations that have given to us some of their best and brightest sons and daughters. And that is why it is up to all of us to stand together with the Ukrainian people to remember their darkest hours and to celebrate their progress in building a free and strong society.