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On Monday the 8th of May, 2023, the Ukrainian community came together under sunny skies and moderate temperatures at the National Military Cemetery within Beechwood Cemetery to celebrate and remember those who have died in ensuring the freedom and sovereignty of the Ukrainian nation. Since 2015, May 8th has been the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation while May 9th remained the Day of Victory over Nazism in WWII and it is those people who gave everything, and those in the current defence against the illegal and barbaric Russian aggression, who are being celebrated.
Her Excellency, Yuliya Kovaliv, Ambassador to Canada from Ukraine, was the first to address the audience and made several references to the gallant defence against the Nazis in WWII and noted Ukraine and Canada have a “… joint history of the victory … against the Nazis.”. She further noted that all nations pledged “Never Again!” after WWII and a new world order was established, however, after WWII, Russia tried to destroy that new world order and with her current incursion into Ukraine, Russia is trying to do so again.
“Today many Ukrainians – journalists, doctors, engineers … many of them joined the armed forces to prove that “Never Again” is a real word that should be committed and Ukraine’s victory will be the great evidence that “Never Again” could happen.”
She lastly mentioned the International Legion of the Territorial Defence of Ukraine where people from other countries can go to fight for the defence of Ukraine and thanked Canadians who, not only having joined in the physical fighting, but also all the help from the Canadian government and the people of Canada as well.
Other speakers then offered addresses in turn, starting with Cassian Soltykevych, Secretary of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress National, followed by BGen Tim Arsenault who as the former commander of Joint Task Force – Ukraine, helped train Ukrainian soldiers in small teams training, communications, survival, and ethics. Both mentioned the hardship that Ukraine is now facing at the hands of the Russians but the tenacity in which they are taking the Russians to task.
After the moments silence, the ceremony moved on with the Act of Remembrance by the Ukraianian Veterans Association and a prayer from Father Taras of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the wreaths were laid. Starting the wreaths was the Minister of Veterans Affairs Mr. Lawrence MacAuley accompanied by Cindy Tessier, followed by the Ukrainian Ambassador and her Defence Attaché, Col. Oleksandr Blashkovskyi. The Ukrainian Veterans Association laid a wreath on behalf of all veterans, and wreaths were laid by the Canadian Armed Forces, France, Ottawa Service Attachés Association, and the USA as well as a couple for the people of Ukraine.
That completed the ceremony with the exception of one final act of respect which was for Mr. MacAuley to go done the Section 27 of Beechwood Cemetery, also known as the Field of Honour, and lay flowers at the headstone of Commander Sidore Basil Shore, a Ukrainian born veteran of WWII.
Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the main building of Beechwood Cemetery.
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