Canadian Heritage Committee on March 26th, 2026

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Shall the chair report the bill to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Well done. Bravo.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Members, we will take a short break now.

We have another bill coming up at 9:15. We have Senator Kutcher joining us remotely, so I don't think we'll start that right away.

We have some discussions to have on our schedule. Would members prefer to have those discussions in camera?

Go ahead, Mr. Champoux.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

I don't think it's absolutely necessary. Then again, perhaps it's preferable, if we're discussing how important we consider certain aspects or going into detail when it comes to the witness list.

I wanted to propose allocating two more meetings to the study, but if we need to have more of a discussion first, then, yes, I think we should probably go in camera.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Does anybody else have any discussion on our schedule that we can have in public?

Go ahead, Mr. Myles.

[David Myles, Liberal, Fredericton—Oromocto, NB]

I agree with Martin here. Having two more or no more than that.... It's one of those things that could go on forever, so I think it's good to have a limit. Two would be good, because we have another study coming up after that.

If we need to get into the details of a discussion about witnesses.... Maybe we don't have to do that if we can agree on the number of meetings we're going to have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

The Conservatives would prefer to go in camera to have this discussion. We'll need 10 minutes.

Mrs. Thomas, we'll send you a link to the next meeting.

We'll be briefly in camera and then be back in public session for our next bill, the Ukrainian heritage month bill, at 9:15. I will suspend for now.

[Proceedings continue in camera]

[Public proceedings resume]

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

We are ready to get under way in our study of Bill S-210, an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month.

We have with us in the room Mr. Yvan Baker, the sponsor of this bill in the House of Commons. We are attempting to connect with Senator Stan Kutcher remotely. He is the Senate sponsor of this bill.

We'll get started with Mr. Baker and then check in to make sure we have a proper connection with Mr. Kutcher before we go any further. Each of the sponsors will have five minutes to present an opening statement.

I forgot to mention at the top of this meeting that you may have noticed we don't have our analysts Liane and Jed at the back of the room. We have with us today the legislative clerks Andrew and Michelle, who are here to help us with the more technical aspects of this process.

That said, Mr. Baker, the floor is yours for five minutes.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, fellow members. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today. I'm honoured to be here to discuss Bill S‑210, which, if passed, would designate September as Ukrainian heritage month in Canada.

The first Ukrainian immigrants to Canada arrived here on September 7, 1891. Since then, generation upon generation of Ukrainians have come to Canada, many of them fleeing oppression and seeking a better life. They found this life here in Canada. Ukrainian Canadians have also helped make Canada the great country it is today.

That is why, in 2011, the Ontario legislature unanimously passed legislation to proclaim September 7 Ukrainian Heritage Day.

I was president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress's Ontario Provincial Council at the time, and I was proud to be among those who drafted the bill and helped to get it passed. That is also why I am so proud to have introduced my own bill in the House of Commons in the last three Parliaments to designate the month of September, every year, as Ukrainian heritage month. I am proud to be the sponsor of this bill in the House of Commons.

For me, colleagues, there are three reasons to support this bill and pass it now.

The first is that it's an opportunity to celebrate Ukrainian heritage, which we see demonstrated in our ridings and in communities across this country every single day in various forms. However, the significance of this bill reaches far beyond cultural recognition, in my view. It's not merely a symbolic gesture. It is a national acknowledgement of people whose contributions have shaped Canada for almost 135 years.

Since 1891, Canadians of Ukrainian descent have left a historic mark on our country. Their contributions span all the communities of the House of Commons and touch our economic, political, cultural and social lives. Since 1891, Ukrainian Canadians have played an important role in making Canada the great country it is today.

The second reason is that, through this bill, Parliament would help recognize these contributions.

The third reason is that since 1891, Ukrainians have come to Canada seeking a better life, and Canada and Canadians have supported them. That's why, for example, Canada was the first western country in the world to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991. That is why Canada was among the first countries in the world to recognize that the Holodomor was a genocide. That is why Canada has been a global leader in supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia's brutal invasion today and for the last four years. Through this bill, Parliament would recognize what Canada has done and the contributions of Canadians in the support of Ukrainian Canadians and Ukraine.

I would also argue that there has never been a more important time to pass this bill than now. For the last four years, Ukrainians have been defending themselves against Russia's brutal invasion, and Canada has been a global leader in supporting Ukraine in that fight. I want to take a minute to talk about this.

There are two key reasons we support the people of Ukraine. The first is that it's the right and moral thing to do, as I believe. The second is that it's the right thing for Canada.

I often say—you've probably heard me say this—that I think Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security, because if Russia wins, it's not going to stop at Ukraine. NATO will be next. I say this because Putin has told us so. I say this because Russia is sending Russian military drones over European military bases as we speak. Europe is preparing. Western European military leaders have told their citizens that they need to be ready for a land war with Russia in the next five years, so this is a real threat to NATO. If that happens, then yes, Europeans—and also Canadians and Americans—will be next in defending themselves against Russian aggression. In my view, we either pay a smaller price now to help Ukraine win, or we pay a much bigger price later.

That's why Canada has been a global leader in supporting Ukraine since 2022, with over $25 billion in support. That includes $8.5 billion in military support. We've been the world's largest financial contributor per capita to Ukraine since 2022.

Ukraine is fighting on the front lines of the global struggle between democracy and tyranny. Their struggle is our struggle. That's why I believe there has never been a more important time than now to pass this bill.

Bill S‑210 honours the past, strengthens the present and inspires the future.

Ukrainian heritage month will offer a special opportunity for us to celebrate Ukrainian heritage, the role that Canada has played in supporting Ukrainian Canadians and the contributions that Ukrainian Canadians have made to Canada. By passing Bill S-210, Parliament would be affirming that Ukrainian Canadians are integral to Canada, that their heritage deserves celebration and that Canada stands with the Ukrainian people, not only in wartime but for all time.

I hope all members of this committee will join me and join us in designating September of every year as Ukrainian heritage month across Canada.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

That was five minutes on the dot. I don't know how you managed that. Well done and well said, my friend.

Do we have Senator Stan Kutcher online?

Can you just say a few words for us, Senator, just to make sure our interpreters can hear you okay?

[Stanley Kutcher, Senator, Nova Scotia, ISG]

Sure, Chair.

Thank you, everyone, for gathering today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

You are good, sir.

You have the floor now for five minutes, please. We'll go over to you.

[Stanley Kutcher]

Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you all for getting together to study Bill S-210.

Before I get to the heart of this simple bill, which promotes our celebration and understanding of the heritage of a group of heretofore federally unrecognized nation builders, Ukrainian Canadians, I would like to thank those who made today possible.

First, I would like to thank you, the committee, for studying this bill today. As you can see, I'm coming to you by Zoom from a hospital clinic where I'm receiving medical treatments. Some of you know that I will be stepping down from the Senate soon due to a medical condition that makes it very difficult for me to contribute effectively to the work of the chamber. I'm hopeful that should the committee move this bill to the House, the House might be able to deal with it quickly.

Second, I would like to thank member of Parliament Mr. Yvan Baker not only for his sponsoring of Bill S-210 but for the work that he has been doing to support the Ukrainian Canadian community throughout his tenure as a member of Parliament. As he said, Russia's illegal and genocidal war on Ukraine enters its fifth year.

This bill is important to Ukrainian Canadians in Canada and those fighting for survival in Ukraine. Why is that? It gives them hope: the hope that Canada will continue to support Ukraine and the hope that is necessary for Ukrainians to cling to as they fight valiantly to preserve their sovereignty against an aggressor that is attacking not only them, but also the foundations of our international rule of law. It is an aggressor that is a member of the UN Security Council, no less. It is an aggressor that flouts every agreement it has made to respect the sovereignty and security of Ukraine.

Here in Canada, the bill gives the Ukrainian Canadian diaspora, some 1.4 million strong, hope that the Government of Canada and the people of Canada can better understand the heritage and culture of the Ukrainian Canadian community and can recognize the contributions that members of that community, historically and currently, have made to the growth and development of our great country.

I am sure that by now all of you know that the story of Ukrainians who first came to Canada, those who answered Clifford Sifton's call to build the west, is about the men in sheepskin coats and women of strength and courage whose hard work turned our then emerging western provinces into the economic engines that they are today. Those are people whose children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on grew up to be farmers, carpenters, plumbers, lawyers, artists, musicians, doctors, hockey players, fishers, miners, teachers, bankers, clergy, soldiers, sailors, astronauts, parliamentarians and even a Governor General of Canada. Some of those contributors sit among you in the House of Commons. Some are in the Senate.

Indeed, it is Ukrainian Senator Paul Yuzyk who is widely considered to be the originator of the concept of multiculturalism, which is the foundation of the complex weaving of the tapestry that has made Canada one of the best countries in the world to live in. In a 1964 speech entitled “Canada: A Multicultural Nation”, he foresaw the potential strength of our multicultural experiment, saying, “If we succeed...in evolving the pattern of unity in continuing diversity...this will serve as precedent for other states in the world.... It will be Canada's contribution to the world.”

That is what I think Bill S-210 is all about. It affirms our recognition that our country is a multicultural country, that our Canada was built by hands of many colours, that our voice is composed of many tongues and that respect for each other begins with recognizing both our diversity and the common values that bind us together.

Indeed, it is this spirit of multiculturalism that makes Canada so different from all the other countries on this continent. This bill is a small recognition of that strength. It is through the creation of such recognition that we as members of Parliament and senators can confirm our own cultural roots as we simultaneously celebrate and respect the same for all those who labour to create the Canada we aspire to have, the Canada that demonstrates to the world that our multicultural experiment is indeed working.

I hope that you can unanimously support this bill, and I appreciate your studying it.

Thank you. Dyakuyu.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Thank you, Senator.

Your passion for this bill is clear, given that you're presenting from a hospital clinic. That passion is noted by this committee.

We will now have one six-minute round of questions before we turn to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. We'll start with Mr. Aboultaif.

The floor is yours for six minutes.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Senator Kutcher, thank you for giving your remarks from the hospital. I hope you're feeling better, and I wish you all the best health. Also, thank you for bringing this bill forward in May 2025.

Thanks, MP Baker, for sponsoring it in the House. That's also very important.

There are 1.4 million people of Ukrainian origin in Canada. We celebrate their hard work, their honesty, their honourable approach to life in Canada and how much this community has enriched our society. We feel it first-hand in Edmonton, and in the Prairies, of course. Northeast Edmonton is home to a very large community that I enjoy and appreciate every day. Canada is a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and its people.

Mr. Baker, can you speak to the importance of celebrating Ukrainian heritage month, especially as the people of Ukraine are courageously fighting Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of their land?

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Thank you very much for your kind words.

Thank you to all members of the committee for expediting the study of this bill. I know there's much for you to work on. You've made this a priority, and I thank you for that.

I think it's important given that Ukrainians have been defending themselves against Russia's brutal invasion for the last four years. It is a critical opportunity and another way for us to show our support for the people of Ukraine. I spoke about what's at stake in this war, not only for Ukrainians but also for us.

When I speak to people in Ukraine, I hear that any amount of material support is appreciated, but symbolic support is also appreciated. This goes a long way toward further showing our support for the people of Ukraine.

When governments act, no matter which party is in power in Canada, it's the executive branch of government acting, very often. However, this is a unique opportunity for the Parliament of Canada to show its support across party lines. That's very important as well.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

I agree with what you said. Unity with the Ukrainian people is very important.

Yes, this bill is symbolic, but it means more than that. I believe the community, more than ever, needs support from all Canadians across the country. That unity must help to bring in some solidarity and must reflect solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Why is this very important to the community?

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

There are a few reasons.

My family is an example of the Ukrainian Canadian community. As you said, there are 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians who have come to Canada. They started coming in 1891. Many of them or their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents lived through tremendous hardship, very often because they wanted to speak the Ukrainian language when they lived in Ukraine and could not, or to practise their religion or have free speech—things we take for granted in Canada.

Many of them faced hardships at the hands of the Russian regime, whether it was the Soviet regime or Russia itself. For them, there's a history of trying to defend Ukrainian heritage and culture, not only for those who have come to Canada recently from Ukraine, but also for generations of Ukrainian Canadians.

Many Ukrainian Canadians—and I'm one of them—attended Saturday schools to learn the Ukrainian language, history and culture. For many years, until 1991, Ukraine was under the Soviet Union. People didn't think they'd see a free and independent Ukraine, and they thought we needed to preserve the language here in Canada for future generations.

My point, to answer your question, sir, is that this is an opportunity to honour the efforts that have been made by Ukrainian Canadians for generations in protecting that heritage and the work they're doing now to support the people of Ukraine, whether that's financially or by advocating with us to make sure that Canada does all it can do to support the people of Ukraine. It's an opportunity, across party lines, for us to show our support for the community given the fact that they continue to support the Ukrainian people in this fight.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Outside Edmonton, there's the Ukrainian village. I believe every Edmontonian has visited the Ukrainian village and enjoyed the culture, the dances, the products and the community.

If you own a small business anywhere in northern or southern Alberta, you must be running the business inside a large Ukrainian community—sometimes the whole village—like Two Hills, Three Hills and others. I know that many of my Lebanese followers own businesses or restaurants in these small towns. They tell the best stories about how these communities enjoy working with and helping each other and about how welcoming the communities are. That also brings us to the unity of Canadian society when it comes to the Ukrainian cause.

For the last word, I would like you to emphasize this point one more time.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Yes, absolutely.

Passing this bill with unanimous support from this committee and the House of Commons would be an opportunity for MPs of all parties to show that we stand with the Ukrainian Canadian community, we support the efforts they've made to preserve their heritage for so many generations, we honour their contributions to Canada and we celebrate what Canadians have done to support the Ukrainian Canadian community.

We'll continue to support them here in Canada in the years to come, but also in their support for the people of Ukraine, who are not only fighting for themselves, but fighting for us all.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lisa Hepfner]

Thank you.

Mr. Myles, you have the floor for six minutes.

[David Myles, Liberal, Fredericton—Oromocto, NB]

Thank you very much.

First of all, I want to commend MP Baker.

Senator Kutcher, it's great to see another east coaster. I really appreciate the work you've done. I lived in Halifax for many years. I know you've been a real advocate for mental health and many other important issues in Canada. Thank you so much for all of your work and for representing the east coast so well.

This is a great bill. I'm so happy that you're both here.

One of the great joys of travelling around Canada in depth is that you get to learn about different immigration patterns in the country. You see where different people have ended up over time, historically. One of the great pleasures of touring through the Prairies was learning about Ukrainian culture in small Saskatchewan towns, outside of Edmonton in Alberta and all over the Prairies. It added so much to my experience of travelling through the Prairies and discovering these pockets of culture that are so strong and so unique and that make our country even greater.

This recent war in Ukraine has been a real moment of solidarity for Canadians. It's brought a lot of people together in understanding the severity of this struggle.

My uncle Bernie, in retirement, as I've mentioned to you, MP Baker, out of nowhere felt a real compassion for the Ukrainian people and now spends half his year volunteering in Ukraine with children who have been displaced towards the western part of the country. His connection to the people of Ukraine and their struggle has been an incredible sign of compassion and empathy in our family. It has really brought a lot of attention to it.

As you said, there is a real connection between Canadians and Ukrainians, both historically and in the present day. That is remarkable.

I want to salute you on the work. Can you talk about how a bill can help us understand the struggle better, both historically and in the present day?

We'll start with Senator Kutcher, if that's okay, and then we'll go to MP Baker.