Released on November 22, 2012
Deputy Premier Ken Krawetz was joined by members of the Saskatchewan Ukrainian community today for the lighting of a memorial candle at the Legislative Building to commemorate Holodomor. During International Holodomor Remembrance Week (November 19-25), people around the world reflect upon the millions of Ukrainians that died as a result of a man-made famine which devastated the country from 1932-33 under the regime of Joseph Stalin.
"While Ukrainian farmers were contributing to the Saskatchewan landscape - both literally and culturally - a deliberate act of destruction was causing starvation in their homeland," Krawetz said. "Today we stand together to recognize and shed light on this tragedy, guard against reoccurrence, and remember the victims and their decedents."
In 2008, the Government of Ukraine, the United States Senate, the Senate of Canada, and the United Nations joined more than 40 other jurisdictions around the world to officially condemn the Holodomor or recognize it as genocide. That same year, Saskatchewan was the first province in Canada to recognize the genocide, unanimously passing legislation that designates the fourth Saturday in November each year as Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day. Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec have since passed similar legislation.
The candle being used at the memorial will be lit by a candle from the Holodomor Memorial in Kyiv, Ukraine. The memorial candle will remain lit in the Rotunda of the Legislative Building until Saturday, November 24. In Saskatchewan, approximately 130,000 residents are reportedly of Ukrainian decent.
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For more information, contact:
Jay Teneycke
Provincial Secretary
Regina
Phone: 306-798-6095
Email: jay.teneycke@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-8630