Toronto, Ontario – The Central and Eastern European Council of Canada, representing nearly 4 million Canadians of European heritage, have announced plans to commemorate National Black Ribbon Day on August 23rd, 2012 in cities across Canada.
Evening ecumenical services are planned in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. In each city, all communities will be invited to a central place of worship. Locations of services in cities across Canada are listed below.
TORONTO
Dormition of the Mother of God (St. Mary’s)
3625 Cawthra Road, Mississauga, ON L5A 2Y4
CONTACT: Lydia Falcomer, lydia52@rogers.com, 416-236-2574, Markus Hess, mjhess2003@yahoo.ca, 647-231-0058
EDMONTON
Edmonton Legislature Building Rotunda
CONTACT: Adrijana Podberskiene, 780 423 6773, adriana2424@hotmail.com
WINNIPEG
Holy Ghost Church
341 Selkirk Ave, Winnipeg
CONTACT: Grazyna Galezowski, President, Canadian Polish Congress, kongres@shaw.ca, 204-589-7878, or 204-338-2888, Oksana Bondarchuk, President Manitoba UCC, obondarchuk@holyfamilyhome.mb.ca
MONTREAL
TBA
CONTACT: Joana Kuras , 416-346-9043 , joana.kuras@sympatico.ca
VANCOUVER
St. Peter Estonian Lutheran Church
6520 Oak St, Vancouver
CONTACT: Mirko Petriw, mirkopetriw@shaw.ca, T (604) 9366177, F (604) 936 6174, Milvi Puusepp, woodsmit@shaw.ca, 604-542-0668
OTTAWA
St. Hyacinth Polish Roman Catholic Church, 201 Lebreton Street North, Ottawa, ON
CONTACT: Andris Kesteris, (613) 837-4928 , akestr0542@rogers.com
In November 2009, a resolution declaring Black Ribbon Day, August 23, an annual day of remembrance for the victims of Communism and Nazism in Europe was unanimously passed Canada’s Parliament.
Black Ribbon Day historically commemorates the anniversary of the infamous Molotov- Ribbentrop pact, a sinister partnership treaty between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia that allowed each to violently and illegally seize the lands and peoples situated between them. Twenty Five years ago, Canada’s Central and Eastern European communities, by initiating Black Ribbon Day, were instrumental in bringing international attention and understanding of the plight of their heritage nations. This Canadian initiative organized demonstrations in 21 cities on both sides of the Iron Curtain. In 1989 close to 2 million people formed a human chain across the Baltic republics and by 1991, demonstrations were held in 56 cities on three continents.
Coinciding with the Church memorials is a conference co-sponsored the CEEC and the Black Ribbon Day Foundation (location TBD). The conference has attracted leading historical political and historic academic figures. The conference will examine current historical issues and historical and current energy security issues in Europe. Information about the conference will be released at a later date.
