Canadians pride ourselves on our country’s human rights record. We celebrate equality, freedom and respect for all. We are known around the world for our kindness. Yet, we have moments in our history that are not so worthy of pride and celebration. Moments when we let fear override dignity. The War Measures Act is definitely one of those moments.
The War Measures Act was used to imprison Ukrainian Canadians and other ethnic groups during World War I. It was an act of fear. Fear of “enemy aliens.”
The immigrants who come to Canada looking for a better life are not “enemy aliens. They come here with no intentions other than to raise a family, work hard and be good citizens of their new home. My grandparents were just such people. They worked hard here to build a good life for my parents and, ultimately, myself. I can’t imagine those Ukrainians who were imprisoned in Canada during the first world war felt any differently. They simply wanted to raise their families, work hard and be good citizens. But the War Measures Act took much of that away from them. Imprisoned and forced to work in internment camps, their wealth taken from them, these so-called enemy aliens had lost that dream of a better life.
It is a dream that can never be given back.
Through the work of the Ukrainian Civil Liberties Association, those lost dreams will not be forgotten. Those dreams will be remembered; the war measures act acknowledged for the terrible mistake it was; and those who suffered under it honoured and commemorated. It is important to remember those moments in our collective history that do not stir national pride. Those moments we would rather forget. By remembering the War Measures Act, and all of those whom it affected, we are promising to do better in the future.
On behalf of the province of Ontario I want to thank the Ukrainian Civil Liberties Association for all they have done to ensure the War Measure Act is remembered and the loss of civil liberties for thousands of Ukrainians and other European Canadians is acknowledged.