OTTAWA, October 14, 2004—Today in the House of Commons, Peter Goldring made a statement in tribute to the late Eugene Harasymiw, of Edmonton. Mr. Harasymiw, a leader within the Ukrainian Community in Edmonton and throughout Canada, passed away on October 2, 2004 at the age of 63. Mr. Harasymiw and Mr. Goldring shared political interests concerning fairness in decision processes relating to the reconsideration of Canadian citizenship, the internment of Ukrainian Canadians during World War I and the remembrance of world genocides, such as the Ukrainian famine of 1932-1933 . All of these issues were of significant concern to Mr. Harasymiw and to the Canadian Ukrainian community; Mr. Goldring was honoured to have been able to make parliamentary efforts on their behalf. Mr. Goldring made the following statement:
Mr. Speaker, Eugene Harasymiw, husband to Natalie and father of sons Adrian and Andriy, passed away October 2nd in Edmonton, at the age of 63.
A devoted family man and a steadfast proponent of civil rights and liberties.
He championed the politically “challenged” such as Wasyl Odynsky, in a struggle for the rights of all Canadians to a fair trial in Canada and to counter a Liberal government that, behind closed Cabinet doors, would strip a person of Canadian citizenship, without due process.
He was one of the principals responsible for a monument of great significance at Edmonton’s Ukrainian Cultural Village—a monument that serves as witness and testament for the injustice of the internment of Ukrainians in Canada during World War 1.
Past President of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association. A man who truly fulfilled life’s duties to his family and to his country.
Viechnia Pamyat, Eugene. Memories eternal.
[W.Z. The Wasyl Odynsky (Oberlander) files contain about 20 articles authored by Eugene Harasymiw. His fight against the d&d policy, brought to an end by his losing fight against cancer, will be carried on by others. Peter Goldring has consistently supported the Ukrainian community's concerns in this area.]