Ottawa has provided $10 million this afternoon to support the commemoration of the internment of Canadians of Ukrainian heritage during World War One.
Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board and MP for Provencher, on behalf of Jason Kenney, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, announced to the Ukrainian-Canadian community in Winnipeg today that the Government will provide funding of $10 million to the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko.
This funding will establish an endowment fund to support initiatives related to the First World War internment experience that affected a number of ethnic communities in Canada, federal officials said.
"I believe this approach will allow all communities affected by internment during the First World War to undertake meaningful commemorative and educational activities to ensure that the internment experience is shared and understood by Canadians, and that a sense of closure can be achieved," Kenney said in a prepared statement. "The government believes that it is important for all Canadians to understand our history, including the more difficult periods."
This funding is being provided under the Community Historical Recognition Program, which was first announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in June of 2006. The program will fund community-based projects that will allow communities affected by Canadian wartime measures and immigration restrictions to have their experiences acknowledged in a way that is meaningful to them. Eligible projects could include monuments, commemorative plaques, educational material, and exhibits.
"This represents a significant step toward fulfilling our government's commitment to recognize past experiences and hardships and contribute to healing in the Ukrainian-Canadian and other affected communities," said Minister Toews.
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