Author Archives: everigin

RISE AND FALL OF GREEN CITY

29 Sunday Jan 2023

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Negotiations have been completed recently with our friends the Popoffs, to write the story on the attempt to bring Green City back to original grandeur, lost in 1941.

You may be aware that Editors of the “Green City Hoot” and the “NeePravda” had disappeared along with their publication, since the late 1990s. They are now “found”. It will take awhile as censorship attempts along with social medias “Blink” and others have been active in suppressing knowledge from the populace. Just to advise that the original gold mining is dormant but the hucklebrry crops and trout fishing have continued unabated in this pristine wilderness.

A LIST of MY PROJECTS

26 Monday Dec 2022

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THE WRITER’S PROJECTS (that he can remember)

A) Design only

There were many instances where the services of Elmer Verigin were required on a design basis only. There were many design for beams, concrete elevated slabs and such like. These included designs of houses, additions and related projects. In these instances, I have not listed the extensive list of clients, The following projects were some that are large enough to list

  1. Commercial Retail Space (original Castlegar Plumbing & Heating Ltd)
    1. Sam Soukeroff
    1. 1008 & Adjacent, Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  2. Central Food Mart (now Splashes)
    1. Mike and Mable Bonderoff
    1. 1717 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  3. Castlegar Curling Club
    1. Castlegar & District Curling Club
    1. 937 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  4. EMCO Engineering Ltd
    1. Founded this Consulting firm with Ron Ross P.Eng, Les Kitchin P.Eng and Harry Soloveoff which was later purchased outright by Ron Ross P.Eng
    1. 7100 Highway 3B, Trail, B.C.
  5. Grand Forks Community Centre
    1. Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ (USCC)
    1. 6140 Highway 3, Grand Forks, B.C.
  6. Reconstruction of Doukhobor Village (Doukhobor Discovery Center)
    1. Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society
    1. 112 Heritage Way,  Castlegar, B.C.
  7. Renovation of Raspberry School into Doukhobor Restaurant
    1. Kelly Swetlikoe
    1. Robson Access Road
  8. Field Inspector of Engineering Designs by others
    1. Various Projects undertaken by Eli Kazakoff M.E., P.Eng.,
    1. Within Creston to Grand Forks Region
  9. Drawings and Miscellaneous Minor Designs and Engineering Seals
    1. Small Builders requiring sealed drawings for Building Permit
    1. West Kootenay area

B) Design-Build

Elmer Verigin was engaged in the design of the development that required a Contractor to complete construction. In some instances Verigin Industries Ltd was the Contractor in many other, independent firms were selected from a public tender process.

In some instances the process involved a search for land, zoning and subdivision with an ultimate design and construction.

  1. Voykin Subdivision
    1. Verigin / Voykin Partnership
    1. Highway 3A, South Slocan, B.C.
  2. Playmore Subdivision
    1. Verigin / Voykin Partnership
    1. Highway 3A, South Slocan, B.C.
  3. Shuncko Subdivision
    1. Richard Shypitka
    1. Poplar Ridge Road, Krestova, B.C
  4. Trest Subdivision
    1. Trest Industries Ltd
    1. Martin Street, Fruitvale, B.C.
  5. Kucher Subdivision
    1. Larry and Nona Kucher
    1. Mountain Street, Fruitvale, B.C.
  6. Genelle Subdivision
    1. Bruce and ___ van Hellemond
    1. Highway 22, Genelle, B.C.
  7. Verigin Millwork Plant (now B-V Rentals))
    1. Verigin Industries Ltd
    1. 7100 Highway 3 B, Trail, B.C.
  8. Glenmerry Village (98 Townhouses)
    1. Trest Industries Ltd
    1. 3300 Laurel, Trail, B.C.
  9. Grand Forks Dental Clinic
    1. Dr. Mark O’Neill
    1. Grand Forks, B.C.
  10. Veterinarian Clinic
    1. Dr. Peter Morgenthaler
    1. Ymir Road, Nelson, B.C.
  11. Veterinarian Clinic
    1. Dr. Peter Morgenthaler
    1. Highway 22A, Trail, B.C.
  12. Whatshan Lake Retreat
    1. Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999
    1. 635 Whatshan Forestry Road, Edgewood, B.C.
  13. Trail Vision Care
    1. Dr. David Kenderick
    1. 1370 McQuarrie Street, Trail, B.C.
  14. Rossland Ice Arena Change Rooms
    1. City of Rossland
    1. 1860 – 2nd Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  15. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Rooseville, B.C.
  16. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Rykerts, B.C.
  17. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Nelway, B.C.
  18. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Carsons, B.C.
  19. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Danville, B.C.
  20. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Boundary Bay, B.C.
  21. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Pleasant Camp, B.C.
  22. Renovations and Additions to Border Crossing
    1. Department of National Revenue
    1. Beaver Creek, Y.T.
  23. Renovations and Additions to Rossland Credit Union
    1. Rossland Credit Union
    1. 2086 Washington Street, Rossland, B.C.
  24. Renovations and Additions to Warfield Credit Union (now KSCU)
    1. Warfield Credit Union
    1. 89 Schoffield Highway, Warfield, B.C.
  25. Four-plex
    1. John and Margaret Mowatt
    1. 2061 Queens Street, Rossland, B.C.
  26. Fire Hall
    1. Regional District of Kootenay Boundary
    1. 4th Street, Genelle, B.C.
  27. Audio-Visual Center
    1. Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society
    1. 112 Heritage Way,  Castlegar, B.C.
  28. Custom Home
    1. Jim and Rusty Gray
    1. 114 Ritchie Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  29. Custom Home
    1. Leon and ___ Davenport
    1. 114 Ritchie Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  30. Custom Home
    1. Jim and ____ Buchanan (later Roger and Linda Watson)
    1. 21 Ritchie Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  31. Custom Home
    1.  Ken and Elizabeth Weir
    1. 810 Burns Avenue, Warfield, B.C.
  32. Custom Home
    1. Dr ___ and ___ Jones
    1. 1st Avenue, Fruitvale, B.C.
  33. Custom Home
    1.  Dr Raj and ___ Ramaradyha
    1. Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  34. Custom Home
    1. John and ___ Lazeroff
    1. 475 Forest Drive, Warfield, B.C.
  35. Custom Home
    1. Melvin and ___ LeRose
    1. 1550 – 3rd Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  36. Custom Home
    1. Elmer and Marilyn Verigin
    1. 830 Silver Birch Lane, Castlegar, B.C.
  37. Custom Home
    1. Elmer and Marilyn Verigin
    1. 1601-7th Street, Genelle, B.C.
  38. Custom Home
    1. HansPeter and Anna Barth
    1. 5904 Lasca Creek Road, Harrop, B.C.
  39. Addition and  major Renovation of Home
    1. Doug and __ Milne
    1. Calder Drive, Warfield, B.C.
  40. Supervalu Store
    1. Ferraro, Family
    1. Fernie, B.C.
  41. Elkford Motor Inn
    1. Elkford Square Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  42. Elkford Square Shopping Centre
    1. Elkford Square Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  43. Thirty (30) Unit Residential Apartment (1972)
    1. Fording Coal Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  44. Thirty (30) Unit Residential Apartment (1973)
    1. Fording Coal Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  45. Twenty (20) Unit Residential Apartment (1974)
    1. Fording Coal Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.

C) Tender and Build

Clients would make contact with either Elmer Verigin or Verigin Industries Ltd in Trail and later with Marbella Pacific Construction Ltd or Verigin Construction Ltd in Vancouver. Projects being advertised for tender would be selected for tender. A tendering process would take place and usually the lowest tender would be accepted.

In some instances, selection was made as a second bidder above the lowest as in two (2) of the Expo ’86 contracts and the Nelson House School.

  1. Jubilee Place (35 unit) Seniors Project
    1. Trail Rotary Club
    1. 1651 Bay Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  2. Hockey Arena
    1. City of Quesnel
    1. Quesnel, B.C.
  3. Hockey Arena
    1. City of Surrey
    1. Surrey, B.C.
  4. Credit Union Premises
    1. Kootenay Savings Credit Union
    1. 411 – 6th Avenue, New Denver, B.C.
  5. Credit Union Head Office Renovations
    1. Kootenay Savings Credit Union
    1. 1199 Cedar Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  6. Credit Union Premises
    1. Kootenay Savings Credit Union
    1. 945 Main Street, Fruitvale, B.C.
  7. Credit Union Premises (Brilliant Credit Union)
    1. Kootenay Savings Credit Union
    1. 4th Street, Castlegar, B.C.
  8. Maranata Court (34) Townhouses
    1. Pentecostal Church
    1. Castlegar, B.C
  9. Townhouse Project (24) units
    1. John ___ and ____
    1. Maple Ridge, B.C.
  10. B.C. Research Building at Simon Fraser University
    1. Simon Fraser University
    1. SFU, Burnaby, B.C.
  11. Harrop Forest Nursery
    1. B.C. Forests
    1. Harrop-Proctor Highway, Harrop, B.C.
  12. Deficiency Completion of 50 Dawson Construction Homes
    1. Fording Coal Ltd
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  13. Nelson House School
    1. Department of Indian Affairs
    1. Nelson House, Manitoba
  14. Tadoule Lake Airport
    1. Ministry of Highways, Province of Manitoba
    1. Tadoule Lake Manitoba
  15. International Pavilions (29)
    1. Expo ’86 Corporation
    1. Vancouver, B.C.
  16. Restaurants (10)
    1. Expo ’86 Corporation
    1. Vancouver, B.C.
  17. Central Kitchen Services
    1. Expo ’86 Corporation
    1. Vancouver, B.C.
  18. Overweightea Foods Warehouses
    1. Jim Pattison Corporation
    1. 200 Street, Langley, B.C.
  19. Fish Hatchery
    1. Federal Department of Oceans and Fisheries
    1. West Vancouver, B.C.
  20. City Hall Additions and Renovations
    1. District of North Vancouver
    1. North Vancouver, B.C.
  21. Former Begbie Court Renovations to Offices
    1. Kerkoff Construction
    1. New Westminster, B.C.
  22. Village Offices and Fire Hall
    1. Village of Elkford
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  23. Garage and Service Station
    1. Village of Elkford
    1. Elkford, B.C.
  24. Talarico Place Care Facility
    1. Castlegar Hospital Board
    1. 709 – 10th Street, Castlegar, B.C.
  25. St Mary’s Hospital Care Facility Additions and Renovations
    1. St. Mary’s Hospital Board
    1. Sechelt, B.C.
  26. Lillooet Hospital Care Facility Additions and Renovations
    1. Lillooet Hospital Board
    1. Lillooet, B.C.
  27. St. Michael’s Care Facility
    1. St. Michael’s Care Society
    1. Burnaby, B.C.
  28. Stanley Humphries High School (2 separate upgrades)
    1. School District 10
    1. 720 – 7th Avenue, Castlegar
  29. Brittania School Earthquake Upgrades
    1. Vancouver School Board
    1. Vancouver, B.C.
  30. Douglas School Upgrades
    1. Vancouver School Board
    1. Vancouver, B.C.
  31. Guilford High School
    1. Surrey School Board
    1. Surrey, B.C.
  32. Addition to the College of the Rockies
    1. College of the Rockies
    1. Cranbrook, B.C.
  33. Additions to Selkirk College (2 times)
    1.  Selkirk College
    1. 301 Frank Beinder Way, Castlegar, B.C
  34. Renovations to Fruitvale Elementary School
    1. School District 20, Trail
    1. 1867 Columbia, Fruitvale, B.C.
  35. Fire Renovation to the Terra Nova Motor Inn (Columbia River Inn)
    1. Insurance Claim
    1. 1001 Rossland Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  36. Custom Home
    1. Kenneth and Annie Barnes
    1. 11th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  37. Custom Home
    1. Bud and ___ Muffly
    1. Highway 3B, West of Rossland, B.C.
  38. Custom Home
    1. Robert H. and Betty Brisco
    1. 865 Burns Avenue, Warfield, B.C.
  39. Custom Home
    1.  John and Bev Reid
    1. 821 Burns Avenue, Warfield, B.C.
  40. Custom Home
    1.  Robert and Audrey-Mae Stefani
    1. 821 Burns Avenue, Warfield, B.C.
  41. Custom Home
    1.  Bud and Anna-Mae Allen
    1. 737 Carlyle Street, Warfield, B.C.
  42. Custom Home
    1. ___ and ___ Carlbeck
    1. 469 Forest Drive, Warfield, B.C.
  43. Custom Home
    1. Neil and ___ McKee
    1. 3780 Carnation Drive, Trail, B.C.
  44. Custom Home
    1.  __ and ___ Douglas
    1. 2085 Butte Street, Rossland, B.C.
  45. Custom Home
    1.  Jack and ___ MacDonald
    1. 1850 Kootenay Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  46. Custom Home
    1.  __and ___ Batt
    1. 1670 Park Street, Rossland, B.C.
  47. Custom Home
    1.  ___and Helen Dahlstrom
    1. Park Street, Rossland, B.C.
  48. Custom Home
    1.  ___and ___ Kennedy
    1. 2690 Tamarac Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  49. Custom Home
    1.  ___and ___ Bate
    1. 1503 Park Street, Rossland, B.C.
  50. Custom Home
    1.  John and ___ Louie
    1. 2614 Maple Street, Rossland, B.C.
  51. Custom Home
    1.  Dr___ and ___ Nixon
    1. Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  52. Custom Home
    1.  John and ___ McKay
    1. 1508 Park Street, Rossland, B.C.
  53. Custom Home
    1.  Cliff and Audrey Krauss
    1. 56 Hazelwood Drive, Trail, B.C.
  54. Custom Home
    1.  Charlie and ___ Sutherland
    1. 60 Hazelwood Drive, Trail, B.C
  55. Custom Home
    1.  ___ and ___ House and Dance Studio
    1. 54 Hazelwood Drive, Trail, B.C
  56. Custom Home
    1.  Mike and  Polly Sawchenko
    1. 1st Street, Castlegar, B.C
  57. Muttart Prefabricated Home
    1. ___ and ___ Frank
    1. 257 Mill Road, Fruitvale, B.C.
  58. Renovations and Addition to Custom Home
    1.  Jack and Ivy Kenderick
    1. 1199 Marianna Crescent, Trail, B.C

D) Project Management

In this section, Elmer Verigin was engaged as a Professional Engineer to arrange:

  • Designs
  • Construction Contractors
  • Contracts prepared with the Contractor or Supplier
  • Project Management
  • Inspections

The process would include formal reporting on a regular basis to the client in each instance. Recommendations would be suggested to the client with final decisions made by the client. The resulting actions would be taken by the Consultant to completion. In all instances, the client would finance make payments upon inspection for completion to that stage of construction.

  1. Renovation of Rossland Miners’ Hall
    1. City of Rossland-Travel Industry Development Subsidiary Agreement (TIDSA)
    1. ___Columbia Avenue, Rossland, B.C.
  2. Dorothy Lake Park
    1. City of Invermere-Travel Industry Development Subsidiary Agreement (TIDSA)
    1. Invermere, B.C.
  3. Harbour Front Development
    1. City of Port Alberni-Travel Industry Development Subsidiary Agreement (TIDSA)
    1. Port Alberni, B.C
  4. Renovation of Fruitvale Community Hall
    1. Town of Fruitvale, B.C.
    1. Fruitvale, B.C.
  5. Renovation & Additions of Head Offices
    1. Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL)
    1. 2224-6th Avenue Castlegar, B.C.
  6. Renovation of Community Housing
    1. Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL)
    1. 509 Front Street, Nelson, B.C.
  7. Renovation of Community Housing
    1. Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL)
    1. 556 – 73rd Avenue, Grand Forks, B.C.
  8. Renovation of Community Housing
    1. Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL)
    1. ____- Silver Birch Lane, Castlegar, B.C.
  9. Construction of Jubilee Place. Castlegar, B.C.
    1. Kootenay Society for Community Living (KSCL)
    1. 2nd Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  10. Montrose Swimming Pool
    1. Regional District of Kootenay Boundary
    1. 3rd Street, Montrose, B.C.
  11. Renovation and Additions to Fruitvale Community Hall
    1. Village of Fruitvale
    1. 1968 Main Street, Fruitvale, B.C.
  12. Grandview Housing
    1. Kootenay Columbia Seniors Housing Cooperative
    1. 16th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  13. Emerald Ridge Subdivision
    1. Emerald Ridge Properties Ltd
    1. Trail. B.C.
  14. Emerald Ridge Townhouses (14)
    1. Emerald Ridge Properties Ltd
    1. Trail. B.C.
  15. White Birch Manor Seniors Housing (40) units
    1. Lower Mainland Doukhobor Benevolent Society
    1. Delta, B.C.
  16. Parkside Villa Seniors Housing (26) units
    1. Doukhobor Benevolent Society
    1. Grand Forks, B.C.
  17. Exhibition Centre (Now Kootenay Gallery of Art, History & Science)
    1. 120 Heritage Way
  18. A.M. Ford Dealership
    1. A.M. Ford
    1. 8000 Highway 3B, Trail, B.C.
  19. Company Representative to H.A. Simons Engineering & Contractors
    1. Construction of:
      1.  Hog-Fuel Boiler
      1. Two Pulp Digesters
      1. 16″ Steam Supply Line Boiler to Digesters
      1. Project Engineer
    1. Columbia Cellulose Co. Ltd
    1. Prince Rupert B.C.

E) Professional Investigations and Reports

In these instances, Elmer Verigin was engaged as a Professional Engineer to conduct studies to provide fundamental evidence to enable each client to assess potential liability. In other instances, the purpose was to establish the viability of a potential project. Some events were resolved by negotiation and some projects were “shelved” for reasons out of the control of the Consultant. In several instances, the case was heard before a judge and resolved in favor of the client.

  1. Esplanade Development
    1. Contract Enterprises Ltd
    1. Sam Konkin, Michael Barlow, Pete Sandulescu, “Curling Champ” from Warfield
    1. Four (4) Blocks from by Bay Avenue Victoria Street, Columbia River, Eldorado Street
  2. Design Estimate for Abbotsford Ice Arena
    1. Lunor Trubka Architects
    1. Abbotsford, B.C.
  3. Replacement Cost of Nakusp Ice Arena destroyed by fire
    1. Village of Nakusp
    1. Nakusp, B.C.
  4. Highway Construction Damage to Harshenin Residence
    1. Ministry of Transportation and Highways
    1. 2011 Broadwater Road, Robson, B.C.
  5. Manufactured Home Construction Deficiency
    1. Guy from Crescent Valley
    1. Krestova Road, Crescnt Valley, B.C.
  6. Pozitive Computers / Fabricland “Hidden” Subsurface Materials
    1. ED Poznikoff and Dan Zoobkoff
    1. 1963 and 1965 and 6th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  7. Civil-Tech House Damage Claim
    1. Wayne Laktin of Civil-Tech
    1. 10th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
  8. Kryski Subdivision “Hidden” Subsurface Materials
    1.  David and Brenda-Jayne Splett and Mike Barta
    1. Lots 1 and 2 Albert Drive, Trail, B.C.
  9. Krestova Subdivision Potential Study
    1. Peter Rezansoff
    1. Balsam Road, Krestova, B.C.
  10. Castlegar Airport Commercial Development Study
    1. City of Castlegar
    1. Castlegar Airport
  11. Student Residence Contract Inspection Report (Tenth Street Campus)
    1. Selkirk College
    1. Nelson, B.C.
  12. A&P Furniture Store vs Ius
    1. Ius
    1. 8080 Old Waneta Road, Trail, B.C.
  13. Markortoff vs DeCare
    1. ____ and Nina DeCare
    1. Grand Forks, B.C
  14. Crown Point Hotel Expansion
    1. Crown point Hotel
    1. 1399 Bay Avenue, Trail, B.C.
  15. Expansion Feasibility of Balfour Golf Club Study
    1. Potential Investors for Cottages and Golf Course Expansion (Babcock, John, other Trail Investors)
    1. Balfour, B.C.
  16. Rossland Hotel (Prestige Inn) Construction Costs Review
    1. Rossland Credit Union
    1. 1919 Columbia Avenue, Rossland, B.C.

F) Organizations, Societies and Companies

This list comprises of the association that Elmer Verigin may have had in this list along with offices held:

  1. Professional Associations
    1. Association of Professional Engineers and GeoScientists
      1. Member #5276
      1. West Kootenay Branch Executive
        1. President
        1. Director
      1. R.A. McLachlan Award
    1. Independent Contractors and Businesses Association
      1. Life member
      1. Founding President
    1. Western Association of Property Inspectors
      1. Past member
  2. Societies
    1. Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999
      1. Founding President
      1. Director
    1. Doukhobor Benevolent Society
      1. Past member
    1. Lower Mainland Doukhobor Benevolent Society
      1. Founding President
      1. Past member
    1. Doukhobor Cultural Association
      1. Founding President
      1. Past member
    1. Kootenay Doukhobor Historical Society
      1. Life member
    1. Castlegar Junior Chamber of Commerce
      1. Past member
    1. Trail Chamber of Commerce
      1. Past member
    1. Rotary Clubs
      1. Past President of Trail Rotary Club
      1. Past member of Vancouver Club
      1. Past member North Delta Club
      1. Past member of New Westminster Club
      1. Past member of Castlegar Rotary Club
      1. Paul Harris Fellow
      1. Past member of Trail Rotary and Viagra Club
    1. United Brotherhood of Bathhouse Users (UBOBU)
      1. Past member
    1. Saskatoon Doukhobor Youth
      1. Past President
      1. Past member
    1. Pelly High School Civic League
      1. Past President
      1. Past member
  3. Businesses
    1. E. Verigin Consultants
      1. Founding president
    1. Verigin Industries Ltd (dated)
      1. Past President
    1. Marbella Construction Ltd (dated)
      1. Founding president
    1. Marbella Construction West Ltd (dated)
      1. Founding president
      1. Past Director
    1. V & V Joint Ventures
      1. Founding president
    1. Scoffield Creek Joint Ventures
      1. Founding president
    1. EMCO Engineering Ltd (dated)
      1.  Founding president
  1. My partner, Marilyn has encouraged me to list all the Projects that I was associated with on many occasions
  2. My son-in-law Rick Woodhouse and my daughter Lori made a written appeal to me January 21, 2016 24. 2016 to list the addresses
  3. My daughter Nona Kucher accompanied Marilyn and I and toured many of these projects, January
  4. I started this list on January 24, 2016
  5. Posted December 26, 2022 by EWV

CANADIAN AND UKRANIAN FRIENDSHIP

21 Wednesday Dec 2022

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The International News Story today (December 21, 2022) covers the visit of the Ukrainian President Zelensky to meet with United States Politicians.

This speech, delivered by our Canadian Prime Minister at the time of Ukraine Independence from the Soviet Union, has many references to our Canadian Ukrainian friends. I grew up in Pelly when our neighbors were almost equally Ukrainian and Doukhobor. Our spoken second and third languages were Ukrainian and Russian and we used this to communicate out of preference.

Early in the 1800s Doukhobors were banished to the Ukraine area around Milky Waters. They lived very peacefully and cooperatively until the Russian Government of 1842 banished them again to the Georgia area.

It was deja vu to find Ukrainians and Doukhobors become neighbors again in Saskatchewan.

All politics aside, this speech delivered by our Prime Minister has congratulatory as well as historical content.

Let us pray for a peaceful resolution to this current conflict in Ukraine.

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada at the Ukrainian Catholic University

News Release

26 October 2010

Lviv, Ukraine

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today made the following remarks at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine:

“Well, thank you very much, everybody, for that really warm welcome. Thank you, Father Gudziak, for allowing me to come and be here today. It’s a pleasure to be with all of you here.

“I would also like to just begin by recognizing some of my parliamentary friends and colleagues who have come from Canada to be with us today. First of all, Senator Raynell Andreychuck, who led an observer mission in the last Ukrainian election. The Chairman of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and Member of Parliament Mark Warawa, and Secretary of the same group, Member of Parliament James Bezan.

“Now as Father Gudziak mentioned, there are strong people-people links between our two countries.

“Ukrainians have been emigrating to Canada for more than 100 years and one and a quarter million Canadians have Ukrainian roots. That’s about 4 per cent of the total population. And that percentage is much higher on the Canadian prairies where I reside. It’s a part of Canada that looks like parts of Ukraine and where you would recognize many of the surnames, as you would for members of the distinguished Ukrainian delegation that is travelling with me here.

“So this is like a homecoming for them. And of course everywhere we go, we are seeing that wonderful hospitality for which Ukrainians are rightly famous.

“Now we’ve had some productive talks with your government. I will come to one part of those discussions that may be of particular interest to you a little later. But before that, I’m really here to speak to you about some other things, deeply important things, values and principles that Canada and Ukraine share.

“When Ukraine first declared independence in 1991, the first western country to recognize your status as a sovereign independent country was Canada. And you might ask why were we so quick to do that? What was the hurry? For we didn’t wait very long. You affirmed your independence on December 1st. On December 2nd, we recognized your government and your statehood. Even before, in fact, the Soviet Union had officially ceased to exist.

“Why? Now, some of you here certainly won’t remember the Cold War. But I can tell you, certainly tell those of us who do, we heaved an enormous sigh of relief when Soviet communism was finally and irrefutably discredited. The communist ideology had purported to be the cure for all that ails humanity. It had just one problem. Before it could work its miracles, it had to jail or kill every living soul who disagreed. And so millions were murdered and millions more were starved. It is a past that must not be forgotten, that must never be swept under the carpet.

“Yesterday, I visited the Holodomor memorial.

“Holodomor was of course officially recognized as a genocide by Canada’s parliament two years ago, largely thanks to the work of my caucus colleagues, in particular James Bezan, who in fact introduced the legislation. Now as you know, almost as many or as you may know almost as many Ukrainians died in the Holodomor during the 1930s as there were Canadians alive at that time. To contemplate an act of malevolence on that scale truly focuses one’s mind on the nature of this evil. So much for communism’s supposed ideals.

“Of course through it all for years, for decades, thousands of Ukrainian Canadians demonstrated at every reasonable opportunity to raise awareness in the west of Soviet oppression. They did so because they knew all too well that their brethren back in Ukraine had no such freedom. And among the leaders of this Ukrainian Canadian vanguard was a parliamentarian from Toronto, named Yuri Shimko, a descendant of Ivan Franko who I know is revered in this city and throughout western Ukraine.

“So, yes, Canadians did rejoice when we saw that ideology of Soviet communism consigned to history’s scrap heap. And when Ukraine reclaimed its freedom, we were more than ready to reach out to those who had lived under communism for all those horrible years.

“Besides the bonds of kinship that exist between Canada and Ukraine, there are important values and principles to promote. As Canadians, we believe that a government must work in the interests of its people, not the other way around. We believe that countries which respect the rights of their own people are more likely to respect the rights of other nations and to be good world citizens.

“And we believe that countries where citizens know what their governments are doing and can hold them accountable are less likely to make war on their neighbours than those were power is the possession of an exclusive ruling class responsible to nobody. There are exceptions. There have been exceptions. There always will be. But the exceptions of anything prove the general rule. If peace is your goal, then a free and democratic society is the way to go.

“Therefore, the cornerstone of Canada’s foreign policy is the promotion of such values: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and all the institutions that come with them: property rights, an impartial judiciary, and above all, freedom of expression and a free press. The freedom for which Gongadze became a hero.

“In fact, we do not believe that you can have any one of these things: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, without the others. But the first is freedom. So that when Ukraine rejoined the brotherhood of the free, we in Canada were among the first to cheer.

“And we have tried to be more than mere spectators. As a friend of Ukraine, we have done a few things intended to widen your road to democratic reform. These have been both done at the governmental level and informally through community and trade organizations. First was the establishment of embassies and consulates immediately after Ukrainian independence. It tells you something about your Canadian cousins, that when the Ukrainian embassy opened in Ottawa, the cost of it was largely covered by the Ukrainian-Canadian community, a great example of how active that community is.

“Since then there have been high-level delegations travelling back and forth, visits to Ukraine by three of our governors general, and twice to Canada by your own presidents.

“And I am proud to point out that Canadians have repeatedly participated as observers in Ukrainian elections in 2004, 2006, 2007 and again this year.

“Canadians are happy to assist with elections because it is in the choosing of the government by the governed that freedom becomes more than just a word.

“There have been many government contacts at an operational level and the Canadian International Development Agency has assisted with programs to encourage small business. In fact today we are announcing six more projects to foster growth and boost grain exports. And of historic importance, we are now working with your government towards a Canada-Ukraine free-trade agreement. Our economies complement each other in several ways and it should be possible to lever our historic and linguistic ties to stimulate trade investment and job creation.

“Trade builds prosperity for everyone and it presents particularly great opportunities for young people such as yourselves who have a global perspective. I said earlier there was something in the current rounds of talks with your government that should be of particular interest to this audience. For many years, our two countries have had a program through which as many as 50 Ukrainian university students a year come to Canada to work as interns in our parliament to see how our parliament works. I’m happy to tell you that yesterday, we took that idea much further and way beyond the confines of government.

“Yesterday, our government signed a youth mobility agreement so that young Canadians and young Ukrainians will find it easier to travel between our two countries and work in each other’s. Obviously as Canadians we want to keep strong and vital the close relationship that we have with the Ukraine. We would love to see lots of you come to Canada, both for work and to have some fun. All we ask is that while you are in Canada, to teach us more about your Ukraine and make sure you share your Canadian experiences with your friends. Tweet about what you see, post the best of your photos of Canada on Facebook. You can help all of us to become better friends.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, I just want to conclude with this. Your country has been in transition for 20 years. Just as nobody could have predicted the past two decades, no one can say what the future holds. But it is a great time to be alive.

“In fact, as I look about me, I am reminded of a fragment of poetry. Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven. For ultimately what your country becomes, how it responds to the turns of future history and how you live as citizens, all this will be up to you and your generation. You have great things ahead of you, great things to decide. A whole destiny to shape.

“I would therefore say this not only to you but to all the fine young people of Ukraine.

“As you set about your life’s work, remember that in Canada, you have friends. Friends who respect and admire Ukraine’s heart for freedom, its spirit of national self-determination, and the courage of its people, a courage that has never deserted you, even in the darkest nights of your long history.

“As Shevchenko wrote, and I quote: ‘Strive and you will triumph for God is on your side. The rewards are glory, truth, and that most sacred of things, freedom.’

“I look forward to meeting all of you and I wish all of you good luck in your future. Slava Ukraini! Slava Canada!”