15 January 2025
Dear Minister of Justice Virani:
On 24 October 2024, the Honourable Chris Alexander, a Distinguished Fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, testified before the Standing Committee for Public Safety and National Security of the House of Commons. In discussing foreign interference in Canadian society, Mr. Alexander tabled documents suggesting that Mr. David Pugliese, a journalist working for the Ottawa Citizen, had been an agent of influence for the Soviet Union, recruited for that purpose by the Soviet secret police, (https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/SECU/meeting-125/evidence).
Mr. Pugliese denied the allegations before the SECU committee on 7 November 2024 (https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/SECU/Evidence/EV13424473/SECUEV129-E.PDF) and in various media stories (e.g. https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/postmedia-reporter-says-kgb-allegations-are-ridiculous-and-entirely-false).
Meanwhile, Mr. Dwayne Strocen, president of Docufraud Canada, and a veteran of the RCMP, has said that in his professional opinion, these KGB documents are real (https://globalnews.ca/news/10831226/reporter-david-pugliese-false-russian-spy-allegations/).
We call upon the Government of Canada to immediately set up an official inquiry to determine whether these accusations are credible and to take any measures required based on this investigation’s findings.
Sincerely yours, the undersigned,
Professor Christopher Adam, historian & editor, Canadian Hungarian Journal, Ottawa
Olesia Luciw-Andryjowcz, National President, League of Ukrainian Canadian Women, Edmonton
Leona Alleslev, former MP (Conservative Party of Canada)
Mick Antoniw, MS Senedd (Welsh Parliament), Cardiff, Wales
Professor Federigo Argentieri, political scientist, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
Boris Balan, President, Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko
Jars Balan, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Professor Olga Bertelsen, political scientist & author, Tiffin University, Ohio, USA
Brian Bonner, independent journalist, Kyiv, Ukraine
Orysia Boychuk, President, Alberta Provincial Council, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Vlodko Boychuk, Vice-President, Edmonton Branch, League of Ukrainian Canadians
Yevhen Burlaka, Vice-President, Edmonton Branch, Ukrainian National Federation of Canada
Roman Chabursky, Creative Director, Clear Impressions, Toronto
Bohdan Chomiak, Director, GNT Terminal, Odesa, Ukraine
Yuri Chumak, LLB, Toronto
Ron Chyczij, Toronto, Ontario
Jerry Duma, recipient, Order of Australia, Sydney, Australia
Marta Farion, President, Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Jonathan Fink, producer, Silicon Curtain podcast, London, England
Dr Peter Gamlin, Professor emeritus, University of Toronto
Keir Giles, Senior Consulting Fellow, Chatham House, Russia & Eurasia Program, London, England
Alik Gomelsky, Jewish-Ukrainian researcher & author, Toronto
Olena Goncharova-Lafoy, journalist, North America News Desk, Kyiv Independent, Ukraine
Jaroslaw and Olya Grod, Etobicoke, Ontario
Nataliya Halych, Director, New Ukrainian Language School and UCC (Toronto Branch)
Robert Herchak, member, Victoria Branch, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Andrew Hladyshevsky, KC, Senior Counsel, Dentons Canada LLP, Edmonton
Andrij Hluchowecky, Edmonton, Alberta
Sonia Holiad, member, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ontario Provincial Council
Colonel (Ret’d) Mark Hutchings, MSM, CD, entrepreneur, Canada
Dr P Kallioniemi, creator, Vatnik Soup & Fellow, International Centre for Defence & Security, Estonia
Vicki Karpiak, Ukrainian Canadian community activist, Ottawa
Maria Katchmar, teacher (Ret’d), Ottawa
Roman Katchmar, PEng, Ottawa
Dr Natalia Khanenko–Friesen, Director, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Edmonton
Dr Bohdan Klid, historian & author, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, Edmonton
Jurij Klufas, President, Ukrainian National Federation, Toronto, Canada
Simon Kouklewsky, producer, Ukrainian Time, Montreal
Dr Peter Kormylo, Ukrainian Information Service, London, UK
Zenon Kowal, délégué général honoraire des gouvernements francophones de Belgique, Bruxelles
Ihor Kozak, BEng, MBA, Vice-President, League of Ukrainian Canadians, Toronto
Mykhaylo Kozlovskyy, President, Edmonton Branch, Ukrainian Youth Association
Askold Krushelnycky, journalist and author, Kyiv, Ukraine & Washington, DC
Serhii Kuzan, Director, Ukrainian Cooperation and Security Center, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Lubomyr Kwasynicia, President, Romyr Consultants Corporation, Toronto
Dr Serhiy Kvit, President, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine
Svyatoslav Lashkevych, Chairman, Vancouver Branch, Ukrainian National Federation
Dr Leonard Leshuk, author & independent historian, Washington, DC
Oleh Lesiuk, sculptor, President, Ukrainian Association of Visual Artists of Canada
Marco Levytsky, journalist & editor, Ukrainian News/New Pathway, Edmonton
Bruce Lilley, President, Ukrainian Canadian Congress, St John’s, Newfoundland
Professor Lubomyr Luciuk, author & political geographer, Royal Military College of Canada
Dr Bohdan Luhovyy, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Andrii Lytvynets, Edmonton Branch, League of Ukrainian Canadians
Victor Malarek, investigative journalist & author, Toronto
Andriy Maleckyj, MA, MBA, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Professor Hugh Macdonald, political scientist, Boston University International Programs, London, UK
Paulette MacQuarrie, producer, Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, Vancouver
Lubomyr Markevych, Barrister & Solicitor (Ret’d), Alberta
Ksenia Maryniak, MA, translator, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Rev Dr Athanasius McVay, FRSA, FRHistS & Research Fellow, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, Toronto
Roman Medyk, past President, League of Ukrainian Canadians, Toronto
Michael Melnyk, author & independent historian, UK
James Michaluk (Ret’d), administrator, Freedom for Ukraine, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Paul Migus, Director, Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership, Ottawa
Dr Victor Mishalow, Merited Artist of Ukraine, Toronto
Professor Alexander Motyl, political scientist & author, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA
Elvira Mruchkovska, President, Vancouver Branch, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Lidia Narozniak, LLB, Crown Attorney (Ret’d), Hamilton, Ontario
Marta Olynyk, translator, Montreal, Quebec
Steve Ostafichuk, Board Member, League of Ukrainian Canadians, Toronto
Professor Victor Ostapchuk, historian & author, University of Toronto
Dr Pierre Pawliw, Lecturer, Université Laval, Sherbrooke, Quebec
Mykhaylo Petechuk, President, Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation in Canada
Ihor Petelycky, Toronto, Ontario
Taras Podilsky, President, Edmonton Branch, League of Ukrainian Canadians
Andrij Potichnyj, Director, Unite with Ukraine (Ukrainian World Congress), Toronto
Mark Preston-Horin, Certified Disability Management Professional, Victoria, British Columbia
Michael Pyniansky, Director, Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada, Toronto
Dr Natalia Pylypiuk, Professor emerita, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Richard Ratzlaff, editor, Toronto
Bohdan Romaniuk, LLB, Canada-Ukraine Foundation (Vice President-Alberta)
Mrs Anna Romanyshyn, MLS, Librarian (Ret’d), Toronto
Dr Oleh Romanyshyn, League of Ukrainian Canadians, Toronto
Peter Schturyn, President, Toronto Branch, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Roman Senkus, senior editor (Ret’d), Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies
Bohdan Shandor, former President, Ukrainian American Bar Association, Florida
His Excellency Andriy Shevchenko, former Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Kyiv
Professor Myroslav Shkandrij, historian, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Michael Shwec, Président, Congrès des Ukrainiens canadiens – Conseil provincial du Québec
Lisa Shymko, former Chair, Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Resource Centre
Professor Ruslan Siromskyi, Dean, Faculty of History, Ivan Franko University, Lviv, Ukraine
Borys Sirskyj, Member (Ret’d), Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, Ottawa
Ostap Skrypnyk, former President, Canada-Ukraine Foundation, Winnipeg
Marsha Skrypuch, author, Brantford, Ontario
Captain (Ret’d) Andre Sochaniwsky, CD, President, Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada
Dr Ted Sosiak, MD, Toronto
Myron Spolsky, Kyiv, Ukraine
Orest Steciw, Director, Ucrainica Research Institute, Toronto
Rev Father Jeffrey D Stephaniuk, Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church, Wynyard, Saskatchewan
Borys Sydoruk, BSc (Pharmacy), Calgary
Lesia Szwaluk, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Robert Topolnytsky, BCom, MA (Ret’d), Toronto
Mykola Vorotilenko, Vice-President, Edmonton Branch, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Oksana Wasylyk, administrator, Ukrainian National Federation Foundation, Toronto
Halya Wilson, member, Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Calgary
Jerry Woloschuk, Justice of the Peace (Ret’d), Port Dover, Ontario
Ted Woloshyn, Ted Woloshyn Podcast, Toronto
Professor Oleh Wolowyna, demographer, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, USA
Yurij Wowczuk, Director, Vovk Foundation, Pittsburgh, USA
Borys Wrzesnewskyj, former MP (Liberal Party of Canada), Toronto
Bohdan Wynnycky, past-President, Ontario Provincial Council, UCC, Toronto
Vera Yuzyk, member, Ottawa Branch, Ukrainian National Federation
Roman Zakaluzny, member, Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Ottawa
Professor Walter Zaryckyj, Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation, New York
Professor Sergei Zhuk, historian & author, Ball State University, USA
Dr Roman Zyla, Ottawa