Honouring Nazis in Plain Sight
A quick Google search shows many other Nazi soldier honoured in Canada.
Two weeks ago Canada honoured a man who fought for the Nazis in WW2 under the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. To try and hide it’s Nazi past, the 14th Waffen Division changed its name after the war to the First Ukrainian Division.
The county and the International community was outraged that Canada had so easily honoured and praised a Nazi soldier. Opposition leaders have been pressing Justin Trudeau to explain how this could have happened.
But we don’t have to look very far to understand that the events of September 22nd were not new to Canada. Canada has been honouring the SS division for decades and has never stopped glorifying it. Even after it was revealed that Canada had multiple monuments commemorating the Nazi battalion, they are still left standing.
As I outlined earlier this week, one likely reason for our country’s acceptance or normalization of nazism is that many of the descendants of the WW2 immigrants with Nazi ties have come to occupy powerful political positions.
Although the media and politicians have directed a lot of outrage and shock at the Hunka family, it seems inappropriate considering he is definitely not the first Canadian Nazi soldier to proudly boast of his past. A quick Google search of Canadian obituaries shows that Canada has had no problem glorifying the First Ukrainian Division.
Harry Zuk
Zuk’s 2012 obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press boasts that he was a veteran of the Nazi SS Unit.
Bohdan Rozdilsky
Rozdilsky of Saskatchewan also proudly served the Nazis in WW2 as a doctor. His 2004 obituary is still available online.
Harry Sawkiw
In 2018 when Harry Sawkiw passed, his obituary noted that he was a prior president of the Brotherhood of Veterans of the First Ukrainian Division.
Bohdan Krynycky
Krynucky’s obituary in 2008 lists him as a member of the Brotherhood of Veterans who served in the Galacian SS unit during WW2.
This is just what I found in a 15 minutes. If we are to have a conversation about Yarolsav Hunka and how we came to honour a Nazi soldier, we have to confront the reality that we have been gloridying this unit for years. In plain sight.
Rejean Venne is a regular newsletter providing insight and analysis on Canadian issues. Please consider becoming a subscriber.
Thank you for the important investigative work. You are helping to honor the memory of the victims who lost their voices forever and to give immoral opportunism the message that it cannot mask itself as good.
Why does this not surprise me one bit. After the last few years... nothing is surprising me anymore! 😞