'They're going through a genocide too': War in Ukraine compared to Holodomor
Hundreds of Winnipeggers gathered at City Hall Saturday to remember victims of the Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions of Ukrainians in 1932-33.
The Holodomor – which literally means "death by hunger" in Ukrainian – took place under the regime of U.S.S.R. leader Joseph Stalin. Scholars estimate up to seven million Ukrainians died from starvation during the collectivization of agriculture under Soviet rule.
The ceremony commemorated the 89th anniversary of the tragedy. Mayor Scott Gillingham and several other politicians were at the event.
"Food is one of our most basic human needs, and one of our most basic human rights. But during the Holodomor, food was used as a weapon to oppress the Ukrainian people," said Gillingham in his speech.
Joanne Lewandosky, President of the Manitoba Provincial Council of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress, said this year's event had special meaning for those who have recently fled Ukraine because of the war with Russia.
"A great portion of the people (that) were here are newcomers," said Lewandosky. "They're going through a genocide too. It's on the same parallel as the one that happened '32-'33."
She said the current conflict feels like the Holodomor all over again. "Their homes are being bombed, they're losing whatever they’ve had, they’ve had to move, and it's Russia against us again."
Attendees carried black flags to commemorate the Holodomor, and Ukrainian flags to show solidarity with Ukraine in the current conflict. Hymns were sung in remembrance. A banner read "To their eternal memory, to Moscow's eternal shame!"
It's a message more relevant now than ever before, according to Lewandosky. She said Manitoba continues to welcome hundreds of Ukrainians fleeing the war each week.
"Let them find a new home, a place where there's democracy, there's peace, and there's caring."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.