Bill C-459 receives Royal Assent After being passed by the House of Commons on May 27th and the Senate of Canada on May 28th, yesterday An Act to establish a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide ("Holodomor") Memorial Day and to recognize the Ukrainian Famine in 1932-33 as an act of genocide, received Royal Assent. This Bill was the initiative of Manitoba MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake). With the support of all parties, he successfully passed his Private Members Bill C-459. Ukrainian Canadian Congress National President Paul Grod stated, "I would like to congratulate Mr. Bezan for his efforts in bringing this Bill forward and to thank Borys Wrzesnewskyj for supporting it. The truth about the Holodomor as genocide has been suppressed for too long and I am proud that Canada is taking the lead to ensure that it is legally recognized. This recognition and Memorial Day will serve as a constant lesson to all Canadians that we must stand up against despots that use food as a weapon against a people. The Ukrainian Canadian community extends its thanks to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for supporting the Bill along with the other party leaders, Hon. Stéphane Dion, Hon. Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe for ensuring that this Bill passed while the President of Ukraine, Victor Yushchenko, was in Canada. Secretary of State Jason Kenney and his team were strong supporters of this recognition and helped secure the government's commitment. I would also like to thank the Canada Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group for being stalwart advocates of the importance of having Canada's Parliament recognize the genocide which took place in Ukraine in 1932-33." "In a coordinated effort, UCC member organizations, provincial councils and branches successfully organized a series of commemorative and educational events which have helped focus Parliamentarians on the need to recognize this tragedy," stated Irene Mycak, Chair of UCC's National Holodomor Commemoration Committee. "Among these were the Canadian journey of the International Remembrance Flame led by Holodomor survivor Stepan Horlatsch, a traveling exhibit produced by the League of Ukrainian Canadians, 72 hour fasts by university students, and countless others." "This was the result of decades of effort by thousands of Canadians to whom we are very grateful and who should be proud of their efforts. The effort to achieve such recognition was broad-based and there are far too many individuals and organizations to mention. But it includes the Ukrainian Canadian community which was responsible for making this historical recognition possible," stated Senator Raynell Andreychuk, Honourary Chair of UCC's National Holodomor Commemoration Committee. Mr. Grod continued, "The next step is for Canada to support the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to have the General Assembly of the United Nations pass a resolution condemning the Holodomor as genocide against the Ukrainian people." The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which represents the interests of the Ukrainian Canadian community as its national coordinating body, has worked tirelessly to educate Canadians about the true nature of the Holodomor (murder by starvation) in Ukraine, when in the years 1932-33 millions of Ukrainians perished through seizures of food deliberately aimed to starve-out the nationalistic pro-Ukrainian peasantry, thereby eliminating a serious threat to the integrity of the Soviet empire.