Mr. Speaker, 76 years ago one of the greatest crimes against humanity was committed against the people of Ukraine. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and his communist regime created a man-made famine in 1932-33 called the Holodomor and starved millions of Ukrainians to death.
At its peak more than 25,000 Ukrainians died each day. Stalin and the Soviets did this, not as part of forced collectivization but as a genocide to kill Ukrainian nationalism.
In 2008, Parliament recognized Holodomor as genocide and designated the fourth Saturday of every November as Holodomor Memorial Day. This week there have been educational events, and I encourage all Canadians to attend Holodomor memorial services this Saturday.
This is our chance to remember the victims who perished. This is our chance to learn from Holodomor survivors how Stalin tried to stamp out Ukrainian nationalism.
This is our chance to educate one another and the world about this atrocity, the cover-up and the story of millions of Ukrainians who perished in one of the world's worst genocides. Their memory shall be eternal.
[Member spoke in Ukrainian as follows:]
Vichna Yim Pamyat.
[English]