Minister to discuss Ukrainian Canadian redress settlement

UCCLA, For immediate release (12 February 2007)

(Ottawa, Ont.) On Friday, 16 February 2007, the Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, will be meeting with designated representatives of the Ukrainian Canadian community to continue negotiations to secure a timely and honourable settlement of claims arising out of Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914-20.

On Saturday, 10 February, a meeting was held in Toronto, attended by activists from across Canada, who reconfirmed the community’s position on redress and the appropriate commemorative and educational initiatives needed to honour the memory of the internees.

Speaking after the meeting, UCCLA's president, John B. Gregorovich, said “We appreciate how Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Mr. Kenney, are taking steps to move this matter forward.  We have a united community position on redress which was reconfirmed in a letter the Secretary of State will be receiving later today. That document reiterates what our requests have been, and remain.

“The delegation therefore expects to have a frank and open dialogue with Mr. Kenney that will lead to a timely and honourable settlement of this matter, bringing long-overdue closure to an historic injustice while the last known survivor of the internment operations, Mary Manko, remains alive and so able to bear witness to this reconciliation.”