June 2010’s Most Popular Posts

To gear you up for Canada Day we’ve highlighted our most popular posts for you. Enjoy!

Former UCC Alberta President, ex-MLA Dave Broda dies in car crash (Updated)

Former Redwater MLA Dave Broda was killed in a road accident Sunday night…

It is known that Broda attended a barbecue dinner near Mundare earlier Sunday evening. The event was sponsored by the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce

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Stalin bust installed at D-Day Memorial (Update)

A bust of dictator Joseph Stalin has been placed at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford despite public protest over its presence…

Residents and leaders in Bedford have spoken out against installing the Stalin piece at the memorial.

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Update: Locals are lodging formal complaints against the bust

Quebec declares Holodomor as genocide

Members of the Quebec’s National Assembly yesterday unanimously passed Bill 390 – An Act to proclaim Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day.

The Bill, which was introduced in November by MNA Louise Beaudoin and received unanimous approval at first reading, commemorates victims of the Holodomor (the engineered famine in Ukraine which murdered millions of Ukrainians in 1932-33).

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Weekend Watching: The Ukrainian Side Of Vera Farmiga

Just came across this video, thought I’d share. Vera Farmiga is an Ukrainian-American award winning actress who’s recently starred in such films as Up in the Air, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Departed. These movie clips are from Touching Evil (2004).

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Pictures from demonstration at Russian consulate in Toronto

We mentioned earlier today of the demonstration happening at the Russian consulate in Toronto, and pictures from the event are beginning to surface.

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Stalin’s home town removes his statue, why are they being built in the USA and Ukraine?

From the Independent:

Georgian authorities have removed a massive statue of Joseph Stalin from the main square of his hometown, Gori, in a secret late-night operation underlining their determination to sever ties with their Soviet past.

Police sealed off the square in the early hours of yesterday morning as municipal workers struggled to remove the six-metre bronze statue of the Soviet dictator from its stone plinth. At one point, angle grinders had to be used to cut the metal ties that held the statue to its base. After three hours, one of the last remaining statues of Stalin anywhere in the world was finally toppled. Although Georgia’s pro-Western government had long seen the statue as an embarrassment, and more than once voiced the idea of removing it, the final decision was completely unannounced.

…

Georgia’s relationship with its most famous son has changed markedly over the years. Since Georgia’s independence in 1991, he has been increasingly associated with foreign occupation.

"We know that his roots are Georgian, we can’t deny that," says Gigi Tsereteli, vice speaker of the Georgian parliament. "But we also can’t deny the terrible things he did to Georgia."

Stalin is vastly more popular abroad than at home. In a 2009 TV show designed to find "The Greatest Russian", Stalin came third; in the Georgian equivalent, he was outside the top forty.

…

Georgia’s government, however, says the statue’s removal demonstrates its commitment to Western values. Addressing the nation, President Mikheil Saakashvili said it was inappropriate to have a monument to a man who enslaved his own country. He said the decision to move the statue to the Stalin Museum demonstrated "a civilised attitude to history".

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A second statue was recently removed as well in a neighbouring town:

Authorities in Georgia on Sunday tore down another monument to Soviet dictator and native son Josef Stalin.

The monument in the town of Tkibuli in western Georgia was taken down two days after authorities tore down a bigger and more famous monument to Stalin in his hometown of Gori.

…

The Georgian government says a younger generation who have embraced Western ideals of freedom favor the dismantling of Stalin’s monuments.

"A memorial to Stalin has no place in the Georgia of the 21st Century," President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday. Saakashvili’s government said a memorial to the fallen in the Russian-Georgian war of 2008 will replace Stalin’s statue in Gori.

Georgia’s Culture Minister Nikolos Rurua said the government will also soon rename Georgian streets still carrying Stalin’s name.

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There are very few Stalin monuments left on the face of the Earth, but recently two more have been erected in the oddest of places: Ukraine – which hasn’t erected one since the 50’s and the USA – which is its very first. The former were raised by Communists at their party headquarters after a pro-Russian government came to power, and the latter was raised by the county and private donors for a D-Day memorial in Bedford, Virginia which refuses to divulge their name – despite public outcry.

Oshawa’s Ukrainian pavilions at Fiesta week 2011 are underway

Looking for 2012 Festival Information?

Oshawa’s Fiesta Week kicked off this week and runs until this weekend (June 20-26). Fiesta Week could simply be described as “A TASTE OF DURHAM”. It’s an annual week-long Multicultural Family Festival that gives the residents of Durham Region the opportunity to experience European, Asian and Caribbean cultures and foods without having to get on a plane. They are featuring 3 Ukrainian pavilions:

LVIV Pavilion

 

Location: 38 Lviv Blvd.

Phone: 905-728-1321

Lunch: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Open: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Show Times: Monday to Friday, 6:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. & Saturday, 7 p.m.

Website: http://lvivpavilion.com/

 

Dnipro Pavilion

 

Location: 681 Dnipro Blvd.

Phone: 905-728-1551

Open: Wednesday to Friday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Show Times: Wednesday to Friday, 6 p.m. & 7:45 p.m.

Website: http://www.dnipro-oshawa.com/

Odessa Pavilion

 

Location: 31 Bloor St. E.

Phone: 905-576-4131

Open: Monday to Thursday, 4:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Show Times: Monday to Thursday, 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Definitely check them out if you can.

Tickets prices:

  • Adults: $8.00
  • Seniors: $4.00
  • Children 14 and under: FREE

Former UCC Alberta President, ex-MLA Dave Broda dies in car crash (Updated)

From the Edmonton Journal:

Former Redwater MLA Dave Broda was killed in a road accident Sunday night.

…

It is known that Broda attended a barbecue dinner near Mundare earlier Sunday evening. The event was sponsored by the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce.

"He was significantly involved in his community in many ways. He was a proud Canadian-Ukrainian," said Brian Gifford, chairman of Alberta’s Surface Rights Board.

…

In 2002, when he was the chairman of the Advisory Council on Alberta-Ukraine Relations, Broda joined Klein on a five-day mission to Ukraine. It was the first official visit made by an Alberta premier to the eastern European country.

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Broda also served as President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta chapter in 2005 and was mentioned on their website:

It is with much sadness that the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council must share the news of the sudden passing of Mr. Dave Broda. Former UCC-APC President, and a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in Alberta, Dave was a dedicated volunteer in our community.  His wisdom, guidance and good nature will be very much missed by us all. On behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council, our Board of Directors and member organizations, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dave Broda. Dave will be remembered as a great Albertan and Ukrainian Canadian who loved this province and his Ukrainian heritage. He served his constituents and community honourably. He was a strong team player, an excellent communicator and problem-solver. His commitment to local communities and councils showed time and time again his dedication and passion towards his endeavours. We encourage everyone to watch for announcements of funeral arrangements. Vichnaya Pam’yat. Вічна Йому пам’ять. Daria Luciw, UCC-APC President

He was 65 years old.

Update: More from the Edmonton Sun:

Broda served as an MLA from 1997 to 2004. He was also president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Alberta branch and remained an active member in the local Ukrainian community.

…

He was also proud of his Ukrainian roots, said Minister of Health and Wellness Gene Zwozdesky.

"Dave was a cultural and religious community-minded person," he said. "He enjoyed and was very proud of his Ukrainian roots. We often joked in Ukrainian and, on certain occasions, reflected on our trip to Ukraine when we helped organize the first trip by an Alberta premier to (the country) in 2002."

Broda’s legacy will be the report he penned in 1999 on long-term care in the province, Zwozdesky added.

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Holodomor painting has home at Winnipeg legislature

From the Winnipeg Press:

A painting commemorating the Ukrainian Holodomor/Holocaust is now permanently on display in Manitoba’s Legislative Building.

The acrylic-on-canvas work by Winnipeg artist Orysia Sinitowich-Gorski was officially unveiled today by Premier Greg Selinger. A number of local survivors of the 1932-33 Holocaust attended the ceremony.

"This moving portrait represents the Holodomor  — the Ukrainian Holocaust  — a dark period in human history," the Premier said.

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