Canada Eyes Federal Ukrainian Heritage Month
A bill has been table in the Canadian Senate to designate September as "Ukrainian Heritage Month".
The bill is sponsored by Senator Stan Kutcher, a lawmaker of Ukrainian descent, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.
“Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the month of September is to be known as “Ukrainian Heritage Month,’” the bill states.
The document states that “the first recorded arrival of Ukrainians to Canada took place in the month of September over 125 years ago”, and “by designating the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month, Parliament would provide an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the impactful role that Ukrainian-Canadians have played and continue to play in communities across the country”.
The bill also states that the Parliament “recognizes the significant contributions that Ukrainian-Canadians have made and continue to make to Canada’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric, including artistic, linguistic, culinary, religious and folkloric contributions.”
It should be noted that September has been officially designated as “Ukrainian Heritage Month” in several Canadian provinces for several years, but the symbolic status will be recognized at the federal level if the bill passes parliament.
As reported, a similar bill has already been approved by the Senate last year, but never made it through all the formal procedures in the House of Commons before the snap election was scheduled. In order to come into force, the bill shall pass both parliament chambers.
