TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Central and Eastern European Council of Canada, representing nearly 4 million Canadians of European heritage, have announced plans to commemorate National Black Ribbon Day on August 23rd, 2011 in cities across Canada.

Evening ecumenical services are planned in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Montreal. In each city, all communities will be invited to a central place of worship. Details regarding services each location will be released in the coming weeks.

In November 2009, a resolution declaring Black Ribbon Day, August 23, an annual day of remembrance for the victims of Communism and Nazism in Europe was unanimously passed Canada’s Parliament.

Black Ribbon Day historically commemorates the anniversary of the infamous Molotov- Ribbentrop pact, a sinister partnership treaty between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia that allowed each to violently and illegally seize the lands and peoples situated between them. Twenty Five years ago, Canada’s Central and Eastern European communities, by initiating Black Ribbon Day, were instrumental in bringing international attention and understanding of the plight of their heritage nations. This Canadian initiative organized demonstrations in 21 cities on both sides of the Iron Curtain. In 1989 close to 2 million people formed a human chain across the Baltic republics and by 1991, demonstrations were held in 56 cities on three continents.

Edmonton
Edmonton City Hall, 7pm
Contact
Agnes Somorjai,
President,
Canadian Hungarian Heritage Association
Hungarianlife@yahoo.ca

Montreal
Our Lady Gate of Dawn,7 pm
1465 Rue de Seve, Montreal
Contacts:
Joana Kuras, President, Lithuanian Community in Canada
joanakuras@sympatico.ca
Silvija Staskeviciene, 450-347-0583


Toronto
St Maximillian Kolbe Church, 8 pm
4260 Cawthra Road,
Mississauga
Contact:
Teresa Berezowski, President
Canadian Polish Congress,

Vancouver
St Mary’s Ukrainian Church (to be confirmed), 7 pm
550 West 14 th Avenue
Vancouver BC
Contacts; Mirko Petriw, Secretary-Treasurer Ukrainian Congress in Canada (BC)
T (604) 9366177 F (604) 936 6174

Markus Hess, Acting President,
Estonian Central Council in Canada
cdnceec@gmail.com


Winnipeg
Sts. Vladimir and Olga Church, 7 pm
115 McGregor Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2W 4V5
Mail: 206-114 McGregor Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2W 5J7
Contacts: Tel: the Rev. Mitred Archpriest Michael Buyachok (204) 589-5025 Fax: (204) 589-6812
Myroslava Oleksiuk
Ukrainian Congress in Canada
myroslava@rogers.com

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