Ottawa, ON: Joy Smith, Member of Parliament for Kildonan – St. Paul, is delighted with the historic accomplishments of this past week that in began on Monday with the visit of the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and culminated on Thursday with the Royal Assent of Bill C-459. Tabled by fellow Manitoba MP James Bezan, Bill C-459 establishes a Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day and recognizes the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide. “This past week has been a historic week for Canada and Ukraine. I am so pleased with the passage of Bill C-459 which my colleague James Bezan has worked so diligently on,” said MP Joy Smith. “As Ukraine marks the 75th Anniversary of the Holodomor, it was imperative that Canada express its deep sympathy by officially recognizing the Holodomor as an act of genocide.” On Monday, President Yushchenko began a three day state visit to Canada with an inspiring and heartfelt address to MPs and Senators during a joint session of both Houses. Addressing the Canadian Parliament is a rare honour that has been granted to only a few world leaders. Monday afternoon MP Joy Smith, who is also the Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, paid tribute to President Yushchenko with a Standing Order 31 and acknowledged the suffering of millions of Ukrainians during the Holodomor Genocide. Later that evening, MP Joy Smith also attended a state dinner held in honour of the President of Ukraine by the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean. On Tuesday, the President of Ukraine greeted hundreds of Ukrainian Canadians in Winnipeg and received an honourary degree from the University of Winnipeg. In Ottawa, MP Bezan’s Bill C-459 received its second hour of debate. MP Joy Smith spoke strongly in favour of it and emphasized the importance of commemoration. “Remembrance is a living memorial to the victims, their loss of life, human rights and dignity—and a tribute to the fact that sometimes, in some places, truth prevails over darkness and denial,” stated MP Joy Smith. At a Canada – Ukraine business forum in Toronto on Wednesday, MP Joy Smith gave remarks on behalf of Minister Emerson to a room full of Canadian and Ukrainian businessmen. This was followed by a lunch with the President of Ukraine hosted by the Economic Club of Toronto. During her remarks to the businessmen, MP Joy Smith spoke strongly in favour of strengthening trade relations between Canada and Ukraine stating that “…Canada and Ukraine must be more strategic and more deliberate in expanding our bilateral trade, two-way investment and science and technology co-operation links.” This was followed by her announcement that Canada would be “…sending a new Canadian Trade Commissioner to Kyiv this summer” to strengthen its team there. Finally on Thursday, Bill C-459, having been passed by the Senate on Wednesday, received Royal Assent providing legal recognition to the Holodomor Genocide that took place in Ukraine under the brutal communist dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. For more information please contact: Joel Oosterman, Parliamentary Assistant Office: (613) 992-7148 Mobile: (613) 220-6795 Email: smithj8@parl.gc.ca