October 28, 2022. OTTAWA, ON. On October 28, Canada marks National Internment Commemoration Day.
From 1914-1920, 8,579 Ukrainians and other Europeans, who were branded ‘enemy aliens,’ were imprisoned in 24 internment camps across Canada. Men, women, and children suffered during Canada’s First National Internment Operations, not because of anything they had done, but only because of who they were and where they had come from.
In 2014, the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund and the UCC Internment Committee adopted resolutions designating October 28 as National Internment Commemoration Day in Canada. On this day, we remember the victims of this injustice. And we are united in our resolve to bring an end to prejudice and discrimination, wherever they may appear.
In the seventh video about the UCC’s 80th anniversary, we explore the campaign to gain recognition and redress of the Government of Canada’s First World War Internment Operations, which were led by our community.
We encourage all Canadians to mark this important day of commemoration in their communities.
For the past two years, the UCC has run an Internment Education Campaign, which is reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers on social media. The campaign promotes awareness of First World War Internment Operations using a series of innovative video ads and still images featured on social media and with BellMedia partners (CTV News, TSN, Discovery Channel, etc).
This campaign is financed by the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF), which supports projects to commemorate and recognize the experiences of ethno-cultural communities affected by First World War Internment.
