"A lot of these families didn't know why they were interned, nor when they would be released. Nobody answered their questions," Luhovy said.
Following the ceremony, children's author Marsha Skrypuch will launch her latest book, Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk, published by Scholastic.
Skrypuch spent five years researching her novel, most of which is set at Spirit Lake. Anya Soloniuk is a fictional character, but she is based on real girls who were imprisoned at Spirit Lake, including Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw - Anna Pawliw's mother.
"I like to find little flakes of history that have been shoved under the carpet," Skrypuch said.
Kim Pawliw, Anna Pawliw's 15-year-old niece and Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw's granddaughter, hopes to come from Sherbrooke to attend the ceremony. Although Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw died in 2003, she continues to inspire her granddaughter.
"She always looked on the bright side and she used to make me perogies," Kim said.
"She and her family lost everything they had when they were sent to Spirit Lake.
"They weren't enemies. They were forgotten by history and by the government. But I don't want their experience to be forgotten. It wasn't their fault."
The unveiling of the commemorative plaque will take place at 11 a.m.
tomorrow at the YMCA, 1440 Stanley St. The unveiling will be followed
by the launch of Marsha Skrypuch's book Prisoners in the Promised Land:
The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk. Proceeds from the sale
of the book will be donated to the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and
Business Association of Montreal.
"A lot of these families didn't know why they were interned, nor when they would be released. Nobody answered their questions," Luhovy said.
Following the ceremony, children's author Marsha Skrypuch will launch her latest book, Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk, published by Scholastic.
Skrypuch spent five years researching her novel, most of which is set at Spirit Lake. Anya Soloniuk is a fictional character, but she is based on real girls who were imprisoned at Spirit Lake, including Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw - Anna Pawliw's mother.
Kim Pawliw, Anna Pawliw's 15-year-old niece and Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw's granddaughter, hopes to come from Sherbrooke to attend the ceremony. Although Stephanie Mielniczuk Pawliw died in 2003, she continues to inspire her granddaughter.
"She always looked on the bright side and she used to make me perogies," Kim said.
"She and her family lost everything they had when they were sent to Spirit Lake.
"They weren't enemies. They were forgotten by history and by the government. But I don't want their experience to be forgotten. It wasn't their fault."
The unveiling of the commemorative plaque will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the YMCA, 1440 Stanley St. The unveiling will be followed by the launch of Marsha Skrypuch's book Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Montreal.
Canada's
barbed wire fence - (Ukrainian Weekly)
http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/2002/030217.shtml