This is an urgent message for all concerned Canadians of Ukrainian origin living in the Toronto area, tax payers and parents of children attending Toronto District School Board schools. It is important to fill out the form attached "Request for Reconsideration of a Learning Resource/ Curriculum", and send it by e-mail or fax (416-626-7534) by January 31, 2008. 

Parents of children in TDSB schools, please identify yourselves to us and contact UCC Toronto office for instructions.  (416-323-4772)

Community organizations, please send your comments on Form 532b on behalf of your membership and send us a copy.

School Trustees need to  hear about this  as well. To see who your trustee is and their contact information, please go to: www.tdsb.on.ca/boardroom/trustees.

The Toronto District School Board, with the approval of the Ministry of Education of Ontario is offering a new Locally Developed  course for high school students in September 2008: Genocide: Historical and Contemporary Implications. A general overview on what constitutes a genocide will be studied and three genocides will be featured and taught: the Holocaust, Armenian and Rwandan.  Other genocides may be explored as independent study units by students who are interested.

At no time was the Holodomor considered as a possible genocide to be taught through the regular curriculum. The above mentioned communities were contacted for resources,  but not the Ukrainian community in Toronto.  Even the extensive bibliography lacks a fair account  of the Holodomor and is very slanted towards selected units.

Canada is the home of 1,250,000 Canadians of Ukrainian origin., which is a sizable number, most of whom are Canadian born.  Approximately 100,000 of these Ukrainians live in the Toronto area, with quite a few new arrivals from Ukraine. Students of Ukrainian background   attend TDSB schools, where they cannot learn about one of the greatest tragedies of the Twentieth Century, the tragedy of their own people, the Holodomor. The TDSB wants to show it is sensitive to all Canadians and their specific needs in their schools. The concerns of our children and our community are just as important as those of others.  The suffering of one group of people is not more important than the suffering of others. Denying that suffering has left the Ukrainian community with no option but to fight for the right to be heard and not be denied. Denying the Holodomor is an act of cowardice and insensitivity.  Acknowledgment  of the genocide against Ukrainians in 1933 will commence to heal the yet open wounds that have plagued our community for 75 years.

The Holodomor was denied by the Soviets, ignored by the West, and now, in this day and age, is cold hard fact.

We deserve to be heard and have our tragic history of up to 10,000,000 victims to be acknowledged and taught in our schools. 

We have been victims long enough. 

The TDSB should hear our concerns. 

Please write a letter or fill out the attached form.

Send a copy of your letter or the form to your School trustee (lists with names by districts are available on the tdsb site)  and the UCC office at ucctoronto@bellnet.ca. 

Thank you for coming forth.

Slava Ukraini.

Toronto Holodomor Committee

Valentina Kuryliw

vkuryliw@sympatico.ca