On the fourth Saturday of November, Ukrainians in Canada, in Ukraine, and around the world come together to remember the millions of innocent people killed in the Holodomor, the man-made famine of 1932–33.

The word Holodomor means “killing by starvation.” It was a genocide carried out against the Ukrainian people by the Soviet totalitarian regime through grain seizures, food confiscation, and blacklisted villages. For decades the Soviet Union denied it happened and banned any public remembrance. Families mourned in silence, and the truth was suppressed.

Today we can do what they could not: speak openly, honour the victims, and pass on the truth so that such a crime is never repeated. In 2008, Canada’s Parliament unanimously passed a law recognizing the Holodomor as genocide and designating the fourth Saturday of November as Holodomor Memorial Day.

On November 28, we invite you to commemorate by lighting a candle in your window and taking time to learn about the Holodomor. Read survivors’ testimonies, share their stories, and help keep the truth alive.

Вічная пам'ять. Eternal memory.