Statement from PC Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Shadow Minister Konrad Narth on Holodomor Memorial Day
Manitobans come together today to honour victims of the Holodomor—the genocidal starvation of millions of Ukrainians at the hands of Joseph Stalin and his brutal Soviet regime.
Holodomor in the Ukrainian language means “killing by hunger”. Marking one of the darkest chapters in Ukraine’s history, Stalin manufactured a famine to deprive Ukrainians—largely rural farmers—who were seen as a threat to Soviet ideology and state-building aspirations, and to indeed kill them by starvation.
Holodomor Memorial Day brings light to this immense human suffering inflicted on the Ukrainian people. Today, the fears and pain felt by Ukrainians during the famine have resurfaced with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A war in which Ukrainians are still bravely fighting.
This pain and fear can also be felt here in Manitoba, which is home to the largest proportion of Ukrainian-Canadians in the country. Many Manitobans identify as Ukrainian, and just as many have Ukrainian heritage. I can confidently say that Manitobans feel deep empathy for Ukraine and will do all that we can to support those who are currently fleeing the war.
The Holodomor stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of totalitarianism, the importance of safeguarding human rights, and the need to remain unwavering against oppression in all its forms. This is why Manitobans continue to stand with Ukraine and are urging Russia to stop its illegal war against Ukraine.
Ukrainians are our brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, neighbours. We are deeply connected with each other; so when Ukrainians mourn, so do Manitobans. Let us honour the victims of the Holodomor, and stand together in upholding the principles of freedom and dignity for all.
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