Kapuskasing Never Forget Statue and Plaque

Mayor Pierre Perras of Kapuskasing (left) and Lubomyr Luciuk

Constructed and unveiled at the Kapuskasing internment camp's graveyard on October 14, 1995, in memory of the 5,000 women, children and men interned as unfriendly aliens during and after the World War I. The statue was unveiled by John Liznick, and dedicated by Lubomyr Luciuk of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, before the crowd of more than 80 spectators.

Northern Times reported on Wednesday, October 18, 1995:

... When the First World War broke out, western Ukraine was under the rule of the decaying Austro-Hungarian Empire. This part of the Ukraine was the most nationalist part of that country and vigorously resisted rule from Vienna, and in later years, from Moscow. Because of this, Great Britain, Canada's then mother country, called Ukrainians friendly and sought their support. Despite this, and despite an immigration policy that had for years lured Ukrainian farming families to Canada to help open the prairies, Canada declared them dangerous. Those who weren't locked up had to routinely report to local police forces. Others caught up in the racism of the day were Bulgarians, Turks and other minorities ruled by the European empires.

Trilingual plaque