News and Announcements

Edmonton – The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Honourable Nathan Cooper, will commemorate Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day on November 24 at 12:15 p.m. Albertans are invited to watch the event live online.

“For more than a decade the Legislative Assembly has united with those of Ukrainian ancestry living in Alberta and around the world to admonish the act of genocide known as Holodomor,” said Speaker Cooper. “This man-made tragedy remains a poignant reminder that it is incumbent upon each of us to renounce acts of hate and defend human rights. This ceremony gives voice to victims of the Holodomor and ensures that the stories of survivors are not forgotten.”

Remarks will be delivered by the Honourable Jason Kenney, MLA, Premier of Alberta;  Sarah Hoffman, MLA for Edmonton-Glenora, on behalf of the Leader of the Official Opposition; Oleksandr Danyleiko, Consul General of Ukraine in Edmonton; Orysia Boychuk, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council; and Leonid Korownyk, Holodomor survivor.

The service will include performances by students from St. Martin Children's Strings Society with instructor Karyn Dacyshyn, Korinnya Ukrainian Folk Ensemble of Calgary singing the Canadian national anthem and Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton singing the national anthem of Ukraine. The ceremony will conclude with a candle lighting, prayer and moment of silence. In-person attendance is restricted due to current public health recommendations. The health and safety of Members, staff and visitors remains the top priority for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

The event will be streamed on assembly.ab.ca as well as the Legislative Assembly’s Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels. Media may access the feed or request a download link following the event. Event photos will be uploaded to flickr.com/photos/legassemblyofab/ following the service.

The Holodomor was a government-imposed famine in the Ukrainian SSR that saw 10 million people die of starvation from 1932 to 1933. The Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act proclaims the fourth Saturday in November a day of remembrance in Alberta, home to an estimated 369,000 people of Ukrainian ancestry.

-30-

Media inquiries:

Tracey Sales, Communications Consultant, Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Tracey.Sales@assembly.ab.ca
780.862.6446