‘Shameful point in history’: New Calgary monument tells story of WWI internment camps – Calgary | 24CA News
An instructional and commemorative exhibit marking Canada’s First World War internment operation is now arrange in Ukrainian Pioneers Park in northeast Calgary.
Over 8,000 individuals residing in Canada have been despatched to internment camps in the course of the First World War. Immigrants have been locked away not for something they did, however due to the place they got here from.
The 24 internment camps and receiving stations throughout Canada held 8,579 individuals.
That included 5,954 males of Austro-Hungarian origin, the vast majority of whom have been Ukrainian. Germans, Turks and Bulgarians have been additionally despatched to the camps.
“It is a shameful point in history and yet Ukrainian Canadians persevered. You faced down discrimination and you stood yourselves back up again,” stated Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek on the unveiling occasion on Saturday hosted by the Ukrainian Civil Liberties Foundation.
Sofiia Zozuliak just lately moved to Calgary together with her mother and sister to flee the warfare in Ukraine. She didn’t know in regards to the internment camps in Canada earlier than arriving right here.
“It’s very unfortunate to see that they were treated that way for doing nothing wrong,” Zozuliak stated.
“It’s very unfortunate but even today, we still see the same thing happening and Ukrainians being captured and killed but not in Canada. We are very grateful Canada is able to host all the immigrants, but still, the Ukrainian nation is being tortured by Russia just because we are Ukrainian.”
Seven of the 24 internment camps have been in Alberta. Property was confiscated and the unpaid labour performed by the “enemy aliens” helped construct a lot of Canada’s infrastructure throughout that point.
Others, unfit for labour, died of tuberculosis and pneumonia, or whereas making an attempt to flee.
While the final of the camps in Ontario closed in 1920, the discrimination towards Ukrainian immigrants continued.
“I don’t think they realize how terrible it was at some point and the degree of bigotry they experienced,” stated Daniel Moussienko, president of the Calgary department of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
“I hope that by having this plaque here, they are able to look for more information on it and realize what hardships were experienced.”
The Ukrainian Canadian marketing campaign for acknowledgement was spearheaded by members of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
In 2008, the Canadian authorities established a $10-million fund that helps create initiatives that commemorate the expertise of 1000’s of Ukrainians and different Europeans interned between 1914 and 1920 and the numerous others who suffered a suspension of their civil liberties and freedoms.
A second plaque is predicted to be arrange between 10 Street and 14 Street close to the Bow River in Calgary subsequent yr.
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