First it was Nazis. Now? A different war but the same blind eye to war crimes, and the same silence from those in power

 

Canada has a long, shameful habit of sheltering war criminals. Isn’t it about time we put an end to that legacy?

One of the most embarrassing moments in recent memory came in September 2023, when Yaroslav Hunka received a standing ovation in the House of Commons. A 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian, Hunka had served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS, a military unit that collaborated with Nazi Germany and was involved in numerous atrocities against civilians during the Second World War.

Speaker Anthony Rota hailed Hunka as a “Canadian hero” for fighting the Soviets, ignorant of the fact that the Soviets were Canada’s allies in that war.

Hunka wasn’t an anomaly. He was one of the thousands of Nazi collaborators reportedly welcomed to Canada after the war, many of whom quietly escaped prosecution. The government didn’t seem bothered that it was exposing the public to individuals who had sidestepped justice.

When the Hunka scandal broke, outrage fixated on Rota’s gaffe. But the deeper scandal—the institutional pattern—went largely ignored.

Even Michael Chomiak, the grandfather of Chrystia Freeland—who served as deputy prime minister under Justin Trudeau and now serves as minister of transport and internal trade under Prime Minister Marc Carney—edited and published Nazi propaganda in Ukraine using a printing press stolen from a Jewish family. He lived freely in Canada. Freeland, for all her moral posturing, has never expressed a hint of remorse for her grandfather’s role.

This silence isn’t just disappointing; it’s dangerous. And while politicians look away, many Canadians are paying attention.  (more...)

First it was Nazis. Now? A different war but the same blind eye to war crimes, and the same silence from those in power