October 28th is National Internment Education Day, commemorating Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914-1920.
The Endowment Council is pleased to offer its newest project, “Discovering Canadian WW1 Internment”, an augmented reality digital map to educate Canadians about this tragic page in Canada’s history, to schools, educators and museums across Canada.
This project has delivered an immersive, accessible Augmented Reality (AR) exhibit that brings to life the history of Canada’s first national internment operations. 360 Story Lab has created an AR map of Canada printed on heavy vinyl. The map includes small visual icons, or “targets” that are recognized by the AR software program and activate the AR experience.
To obtain the vinyl AR Map in English or French, please contact the CFWWIRF Program Manager, Andrea Malysh.
Toronto, Canada – Pause in Plight, a 17-piece art exhibit, created by artist, Kerri Parnell reveals the Canadian WW1 national security fears and wartime prejudice, which led to the internment of more than 8,000 men, women and children primarily of Ukrainian and Eastern European descent deemed as "enemy aliens".
KUMF Gallery is pleased to host an introduction by the artist, Kerri Parnell, and special remarks at an outdoor commemoration by guest speaker, Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk on Sunday, September 13, 2020 @ 1:00 p.m.
KUMF Gallery will house, Pause in Plight from September 13 to October 11, 2020.
The Board of Directors of the Shevchenko Foundation is currently seeking an internee descendant representative for April 2020 to March 2021. This appointment is for a one year fixed term. The submitted names will be considered as potential candidates for the Internee Descendant Endowment Council position. (Non-voting)
We invite you to complete the attached form along with your resume by February 28, 2020.
Please click here for the English application form (PDF).
Please click here for the French application form (PDF).
Please submit to:
The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund
202- 952 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2W 3P4
Attention: Andrea Malysh, Program Manager
Email: [email protected]
For more information, or to receive this release in an alternate format:
Grant Hamilton
Director, Marketing & Communications
Brandon University
204.571.8542
[email protected]
Andrea Malysh
Program Manager
Canadian First World War
Interment Recognition Fund
1-866-288-7931
[email protected]
Danielle Adriaansen
Director, Public Affairs
Assiniboine Community College
204.725.8717
[email protected]
BANFF, ALBERTA – The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF) hosted the Rocky Mountain Premier of the award winning internment documentary, “That Never Happened: Canada’s First National Internment Operations” on Friday, November 17, 2017 at the Cave & Basin National Historic Site, one of the 24 First World War Internment Camps.
Internment directly impacted 8,579 so called “enemy aliens” including, among others, Ukrainians, Croatians, Armenians, Bulgarians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Macedonians, Polish, Romanians, Russians, Serbians, Slovaks, Slovenes, Turks and others from the Ottoman Empire, of which most were Ukrainians and most were civilians.
The Endowment Council of the CFWWIRF is working hard on shedding light on this tragic yet little known chapter in our Canadian history. Since the inception of our Fund back in 2008, the Endowment Council has awarded over $3 million in grants. Grant projects include: historical exhibits, awareness campaigns and presentations, commemorative plaques and statues, internee cemeteries, films, historical research, artistic endeavors, symposiums, and educational resources, among others.
The CFWWIRF provided a grant to Ryan Boyko of Armistice Films in support of “The Camps” webseries and the documentary, “That Never Happened” which focuses on one of the dark chapters of our Canadian history.
CFWWIRF Chair, Mr. Emil Yereniuk stated during his opening remarks, “On behalf of the Endowment Council, I would like to thank the Parks Canada for providing this venue for the Rocky Mountain Premier. The Cave & Basin internment exhibit on this site ensures that visitors will learn of the effects of the War Measures Act and its crippling legacy 100 years after it was first implemented. It also represents an important contribution to remembering, commemorating and recognizing the historic injustice suffered by thousands of innocent people and to learning from our Canadian history as ensuring that a similar tragedy not be repeated again.”
The film screening at this symbolic location was shown on 4 giant screens to a packed house. Included in the VIP guest list was the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko, Board of Directors and internee descendants, of whom are highlighted in the film. Mr. Andrew Hladyshevsky Q.C., President of the Shevchenko Foundation, spoke during the Q&A session with Ryan Boyko and co-Producer, Diana Cofini. Mr. Hladyshevsky described to the audience the negotiation process with the Government of Canada and the signing of the agreement with the Shevchenko Foundation on May 9, 2008 at Stanley Barracks, a former internee receiving station in Toronto. He commented to the audience that, “During the seven years of negotiations with 3 Canadian Prime Ministers; 6 Ministers of Heritage; 5 Secretaries of State for Multiculturalism and 7 Directors for Multiculturalism, we were able to achieve an honourable settlement with the creation of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. I believe we have begun to honor the memory of the men, women and children who were imprisoned or had their civil rights abused during Canada’s First National Internment Operations.”
Ryan Boyko has also written a historically approved feature film screenplay on internment called “Enemy Aliens.” The Ukrainian State Film Agency has chosen the movie “Enemy Aliens” to receive its largest grant and over one third of the movie’s budget is now secured. Ryan Boyko and co-Producer, Diana Cofini is currently in talks with numerous Canadian and International Production and Distribution companies to help finance the remainder.
The Documentary, “THAT NEVER HAPPENED” reveals the story of Canada's first national internment operations between 1914 - 1920, when over 88,000 people were forced to register and more than 8,500 were wrongfully imprisoned in concentration camps across Canada, not for anything they had done but because of where they came from. In 1954, the public records were destroyed and in the 1980s a few brave men and women began working to reclaim this chapter in history and ensure future generations would know about it.
To date, “That Never Happened” has won 5 Film Festival awards:
10° Hotter - Best Documentary - Valley Film Festival LA
People’s Choice Award - Bay Street Film Festival
Best Documentary - Festival Vues du Monde - Montreal
Best Investigative Documentary - Regina International Film Festival and Awards (RIFFA)
Silver Award - Best Documentary - Spotlight Documentary Film Awards - Atlanta, GA
The CFWWIRF digital map on its website contains “The Camps” webseries along with over 10,000 digitized news articles dating from 1914 to 1920 that describes the opinion of the time and presents the hardship unjustly endured by new immigrants who were invited to Canada and then had their civil and human rights taken away by the War Measures Act. The Camps DVD’s are now available for purchase on the Armistice Films website, www.armisticefilms.com.
About CFWWIRF
The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF) was established to support projects that commemorate and recognize the experiences of all of the ethno-cultural communities affected by Canada’s first national internment operations of 1914 to 1920.
For more information on the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.
SYNOPSIS OF EPISODE #16 – Ottawa, Ontario
In the series finale, Internee Descendant Jerry Bayrak gives a powerful, heartfelt account of his family’s struggle, resulting from their internment in Spirit Lake.
Link: http://internmentcanada.ca/map.cfm - Click on Spirit Lake
For more information on this webseries of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – March 2, 2017 – The Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund (CFWWIRF) announces release of Season 2 - Episode #9 of The Camps webseries located on the digital interactive map on its website - www.internmentcanada.ca.
Over 100 years ago the Cave & Basin internment camp in Banff was opened. Forced labour was used for park development to enhance access to Rocky Mountains National Park as well as its appeal to the general public.
SYNOPSIS OF EPISODE #9 – Banff, Alberta
Internee descendant Walter Gerdts returns to the Banff Cave and Basin Museum on the location where his father was wrongfully imprisoned during Canada’s First National Internment Operations.
Link: http://internmentcanada.ca/map.cfm - Click on Banff
Thank you to everyone who has been watching the series. The Camps has Won 2 Awards.
Indie Fest - Award of Merit: Special Mention
Hollywood International Motion Pictures Film Festival - Award of Recognition
For more information on this webseries of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.
For more information on this webseries of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.
Over 100 years ago today the Niagara Falls Internment Camp opened. The armoury held enemy aliens after their arrest at the Canada - USA Border crossings.
SYNOPSIS OF EPISODE #15 – Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Military Museum volunteers Sarah Stewart, Kathy Doherty and Berndt Meyer, retrace the steps of internees at Niagara Falls Internment Camp in Ontario.
Link: http://internmentcanada.ca/map.cfm - Click on Niagara Falls.
For more information on this webseries of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund contact the Program Manager, Andrea Malysh, toll free at 1-866-288-7931.