Manitoba’s Federal Regional Minister, Vic Toews, today welcomed the news that James Bezan, Conservative Member of Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake, is receiving two of Ukraine’s highest awards for his work in Canada on Ukraine’s famine of 1932-33. During this time Josef Stalin’s Communist regime deliberately withheld food from the population in Ukraine, resulting in the death of millions.
Late in November, Ukraine’s President Victor Yushchenko announced that MP James Bezan would receive one of Ukraine’s highest civilian awards, the “Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.” This order is awarded on the basis of the decree of the President of Ukraine as his recognition of people who have made a historic contribution on behalf of Ukraine. MP Bezan is being recognized for his work in sponsoring and passing Bill C-459 “An Act to establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (“Holodomor”) Memorial Day and to recognize the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide.
The award was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine on August 23, 1996 to decorate citizens for their significant personal deeds for the sake of the Ukrainian state in the fields of state construction, enforcement of the international authority of Ukraine, development of economy, science, education, culture, art, charity, humanistic and public activities. A person awarded the “Prince Yaroslav the Wise” is named a knight of the “Prince of Yaroslav the Wise” Order.
In December 2008, MP Bezan was instrumental in hosting and organizing the celebration of the 17th anniversary of Ukraine’s national referendum on its independence. During the ceremony held in the Parliament of Canada, a rare reproduction of one of Ukraine’s sacred national treasures— the 16th century Peresopnytksy Gospel— was officially presented to the Library of Parliament in Ottawa.
At that time MP Bezan was awarded the Holy Medal of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Very Reverend Archimandrite Kyrylo Hovorun, Chair of the Department of External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, head of a delegation representing the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
This special medal, which marks the 1020th Anniversary of Ukrainian Christianity was presented to MP Bezan, again in recognition of his historic contribution to the recognition of the Soviet-imposed Holodomor forced famine of 1932-1933 as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people, and also for his efforts to facilitate the presentation of the replicated Peresopnytsky Gospel to the Library of Parliament.
On being advised of his honour, Member of Parliament Bezan pointed out that: “Canada now shares with Ukraine and other countries, a memorial day for the Holodomor on the fourth Saturday of every November to remember the victims, honour the survivors, and educate ourselves on the evils of Josef Stalin and his communist Soviet empire.”
Toews noted that the recognition of Mr. Bezan’s efforts by both Ukraine President Yushchenko and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is well deserved and is an honour of which all Canadians should be proud.
