Minister of Agriculture Norm Letnick, in his role as the B.C. government’s liaison with the consular corps, has issued the following statement today on the recognition of Nov. 26, 2016, as Holodomor Memorial Day in British Columbia.

“The 1932-33 Ukrainian Famine and Genocide was a tragic and disturbing injustice against the Ukrainian people. This was an orchestrated genocide committed against the Ukrainian people, killing an estimated 10 million men, women and children.

“This tragedy is referred to as the Holodomor, which in Ukrainian means death by starvation. This widespread starvation was caused through the seizure of the Ukrainian lands and crops. Grain quotas were set, and when those quotas were unable to be met, what was left was taken away, along with other food and seeds for planting.

“B.C. is home to more than 203,000 Ukrainian-Canadians, and we pledge to remain committed to celebrating the diversity and inclusiveness that we enjoy in our province so that an atrocity like this never happens again.

“The Holodomor is marked in Ukraine as a national memorial day, and in 2008, an act was passed in the federal parliament that recognizes and commemorates the Holodomor on behalf of all Canadians.

“This Saturday, Nov. 26, is Holodomor Memorial Day in British Columbia, we pause to remember the millions who were killed in this act of genocide.”