July 1, 2021. OTTAWA, ON. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) wishes all Canadians a happy Canada Day! Вітаємо! As Ukrainian Canadians, we are proud of the contributions that our community has made and continues to make to the mosaic of Canadian society.
This is the second Canada Day that we celebrate in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We thank all health care personnel, frontline workers and essential service providers for their tireless efforts to keep us all safe.
We thank the thousands of inspiring volunteers from coast to coast to coast in our community who have responded with selflessness and dedication to support the vulnerable and those who need assistance.
Today is a day for all Canadians to come together in unity. We celebrate our great country and the ideals of freedom, equality of opportunity and peace upon which Canada was founded. We remember, however, that throughout our country’s history we have too often failed to live up to those ideals.
The recent discoveries of children’s graves at the sites of former Residential Schools are a reminder to us all about the injustices of colonialism that Canada’s Indigenous Peoples have suffered. As Canadians, we all have an obligation to ensure that the historical trauma and discrimination faced by Canada’s Indigenous Peoples are addressed with empathy and understanding.
