League of Ukrainian Canadians, Media Release
March 6, 2013 – Toronto
Ted Opitz. www.politwitter.ca
The National Executives of the League of Ukrainian Canadians and League of Ukrainian Canadian Women extend their sincere congratulations to Ted Opitz, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre, on assuming the Chairmanship of the Canada Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group (CUPFG). The election of MP Opitz to head the CUPFG is a fitting recognition of his commitment to furthering Canada Ukraine relations. During this, his first term as MP, Mr. Opitz has been a leading advocate in the House of Commons for Canada to stand with the Ukrainian people in their efforts to consolidate and advance their hard won liberty and national independence.
We are deeply grateful to MP Opitz for his efforts to advance a host of initiatives launched by the Canadian Conference in Support ofUkraine(CCSU): League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC), League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW), Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada (CYM), Society of Veterans of UPA, Homin Ukrainy/Ukrainian Echo Newspaper.
Among the most significant of these CCSU initiatives supported by Ted Opitz, was the convening of the hearings onUkrainein Parliament in March 2012 and the resulting report issued by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and endorsed by the Canadian government in June 2012. Mr. Opitz also was instrumental in facilitating the visit in October 2012 toOttawa, including meetings with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the CUPFG, by Mr. Ruslan Zabily, Director of the Museum and National Memorial to the Victims of Occupation Regimes “Prison atLonsky Street” in Lviv. These and other programs and projects initiated by the CCSU and supported by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress are directed towards strengthening the bonds of friendship and understanding between the Canadian and Ukrainian people, especially as this pertains to the arduous process of overcoming Ukraine’s totalitarian past by restoring the Ukrainian people’s historical memory and national dignity.
It also is important to note that MP Ted Opitz is a frequent visitor to and participant in events at the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Community Centre in Etobicoke, home to the local branches of the LUC, LUCW, CYM and UPA, that are among the most active and engaged branches of the CCSU network acrossCanada.
In welcoming MP Opitz as the new Chairman of the CUPFG, the LUC and LUCW National Executives and their fellow member organizations in the CCSU look forward to continue
working with the CUPFG in helpingUkrainebuild a nation that shares our Canadian values
of democracy and justice, a free market economy, and opportunity for all of its citizens.
We also welcome and congratulate the other members of the CUPFG executive committee and all its members for their vision and commitment to Canada Ukraine relations.
Ted Opitz, M.P., (Etobicoke Centre) – Chair
James Bezan, M.P., (Selkirk-Interlake) – Vice-Chair
Peggy Nash, M.P., (Parkdale-HighPark) – Vice-Chair
Kevin Lamoureux, M.P., (WinnipegNorth) – Vice-Chair
Senator Raynell Andreychuk – Vice-Chair (Senate)
Mark Warawa, M.P., (Langley) – Treasurer
Robert Sopuck M.P., (Dauphin-SwannRiver-Marquette) – Secretary
Linda Duncan, M.P., (EdmontonEast) – Director
Ed Komarnicki, M.P., (Souris-MooseMountain) – Director
Alexandrine Lantendressem M.P., (Louis Saint-Laurent) – Director
Wladyslaw Lizon, M.P., (Mississauga-East Cooksville) – Director
Joy Smith, M.P., (Kildonan-St. Paul) – Director
Comments