PM failed interned Canadian
The Edmonton Journal, 8 August 2007
The last known survivor of Canada's first national internment operations, Mary Manko Haskett, died on Saturday, July 14, 2007.
Canada's "new government" missed a significant and meaningful opportunity to negotiate a timely and honourable settlement of this matter during Ms. Haskett's lifetime.
Curiously, closing this tragic chapter of Canada's history was something Prime Minister Stephen Harper personally said he wanted to see happen when he spoke to the House of Commons on March 24, 2005. Unfortunately, the prime minister and his "new government" have largely ignored the Ukrainian community in Canada.
Ms. Haskett, who was nearing 100 years old when she passed away, never sought individual compensation or an apology from the government.
She only asked for a return of the value of what had been confiscated from her family and the families who had been unreasonably imprisoned, having committed no crime. Those monies would be used to ensure those victims would not be forgotten, by educating all Canadians of this reprehensible action by Canada's government through the education system and through its heritage programs.
Ms. Haskett did live long enough to bear witness to the royal assent of Bill C 331, The Internment of Persons of Ukrainian Origin Recognition Act, which legally obliges the government of Canada to negotiate an agreement with the Ukrainian-Canadian community's designated representatives.
Sadly, our "new government" failed to pay her the respect she deserved by actually implementing the act and negotiating that agreement.
"Timely" settlement to this issue passed along with Ms. Haskett, but the government still has the opportunity to be honourable if it acts immediately to undertake those negotiations.
Nancy Lyzaniwski,
Edmonton
Don't forget this one:Then you start this thread.
