Redress for WWI Internment of Ukrainians in Canada

My grandfather, George Forchuk (Yurij Feschuk) was imprisoned at Jasper Internment Camp during World War I. He wasn’t interned for doing something wrong. He was interned for being Ukrainian. The conditions at the camp were so brutal that he escaped as bullets whizzed past his ears. He went into hiding, changing his name from Yurij Feschuk to George Forchuk. When the war ended, he went back to his homestead, but it was his no more. It had been given to another family. So penniless and broken, he had to start anew. It took him three decades to recoup his loss.

My grandfather’s heartbreak was just one of many. 80,000 immigrants were branded “enemy aliens” during WWI and had to carry papers and report regularly to the police. 8,000 immigrants were unjustly interned, including women, children and even babies born in Canada.

Today, the Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) signed an agreement with the Ukrainian Canadian community for a 10 million dollar endowment to the Shevchenko Foundation. This endowment will be made available in perpetuity to support educational and research projects about WWI internment.

Kudos to UCCLA, UCC and the Shevchenko Foundation for their dogged negotiations.

Huge thanks to Inky Mark, whose independent member’s bill C-331, got the whole thing rolling.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Harper, Jason Kenney, and the Conservative government for doing the right thing.

Author: Marsha

I write historical fiction, mostly from the perspective of young people who are thrust in the midst of war. View all posts by Marsha