(Ukrainian News)—Despite the pouring rain about 150 people in Vegreville welcomed the Holdomor Flame to Alberta, as it arrived from North Battleford, April 30.
Holodomor survivor Stefan Horlatsch, who is accompanying the Flame across Canada, was brought to the Giant Pysanka site by fire truck with an RCMP escort. There he passed the Flame to youth members who lit candles then passed them around.
“We’re very pleased with the turnout,” said Vegreville’s Flame Commemoration organizer, Councillor Natalia Toroshenko.
Speaking for the Alberta government Aboriginal Relations Minister Gene Zwozdesky said the International Flame of Remembrance is a symbol of the Ukrainian spirit. “I like the title of Eternal Flame, because as has often been said many different nations over the course of Ukraine’s history may have tried to extinguish the spirit of Ukraine, but they have never succeeded in destroying the spirit of Ukrainians. And the International Flame stands as one of those special reminders of, in this case, a tragic time in Ukraine’s history, but one that we must honour and recognize for the brave people who endured it and for the survivors who are here to tell about it.”
Greetings were also delivered by Vegreville Mayor Richard N. Coleman.
The following morning Horlatsch visited Vegreville Composite High School where he spoke to over 100 students in Grade 9 and 11 who are studying the Holodomor as part of a larger Social Studies program and then to A. L. Horton Elementary and chatted to students in the bilingual program. From there, he was driven to Sherwood Park to meet with students at Father Kenneth Kearns Catholic School and then went on to Edmonton where he met students at Balwin Junior High School.
This was followed by a media conference at the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Alberta Provincial Council and a studio interview with Global Television’s anchor Lynda
Steele. Horlatsch’s May 1 visit to Edmonton got considerable media coverage, with reports on three television stations and both daily newspapers.
The May 3 Flame commemoration at the Legislature was covered by both CTV and Global Television, but only received a photo and cutline in the Edmonton Sun and was completely ignored by the Edmonton Journal.