“Today, we stand together to remember a crime against humanity – the ruthless, relentless genocide of the Ukrainian people under the communist regime of Joseph Stalin in 1932-33.

“For decades, this deliberate starvation of an entire country was unknown to the rest of the world. Seven to 10 million people – entire communities – were killed. Today, we honour those lost by using their own language to describe the Holodomor – the horrific ‘extermination by means of starvation.’

“Generations of Albertans of Ukrainian origin have contributed greatly to our province’s cultural, economic, political and educational life. That is why the Alberta legislature unanimously passed the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act in 2008.

“I was honoured, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to declare formal recognition of the Holodomor Genocide in 2008.

“Today and every year, we stand with our Ukrainian friends and neighbours, and recommit ourselves to ensuring the Holodomor will never be repeated. We recommit ourselves to uphold human dignity in opposition to those who would deny those rights. And we celebrate that in Alberta we have the freedom to say so openly.”