On May 9, 2008 the Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), today announced that the Government will provide a grant of $10 million to the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko to establish an endowment fund to support initiatives related to the First World War internment experience that predominantly affected the Ukrainian and other East European ethnic communities in Canada.

On April 29, 2008 MP Joy Smith spoke strongly in support of a private members bill tabled in the House of Commons by MP James Bezan that would establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day and recognize the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide.

On April 29, 2008 MP James Bezan delivered a historic speech in the House of Commons, leading the first hour of debate at Second Reading of his Private Members Bill C-459.  The bill seeks to establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day and to recognize the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide.

On April 2, 2008 MP Joy Smith, Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, applauded Prime Minister Stephen Harper as he expressed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine to move towards membership in the NATO alliance. Prime Minister Harper urged other leaders to support Ukraine’s request to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan.

On April 2, 2008 the Prime Minister’s Office informed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine to move towards membership in the NATO alliance. Prime Minister Harper urged other leaders to support Ukraine’s request to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan, saying that bringing Ukraine into the alliance would accelerate the pace of democratic reform and economic development.