OSTAP HAWALESHKA

Professor of Engineering

Date and Place of Birth: Bucharest, Romania

Date of Interview: February 2, 1939

Place of Interview: Mississauga, Ontario

Interviewer: Jurij Darewych

Length of Interview: Part 1 - 01:10:22 (raw); Part 2 - 00:52:25 (raw)

(Excerpt):

I think what needs to be said is that when Baden-Powell created 'scouting for boys', he did it not so the boys went to the army, but so that he could raise decent citizens. And when I try to look objectively, we had а slightly greater task assigned to us than simply being 'good' citizens of our country. We also had Ukraine in the back of our minds through our parents because of the way they raised us, and the things that influenced us throughout our lives – Ukrainian music, Ukrainian literature, Ukrainian history. We were always ready in some form to help Ukraine. It's just like how I came up with that silly army story where they parachuted me into Ukraine. Why not somewhere else? So when I look very objectively in general at PLAST alumni, those who are still in PLAST, and those who maybe are not or have outgrown it, I am in fact impressed with the quality of these people. How much of their time, knowledge, and skill they have contributed to the development of their Ukrainian community be it either in Canada, in Australia, in Germany, or anywhere else. Or even in the general community where they live. I think that this is the fantastic result of an organization like PLAST.

CROSS REFERENCES:

• Recipient of the Order of Canada Award in 2001. " He was instrumental in founding the Science and Technology Centre in independent Ukraine. This monumental Canadian International Development Agency effort redirected the country's engineering capabilities and reduced the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. Widely respected for his leadership, his diplomacy and his negotiating skills, he is also known as a dedicated community volunteer."

• Recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for making "outstanding and exemplary contributions to their communities or to Canada as a whole"

• Yangel and Kondratiuk medals from Ukraine.

• "Human rights museum criticized at public meeting" CBC News. 07 Dec. 2011. Web. 30 May 2016. Ostap Hawaleshka expressing his concern that the Holodomor is inadequately represented at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, in Winnipeg.

• Matas, Robert. "Graves expose Soviet lie, diggers say." The Globe and Mail. 09 Nov. 1989. Web. 30 May 2016. Ostap Hawaleshka recounting his work with a mass grave from the Holodomor.