By Canadian Press

Rideau Hall apologizes for honouring Nazi veteran with Order of Canada in 1987

Oct 4, 2023 | 9:17 AM

OTTAWA — Rideau Hall says it deeply regrets that a man who fought for a Nazi unit in the Second World War was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1987.

Peter Savaryn was chancellor of the University of Alberta and leader of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, according to his Order of Canada biography.  

He also fought for the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, a voluntary unit created by the Nazis to help fight off the Soviet Union.

Institutions across Canada have been grappling with the issue since the House of Commons sparked international controversy by honouring another fighter from the same unit, Yaroslav Hunka, during a visit by the Ukrainian president. 

The Governor General’s apology was first reported by the American Jewish outlet The Forward, which also broke the story about Hunka’s service in the same unit.

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Rideau Hall says it’s also examining the awarding of Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals to Savaryn, and noted his Order of Canada membership terminated when he died in 2017.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023.

The Canadian Press