Ukraine Remembers – the World Acknowledges Holodomor

Ontario’s Klees First to Propose Holodomor Legislation

By Alex Roman

The world is only now beginning to formally acknowledge the famine genocide in Ukraine 1932-33, known as the “Holodomor”, in which as many as 10 million Ukrainians perished as a tragedy of unspeakable proportions.

The historic international silence surrounding what happened in Ukraine in those years was positively deafening.  Soviet Russia and its allies made every attempt to keep the truth from being revealed while vilifying anyone who dared call a genocide by its real name. 

Over time, when it became impossible for Russia to legitimately maintain its denial that millions had perished from hunger at Stalin’s hands, it decided to come out of the closet and admit that the deaths had indeed occurred, but only as the result of a “crop failure.”  To this day, Russia continues to deny that a deliberate, man-made famine genocide in Ukraine had ever occurred.  And Western countries have, until recently, been reticent over acknowledging the Holodomor.

However, thanks to the awareness-raising efforts of Ukrainian organizations in conjunction with political leaders, the Holodomor is not only being tacitly acknowledged as having truly occurred – such recognition is now being formalized in legislation which, at the same time, establishes Holodomor Memorial Day (the fourth Saturday in November of each year) as a public event nationally and in several provincial jurisdictions.

Ontario’s own Holodomor Memorial Day Act (Bill 147) recently received Royal Assent as legislation that was co-sponsored by Members of Provincial Parliament from all three political parties:  Dave Levac, Frank Klees, and Cheri DiNovo.

Steps to develop this bill began two years ago after Frank Klees delivered an address in the Ontario Legislature about the Holodomor, categorically affirming that it had truly taken place.  Klees’ determined and unequivocal stance on the matter caught the attention of Holodomor activists and scholars in the Ukrainian community, especially Orest Steciw of the League of Ukrainians of Canada. 

Frank Klees then proposed legislation that would formally recognize the Holodomor in Ontario law and the initial consultations began in earnest.  The bill that was developed could not be tabled, however, due to the closure of the Legislature prior to the last Ontario election.

Following that election, however, the bill was finally tabled in the House on February 18^th of this year, and with the sponsorship of the above three MPPs as a real expression of enthusiastic all-party support, it passed an emotional Third and Final Reading on April 9^th before being given Royal Assent on April 23^rd.

I sat next to His Grace Archbishop Yurij of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada in the Legislature that day and will always remember him looking over at Frank Klees in the Legislature as they traded smiles while raising their clenched hands in a sign of victory!

But why should someone like Frank Klees, a Canadian of German Protestant background who immigrated here with his family at the age of five, be interested in supporting the formal recognition of the Ukrainian Holodomor?

In fact, Frank Klees has a proven track record with respect to a great and sensitive understanding of what lies at the heart of Ontario’s cultural communities, especially when it comes to the historic injustices they have experienced and this is why he is also a strong voice in the cause of the Armenian Genocide, among others.  As an immigrant to Canada who became a most successful businessman and provincial legislator and Cabinet Minister, Frank Klees understands our Ukrainian community in a way few can. 

Frank Klees is currently running for the leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party with the view to becoming Premier one day. 

As we express our dismay whenever our community and our causes are attacked publicly, so we must support those who have a proven track record as true friends of our Ukrainian community and causes.

Please consider supporting Frank Klees (www.frankklees.com).