Statement by Minister Joly on Holodomor Memorial Day
Today, we commemorate the Holodomor
OTTAWA, Nov. 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, on Holodomor Memorial Day, Canadians pause to remember the millions of Ukrainians who suffered and died by forced starvation under the tyrannical regime of Joseph Stalin in the early 1930s.
This genocidal act of forced starvation was undertaken by the Stalin regime in an attempt to suppress Ukrainians' unique identity and aspirations for freedom and independence. The Holodomor was directly responsible for the death of millions of Ukrainian men, women and children and remains one of the worst atrocities in human history.
Following decades of Soviet control, Ukraine achieved its independence in 1991. Canada remains committed to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the important steps taken by the Ukrainian government to bring greater security, prosperity and economic independence to their people.
As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, I invite all Canadians to honour the memory of the victims of this atrocity and reflect on the immense contributions made by the Ukrainian?Canadian community: the world's third?largest Ukrainian diaspora.
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
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