Descendants of Ukrainians interned in WWI demand provincial acknowledgement

Canada's contributions to the Allied effortsin the First World War are well documented but less so is how it imprisoned some of its own residentsduring the conflict.

Canada registered more than 80,000 Ukrainian and other Eastern European immigrantsas enemy aliens during the war. More than 8,500 of them weresent to internment and work camps,much like the country did with Japanese-Canadians in the Second World War.

B.C.'slongest standing First World War internment camp was in Vernon, but there were also camps in Edgewood, Monashee,Fernieand Nanaimo.

Now, some of the descendants of those who were interned are petitioning the provincial government to acknowledge this part of Canadian history, which has been largely ignored.

"It's an important piece of our Canadian history and people need to know about it," said Andrea Malysh, a Vernon resident whose great grandfatherWasyl Luchak was sent to an internment camp in Quebec during the war.

"It needs to be addressed for the sake of all our families."

Luchakimmigrated to Canada in 1903on an invitation from the federal government to farm free land in Alberta.

He arrived with an Austro-Hungarianpassport, as he came from a region of Ukraine that was then under the rule of that empire.

"Little did he know that, later on, his passport would become his detriment," said Malysh, who also works for the Canadian First World War Recognition Fund.

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungarydeclared war on Serbia, triggeringthe First World War.

In Canada, Ukrainians and other Eastern European immigrants connected to the Austro-Hungarian empire were forced to declare themselves as enemy aliens and many were sent to internment camps under the War Measures Act.

The camp in Vernon grew to more than 500 people,according to historian Don McNair, when it was intended to intern only 80.

Many of the camps across Canada became labour camps, with prisonersforced to build roads.

Malysh says much of this history is unknown, as official internment recordswere deliberately destroyedby the federal government. Also, many survivors chose not to speak of their experiences, she said.

"This piece of our history is buried and was destroyed. It's very tragic it never got put into our history books," said Malysh.

In 2005, the federal government passed theUkrainian Canadian Restitution Act, which recognized the injustice to those interned in the First World War. Now, efforts are being focused on the province.

Earlier this week, Malysh sent a letter to B.C. Premier John Horgan, requesting a meeting to discuss provincial acknowledgement. It's a matter Malysh says is urgent, especially as many of the descendants who know the stories are agingandsome have died.

Many of them currently belong to the Descendants of Ukrainian-Canadian Internee Victims Association.

"It's an important piece of our Canadian history and people need to know about it," she said, not just as recognition of what happened but also as a reminder of what could be.

"It could happen again. And let's be clear, this shouldn't happen again," she said.