Moved second reading of Bill S-276, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month.

He said: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-276, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month. When passed, it will designate September of every year as Ukrainian heritage month across Canada, a time to celebrate from coast to coast to coast the contributions Ukrainian Canadians have made to the tapestry of our country.

We all know what the word “heritage” means, but it is worthwhile to take a moment and consider its importance. Our heritage is what we have inherited from the past, those things that we value and enjoy in the present and that which we strive to preserve and pass on to future generations.

Heritage is a mixture of things — ideas, memories and hopes. It is something that each of us as a member of Canadian society brings to the tapestry that is our place. It is something that each of us uses to understand and respect ourselves, to share that understanding with others and to help us better understand and respect our fellow travellers through sharing and discovering their heritage. In short, our heritage is a celebration of who we are, who we aspire to be and part of the glue that binds us to each other.

I am bringing forward this bill to honour my Ukrainian heritage, with the support and encouragement of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian diaspora, recently arrived Ukrainians seeking refuge here and MP Yvan Baker, who has brought forward similar legislation in the other place.

As I do this, I want to confirm to all who are listening that I also take this time to acknowledge that I respect and want to learn more about your heritage — for in that mutual journey of discovery, we can hope to better understand each other and, by so doing, define and reach for a better common tomorrow.

I am privileged to stand here in this chamber to share with you the story of my parents and grandparents. They came to this country from Ukraine, having lost all their property, many of their friends and most members of their own families to Russian and Nazi forces that sought to destroy them, their identity and their futures. They were among numerous Ukrainians who sought refuge in Canada following World War II and found a safe landing for their families so that they could live in peace, without fear, and flourish for generations to come.

Once here, they became part of a much larger and established Ukrainian diaspora that traces its roots to the call for “men in sheepskin coats” issued by Clifford Sifton, Minister of the Interior, who chose to welcome Eastern European farmers to Canada as an immigration strategy to settle the West between 1896 and 1902. His remembered phrase stating what he believed Canada needed to settle the Prairies was “. . . a stalwart peasant in a sheep-skin coat, born on the soil, whose forefathers have been farmers for ten generations . . . .”

Thousands living in what is now Western Canada answered this call and, by their sweat and toil, helped turn Canada into the agricultural powerhouse that it is today. Indeed, some members of this chamber can trace their family stories back to this time.

The bond between Canada and Ukraine has been forged over many decades and is still being moulded. Since February 2022, all Canadians have become keenly aware of these bonds between Canada and Ukraine.

Russia’s genocidal and illegal war on Ukraine has reminded us of the historic tragedies that we hoped were long gone but that are now re-emerging. This invasion not only threatened to destroy Ukraine but is also an attack on the shared values that bind us together — values such as human rights, democracy and the international rule of law.

Although I anguished over the loss of my mother, who died with COVID in a nursing home during the height of the pandemic, I am in some way thankful that she passed before the Russian invasion. I could not imagine how horrible it would have been for her, at her advanced age, to relive the traumas of her childhood and the memories of how those family members who survived the war suffered horribly under Stalin and subsequent Russian dictators.

This history is part of the heritage that defines Ukrainian Canadians and binds them to others living in this country whose heritage includes similar memories. It is a history with deep and tragic roots, including about 4 million deaths during Holodomor, the Stalin-imposed famine, and between 8 and 14 million killed in World War II.

As our previous colleague senator Paul Yuzyk stated in his 1964 speech in this chamber, it is:

. . . the living human spirit of truth, justice and liberty, which ultimately must prevail for Ukraine and all oppressed peoples who are still struggling for their freedom against Russian communist imperialism. The free countries of the world, including Canada, must mobilize world opinion against the largest existing totalitarian empire . . . .

Sadly, friends, this challenge still confronts us today.

There are now more than 1.3 million people of Ukrainian heritage living in Canada, close to about 4% of our population. My family is counted among those numbers, beginning with my grandparents, parents, myself, my two brothers and then our children and grandchildren. As a boy, I didn’t speak English until I started elementary school. As was the case in many refugee homes, the mother tongue was the language of the household. For us, it was Ukrainian. Since my grandparents never learned to speak English, that was the language that bound me to them.

The years passed, and due to family circumstances and economic realities, I became more and more removed from my language of origin. My familiarity with my language and culture was nourished by my Baba and Dido — grandmother and grandfather. Unfortunately, after they died, I stopped speaking Ukrainian. I had nobody in my life with whom I needed to use my mother tongue anymore.

Since the genocidal Russian war on Ukraine began and Canada started to welcome displaced Ukrainians, I have been privileged to meet many people from my homeland again seeking refuge on our shores. I have come to know a number of these recent arrivals, and these events have encouraged me to renew my cultural ties. That is why I’m bringing forward this bill.

This has also been an opportunity to reconnect with my mother tongue. It has provided me with a renewed appreciation of my roots and has rekindled an interest in understanding more about the contributions that Ukrainians have made to the history and fabric of Canada. In fact, colleagues, I have been taking Ukrainian lessons from a young professional who, along with her family, is making a difference through their work and community involvement since arriving in Canada. I am improving with every lesson and soon hope to be able to speak Ukrainian at the age of 71 almost as well as I spoke it when I was 6.

Part of what I hope to accomplish by bringing this bill to our chamber is to encourage all of us to learn more about our own heritage, as I have been learning about mine, and to use that journey to help us better know ourselves and better understand each other.

September is a notable month for Canadians of Ukrainian heritage, as it was in September over 125 years ago, when it is believed the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived in Canada. As I mentioned earlier, this was during the time when Canada was promoting the immigration of farmers from Eastern Europe to settle the West. Ivan Pylypiw and Vasyl Eleniak arrived in Canada on September 7, 1891. This day is marked in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario as Ukrainian Heritage Day.

Marking the month of September nationally would include these days while concurrently allowing for celebrations to occur from coast to coast to coast at times that would serve the needs of various communities.

Many of these early arrivals settled in the Prairie provinces and farmed before moving to urban settings and taking on other jobs. Many served in our Armed Forces in both world wars and, like so many other ethnocultural groups in this country, paid for their place in Canada with their blood.

There are also many stories of these early Ukrainian Prairie settlers being helped by their Indigenous neighbours. Indeed, these bonds between Indigenous and Ukrainian communities are symbolized by the kokum scarf. I have noticed, as have many of you in this chamber, that some of our colleagues have been wearing this symbol of appreciation and mutual respect.

We are fortunate in Canada to be part of a tapestry that was woven by many hands. The important contributions made by Ukrainian Canadians, throughout our history and in our present, have helped form the country that we live in today.

This bill is an opportunity to recognize that heritage and celebrate the impactful role that Ukrainian Canadians have played in our social, economic, political and cultural fabric. It would also provide opportunities for learning and education on the shared values of rules-based governance and democracy that are the foundation of Canada’s support for Ukraine during this challenging time.

There are countless Canadians of Ukrainian heritage who have made contributions to our country in the fields of science, the arts, the Canadian Armed Forces, athletics, business and politics. They have played a part in weaving the tapestry of the Canada of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

I will take a moment to highlight only a few here:

Individuals such as Roberta Bondar — the first Canadian women and second Canadian in space — a neurologist, who is a pioneer in space medicine research. She is also an accomplished nature photographer. Dr. Bondar is a role model to many who dream big.

Sylvia Fedoruk was another medical pioneer who worked as a medical physicist in the area of the uses of radioactive isotopes and cancer treatment. She was a professor who became the first woman named chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan in 1986. Fedoruk also excelled at baseball, track and curling. She is an inductee into the Canada’s Curling Hall of Fame, and was the president of the Canadian Ladies Curling Association. Maybe Senator Plett’s granddaughter will one day be in that same position. This trailblazer accomplished many firsts over her lifetime, including becoming the first female lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan in 1988. She wove many threads into the fabric of our country’s history.

Ray Hnatyshyn was also from Saskatchewan. His father was Canada’s first Ukrainian-born senator. Ray served as a member of the House of Commons from 1974 until 1988, and served in the cabinets of both Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney. On January 29, 1990, he was sworn into office as Canada’s Governor General where he transformed that office into one that celebrated his phrase, “The governor general belongs to the people of Canada.”

For decades, Canadian households tuned in to test their knowledge with “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek. Trebek, whose father came to Canada as a boy from Ukraine, worked at the CBC before taking up the helm of “Jeopardy.”

Playwright and novelist George Ryga tells us about the Canadian experience in his writing. Raised in a northern Alberta farming community, he rose to prominence despite little formal education. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe and The Other Plays are his depiction of the plight of Indigenous peoples struggling to be heard.

Musicians from all genres draw from their Ukrainian heritage, such as Randy Bachman, Paul Brandt, Chantal Kreviazuk, LUBA and Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk from Men Without Hats. I know my seat mate will know all about that.

There are countless athletes of Ukrainian descent that have represented Canada, especially NHL hockey players including Wayne Gretzky and my own cousin Mark Osborne. Mark is much less known than Mr. Gretzky and, sadly, he spent more than a decade-and-a-half playing for the Maple Leafs. What can you do? It should have been the Canadiens.

Senators, this chamber has several current members of Ukrainian descent. There have been many before us. I remember making this connection with Senator Andreychuk before her retirement.

One such distinguished senator was Paul Yuzyk, who was a leader within the Canadian Ukrainian community and has been called the “father of multiculturalism.” He set the stage for a shift in the underlying ethnocultural values of the Canada we see today. His first speech in the Red Chamber was centred around the concept of multiculturalism. He insisted that all ethnic groups deserved to be recognized as partners in the Canadian mosaic. In his March 3, 1964, speech entitled “Canada: A Multicultural Nation,” he pointed out that Indigenous peoples were in Canada long before the coming of French and English settlers. He saw our multicultural reality as “unity in our diversity” and challenged our nation to embrace and celebrate that reality. In that speech, he pointed out this journey, if successful, would benefit not only Canada but the world community as well. He said:

If we succeed . . . to evolve the pattern of unity in continuing diversity . . . this will serve as a precedent (model) for other states in the world . . . It will be Canada’s contribution to the world.

I hope that all of us in this chamber recognize the value of unity in our diversity. Our task is to better learn how we can harness the good in the ties that bind us while avoiding the incitements of those who would use our diversity as an excuse to rend us asunder.

The vyshyvanka is a symbol of that call for understanding, respect and a willingness to work together for the common good. Traditionally, the vyshyvanka is a handmade blouse sewn of natural materials and embroidered with threads of various colours. Ukrainians believe embroidery has a talismanic meaning, the power to protect a person from harm and to bring good luck.

The vyshyvanka is a symbol of the beauty that is created when threads of many colours are woven together. It is a symbol of how every one of us can link with others to create something much greater than the sum of our parts.

Senators, we are living in a time that calls for more celebration of the things that bind us together in the face of the things that pull us apart. This is why I am seeking your support to move this bill celebrating Ukrainian heritage quickly through this chamber and over to the other place.

D’akuju. Thank you. Wela’lioq.

Thank you, senator. One of the most important things about cultural appreciation is that, as we learn to appreciate our own heritage, we have the opportunity to equally appreciate everybody else’s heritage. That is one of the gifts, as Senator Yussuff pointed out, that Canada can give the world.

We are all too aware of different places in the world and, indeed, in our own history where we have vigorously stamped out the culture of others, where we have not treated other people with respect and dignity, where we have “othered” them and discounted their humanity, language and identity. We’re better than that.

We can’t avoid that we have had that history in Canada. We can’t avoid that history happens over and over again in the world. However, we can say that we can learn from those terrible atrocities and the difficulties of the past, and that we have a responsibility here — in our own country — to bring healing to the damage that we have caused. Also, as you point out, it’s important to stand up for other countries who are faced with similar circumstances.

Thank you for your question.

Thank you for that question, Senator MacDonald.

You very poignantly pointed out to us how important this is, and I thank you for doing that.

Senator Cordy and I had the privilege of being at the opening of the Celtic Colours International Festival just last week. It is amazing and joyous to see the revival of the Gaelic culture, and the incredible richness that culture brings to all of us.

It’s with great disappointment that we look at what we lost — because just think of what we could be, had we not lost it. Now we have to get it back.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your question, Senator Cormier, and also for your leadership in improving the Franco-Canadian culture — the Canadien culture. It is just so important. Thank you for that, and also for your musical talents, which we wish we heard more of.

When I first learned to play the harmonica, the first song that I played — and it just came out of nowhere — was the “Kolomeyka,” which is a Ukrainian dance.

I completely agree with you; frankly, I would like to see much more federal investment in everything that we can do to help us better understand each other, and I think it must begin with our young people. I would like to see investment in Canada so that our young people can go from coast to coast to coast in order to live and experience culture and community from people who are not like the people that live down the street from us — rather it’s people we need to get to know better. I think we would have a lot fewer conflicts in this country amongst ourselves — this internecine warfare, which is not necessary — if we had the opportunity to spend more time living and learning with each other.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for that question, Senator Dasko.

Of course, I am going to say “yes,” but I want to put a caveat in here while everyone is listening. I would expect that you would arrange for a wonderful meal of varenyky, holopchi and everything else, which would make it much better for us to visit — and definitely the music.

Thank you for that suggestion, and thank you for offering your hospitality.