Rubbing political shoulders with the ABN in Toronto The struggle continues... uring the Cold War, many Canadian 1986: ABN-Canada’s Campaign Freedom espite pledges of “truth and reconcili- politicians joined forces with Anti- Conference, co-organised by Lisa Shymko, was ation” for committing genocide, and DBolshevik Bloc of Nations in Toronto. held Nov. 20-22, the 43rd anniversary of the Dvows to stop systemic racism, the Ca- ABN’s Nazi-sponsored creation in 1943. ABN- nadian government continues its Cold War 1953: After opening its first congress, Lith- funding of East European émigré groups that uanian-Canadian Josef Kaskelis, ABN-Cana- Canada’s chair, Orest Steciw, paid tribute to re- cently-deceased ABN leader, Yaroslav Stetsko, still glorify Nazi collaborators as war heroes. da’s leader for the next 30 years, appointed its Cold War Canada shared the Red Scare presidency. It included Ostap Sokolsky,1 lead- who won their Gold Medal of Freedom. Speak- ers included new ABN leader, Slava Stetsko, paranoia of the AntiBolshevik Bloc of Nations er of Canada’s Waffen-SS Galicia vets’ associ- (ABN) which saw the USSR and homegrown ation, a key group in the Ukrainian Canadian plus spokesmen from “anti-communist resist- ance movements” in Angola, the Baltics, Cau- “peaceniks” as the top threats to peace, order Congress (UCC). ABN’s presidency also in- and democracy. Their shared antiRed psycho- cluded Ontario’s first Ukrainian MPP, Ivan Ya- casus, Ethiopia, Kampuchea, Mozambique, Laos, Ukraine, Turkestan and Vietnam.8 ses justified Canadian complicity in NATO’s remko, a Progressive Conservative (PC) who first-strike policies, rationalised the provision unseated a communist MPP, A.A.MacLeod, in Nicaraguan contra leader Mario Cale- ro was there to speak about his FDN “freedom of Canadian weapons and troops to wage US- 1951. Yaremko was an Ontario cabinet minis- led wars killing millions of civilians, and sup- ter (1958-72) and Solicitor General (1972-74). fighters.” Loyal to ousted US-backed tyrant Anastasio Somoza, the FDN used terrorism to ported McCarthyesque attacks on leftwing op- In 2008, he gave the UCC $25,000 to start an ponents of these horrendous Cold War policies. Ottawa lobbying office.2 In 2010, the UCC got fight the popular socialist, Sandinista govern- ment. A declassified CIA report on contra co- To spread their anticommunist myths, all Ontario MPPs to endorse a glowing tribute the ABN’s diehard, East European foot soldiers 3 caine trafficking said that “Calero has one of to Yaremko that did not mention his ABN past. locked step with their allies in government and Speakers at the 1951 congress included the most seamy reputations .... as being up to his knees in corruption, ... a hatchet man for the the media. Many Canadian officials were feted ABN leader Yaroslav Stetsko and George Drew, at ABN meetings, rallies, conferences and ban- the former Ontario premier (1943-48) who led hardcore unreconstructed right ..., a symbol ... 9 quets—where they shared photo ops with infa- Canada’s PC party. After being an MP (1948- of all ... perceived to be rotten in the FDN.” Besides hearing from MPP Yuri Shym- mous Nazi collaborators like Yaroslav Stetsko. 57), Drew was Diefenbaker’s High Commis- Even now, long after the USSR’s de- sioner to Britain (1957-64). Drew saw the USSR ko, cabinet minister David Crombie (ex-Toron- to mayor, 1972-78 and PC MP, 1978-88), ABN struction, Canada’s “captive nations” groups— “as the greatest threat to world peace” said his- riddled with apologists for war heroes who aid- torian Kirk Niergarth. He also notes that Drew delegates met Pat Boyer (PC MP, 1984-93), US congressman Jack Kemp (1971-89) and ed the Nazi’s antiRed cause—keep their fore- so admired Mussolini and Hitler, that he want- bears’ flames alive by fanning the fire of a new ed Canada to help the UK “to ally with fascist heard written greetings from top global contra 27 Cold War against Russia and various socialist 4 Ronald Reagan, and PM Mulroney. Italy and Germany to resist the Soviet menace.” enemies. These far-right groups and their po- 1981: At this ABN congress, organised by References and Notes litical and media allies still smeer their shared Oleh Romanyshyn of the League of Ukrainian 1. ABN Correspondence, May/Jun 1953. enemies with deceits like Black Ribbon Day. Canadians (LUC), émigrés from “captive na- bit.ly/ABN-51 Virulently anticommunist and Russo- tions” celebrated the 40th anniversary of sup- 2. UCC Bulletin, Summer 2008, p.4. bit.ly/UCC08 phobic, Canada’s largest, state-supported East 3. “Tribute to John Yaremko in Ontario Legislature,” posed “Ukrainian independence in 1941 led by European émigré groups continue to hide the New Pathway, 2010. bit.ly/JY-ON Mr. Stetsko.” This fascist leader, who vowed racist and fascist ties of their founding leaders. 4. Kirk Niergarth, “George A. Drew’s Anti-Commu- allegiance to Nazi Germany, was this ABN They also deny their roles in the political and nist Tour of the USSR..., 1937,” Ontario History, event’s key speaker. Others included leaders of ethnic cleansing programs of WWII that were Fall 2015. bit.ly/G-Drew ABN chapters; the World Congress of Free viciously justified by conjuring up the Western 5. “ABN Conference in Toronto,” ABN Correspond- Ukrainians; LUC; the Canadian Anti-Soviet elites’ much-reviled Judeo-Bolshevik bogey. ence, Mar-Apr 1983, p.38. bit.ly/ABNcda Still dominating Canada’s East Europe- Action Cttee; Ron Gostick of the World Anti- 6. Robert Fisk, Independent, Nov. 14, 2001. Communist League-Canada; John Wilkinson, an groups are those which the Liberal govern- 7. Orest Steciw, “ABN Canada 1981-1982,” ABN ment united under the aegis of the Ukrainian a British Tory MP (1970-74, 1979-2005) who Correspondence, Mar-Apr 1983, p.32. chaired the Banderite European Freedom Coun- bit.ly/ABN-Cda-TO Canadian Congress in 1940. By expediting the cil; Edward O’Connor, a presidential aide who (Gamble, a WACL director, led its affiliate, the Can- early postwar influx of 160,000 antiSoviet East directed Eisenhower’s Cttee. to Investigate adian Freedom Foundation. In 1986, Reagan’s CIA Europeans, Canada’s Liberals bolstered sup- Communist Aggression (1954); and Masood chief Bill Casey linked Gamble to Iran-Contra port for their hawkish Cold War policies. Their Khalili,5 spokesman for mujahideen com- funding, through Toronto’s Vertex Investments.) ongoing largesse is now most blatant in the bit.ly/ContrasGamb mander Ahmad Masood who later led NATO’s funding of Ukrainian-Canadian groups that still 8. Iryna Mycak, “Toronto Hosts Campaign Freedom, glorify fascist, war criminals with cult-like zeal. proxy in the US-led 2001 Afghan invasion, the Nov. 20-22, 1986,” ABN Correspondence, Jan/ Northern Alliance. “From 1992 to 1996,” said Although the ABN’s “captive nations” Feb 1987, pp.9-12. (Lisa Shymko, pp.12,25,39) often saw success in the election of their fel- journalist Robert Fisk, “the Northern Alliance bit.ly/abnswc2 low travellers, none have come closer to pow- was a symbol of massacre, systematic rape and Backing the US war in Vietnam, Truong Quang 6 er than Chrystia Freeland. Given how closely pillage” and left Kabul “with 50,000 dead.” Si, fled there in 1975. Speaking at ABN congresses she identifies with this political heritage, and Yuri Shymko, MPP, read greetings from in Toronto (1981, 86, 90), he was nat’l chair of given the government’s ongoing, Cold War sup- Ontario’s PC premier, Bill Davis, and speak- the Vietnamese American Republican Coalition. ers included Etobicoke Mayor Dennis Flynn, a 9. Overview: Report of Investigation (96-0143-IG), port for this far-right diaspora, Canadians need Liberal MP of Polish descent, Jesse Flis, and CIA, Jan. 29, 1998. bit.ly/cialero to be increasingly wary of their government’s PC MPs, Michael Wilson and John Gamble.7 10. Mycak, op. cit. bellicose, proUS/proNATO foreign policies. Spring 2021 Issue # 70 Press for Conversion! 63.