Gareth Jones - A Man Who Knew Too Much

Nigel Colley's Canadian (Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal) Lecture Tour in Late November 2006.

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CLICK HERE for an extended online PowerPoint presentation, with additional transcriptions of Gareth's 'famine' diary pages to that delivered in Canada

[or here to download the whole 6Mb PPT file for private use].

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Introduction

 

In a whirl-wind week's trip to Canada, I was flabbergasted to have received spontaneous standing ovations, which I readily admit reflected my audience's new-found admiration of Gareth's honorable exploits in exposing the truth.

 

But unbeknown to myself in each city which I flew into, there were not only pre-organised  media commitments, like speaking on national CBC radio, being received in the Ottawa parliament by Borys Wrzesnewskyj, M.P., but also the most prestigious invitation to sign the 'Book of Honour' at the Montreal City Hall. on behalf of Gareth (Photos of all these events are pictured below.)

 

I should also like to thank Dr Igor Ostash, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada, who spoke on the same platform as myself in both Toronto and Montréal, for graciously dispensing with the diplomatic protocols of allowing Garth's role in exposing the Holodomor to take precedence over his own messages, which included in Ottawa of reporting the prevcious day's news of the Ukrainian parliament's vote of declaring the famine of 1932-33 to be known as a 'famine-genocide'. ...

 

In conclusion, the over-riding impression I took back home to the UK, after my most successful and enjoyable trip to Canada, was that I may have arrived within each Canadian Ukrainian community as an almost complete stranger, but left them as not only firm friends, but in awe of Gareth's heroic endeavours... Thank You!

 

Background

 

In June 2006, with the on-going help and advice of Prof. Federigo Argentieri, of the John Cabot University, Rome (in his professional quest to get Gareth's unknown role in the Holodomor known amongst the academic Ukrainian community), in blind faith, I was kindly invited to present a paper at the 25th Annual Conference on Ukrainian Subjects at Urbana, University of Illinois by the conference organiser, Assya Humesky.

 

Then, as a direct result of my conference panel's convener, Dr. Christine Sochocky's 'on-the-fly' executive decision of allowing me to speak for over twice the time which I was rightfully allotted, I was able do full justice to Gareth's courageous heart-rending, first-hand observations of  the Holodomor (by simultaneously showing images of his hand-written notes along side my corresponding transcription).

 

It is probably no exaggeration that every delegate present in Urbana wasn't personally moved by the tale of Gareth's 'famine' diaries; which in due course led to two Canadian members of the audience that day, namely Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova and her sister Oksana Rozumnyi to return home, determined that their communities should also be enlightened  by Gareth's story. And, hence my recent invitation to Canada...

 

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Toronto

Canadian Arts Foundation,

26-27 November 2006

Kindly Sponsored by the Canadian Friends of Ukraine & The Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada.

 

Click on thumbnails for larger pictures

From left to right: Daria Darewych, Jurij Darewych, Margareta Shpir, Ambassador I. Ostash, Nigel Colley, Lisa Shymko.	New Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada, Dr. Igor Ostash presented with a  copy of Siriol Colley's book; "Gareth Jones -More than a Grain of Truth".
	Kieren MacMillan; Nigel Colley's Toronto Host.
Toronto sculptor Oleh Lesiuk kindly presenting Nigel Colley with a replica of his tri-lingual plaque of Gareth unveiled in Aberystwyth in May 2006.

 

With sincere thanks to Lisa Shymko for her most efficient organisation of my many media commitments during my stay in Toronto including a prestigious interview on  national CBC Radio, As it Happens [CLICK HERE for a 'Real Audio' link from our friends at Cybercossack.com].

 

Nigel Colley's Personal Acknowledgements: Special thanks must equally go to Profs. Yurij and Daria Darewych for making me making me feel so welcome during my stay, but especially to their son-in-law, Kieren MacMillan for graciously allowing me to invade his home; and whose company & conversation was a pleasure to behold. May I also thank everybody  who spoke so positively to me after my presentation, and if their names were ncluded herewith it would almost fill a guestbook by itself...

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Ottawa

St Paul University

28-29 November

Kindly Sponsored by the Canadian Friends of Ukraine, The Canadian Embassy of Ukraine& the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky Inst. of Eastern Christian Studies

 

Canadian Liberal M.P.  Borys Wrzesnewskyj  receives Nigel Colley & Oksana Piasecky, the Ottawa branch's President of the Canadian Friends of Ukraine	Nigel Colley & Oksana Piasecky's tour of the Canadian Senate
Irena Bell who who interviewed Nigel Colley for Ottawa CHIN Radio Ukrainian programme.
Rev. Andrew T. Onuferko, Acting Head of St Paul's University	Dr. Igor Ostash reports that the Ukrainian Parliament had voted on the previous day, to recognise the 1832-33 famine, as a 'famine-genocide'.
Nigel Colley's PowerPoint Presentation at St. Paul's University	Gareth's courage is rightfully rewarded by a spontaneous 4-minute ovation...
Question time afterwards, on whether the Irish 'Potato Blight' should also be seen as a famine-genocide...	Nigel Colley & Dr. Igor Ostash - Holodomor speakers.
Ottawa Canadian Ukrainian Dignitaries

For media coverage by Maiden entitled: Людина, що забагато знала CLICK HERE

Nigel Colley's Personal Acknowledgements:  Many thanks to  Myron Momryk  for acting as my personal chauffeur/guide along with Irena Bell. As for Oksana Piasecky, what can I say; I arrived  in her home as a complete stranger and but left feeling like her long-lost son - thank you! There are many others I really need to thank in Ottawa for their  kindness, such as Julia Woychyshy, Andrew T. Onuferko, Roman, the local Canadian Friends of  Ukraine treasurer,  Nykolai Bilaniuk (who ably helped with my slide PowerPoint transitions) and many nameless others who spoke so positively about Gareth with me after the event at St. Paul's.

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Montreal

St. Sophia’s Church Hall,

30th November - 1st December

Kindly sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Quebec Chapter & McGill Ukrainian Student's Association.

 

The prestigious signing of the 'Book of Honour' on Gareth's behalf at the Montreal City Hall, witnessed by Mayor Gérald Tremblay, his brother (as his aide) and two famine survivors.	Formal Photo of the Montréal Book of Honour ceremony.
Montreal City Hall	With Special thanks to Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova of the UCC.
The Chukha family; Nigel Colley's Montreal hosts.	Roman Chukha, Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova, Nigel Colley & Prof. Yarema Kelebay.

Montreal Radio Interview with Nigel Colley on Ukrainiantime.com CLICK HERE for MP3 link - or CLICK HERE for the station's main website and see 9th December listings. The interview starts 9 minutes into the interview.  

Nigel Colley's Personal Acknowledgements: First & foremost, thanks must go to Zorianna Hrycenko-Luhova for making the fantastic opportunity of presenting in Canada possible; also to her spouse, Yurij and son Artem for their practical help, too. And in respect of Roman & Ulana Chukha, my very kind and gracious hosts in Montreal, I can unequivocally state that their two young children, Paul and Andrew were a delight to behold and certainly kept me entertained. It was as ever a pleasure to meet up with Prof. Roman Serbyn again. And finally, I shall not forget the larger than life character, Prof. Yarema Kelebay, not just bestowing upon me the right to wear a McGill tie, but also his glorious soliloquy listing the illustrious roll call of  'Brits', who have over the years championed the causes of Ukraine... And to that list, Gareth's name rightfully belongs.