The Stories Were Not Told

The Stories Were Not Told / Sandra Semchuk
Edmonton: UofA Press, c2018
312 p.

I was sent this book by the University of Alberta Press, as they know I have a special interest in Ukrainian Canadian topics. This particular book really hit home.

It's a collection of stories from people who were directly affected by the internment of Ukrainian Canadians in WWI. This is a story that many people still don't realize is a part of our history. But it is true; there were camps across Canada, many just for men, but also some (like in Spirit Lake, Quebec) that unjustly interned whole families as enemy aliens.  

They were as awful as you might imagine. The one I know most about is the Castle Mountain Internment Camp -- there is a statue there commemorating the highway between Banff and Lake Louise which was built by prison labour. This experience was novelized in Barbara Sapergia's excellent read, Blood & Salt. 

This book, though, is based in historical fact. It shares individual stories, which are so powerful. Semchuk has collected family stories, historical events, photos, and more, which all come together to both inform and touch the hearts of readers. Even if you aren't Ukrainian Canadian, this book about a neglected part of the Canadian past should interest history buffs, and really, I think, should be used in general education around the war years. 

As I was reading, I began to wonder how Canadians believe that we are so much nicer or gentler than other nations. Where has this self-serving stereotype come from? There are some pretty awful things in our past, and these camps are just one example that we seem to sweep under the rug and not talk about. 

I found the structure of this book well formed -- moving from individuals to larger stories about the camps, sharing lots of photographs not only of camps but of people, and their lives before & after internment. I even saw a photo that I recognized, of my hometown in Saskatchewan. (there were many, many internees in the West, where Ukrainians tended to settle).

And Semchuk's writing style is very effective as well. She lets the voice of storytellers shine through, but has arranged and contextualized the stories within the historical setting, adding a lot of understanding for readers. 

This is an excellent read, informative and balanced, full of necessary stories. I'm glad someone gathered these personal stories told by internees and their descendants, and has shared them in such a readable way. It makes a stronger impact to read about people directly than just the historical fact of camps, although that initial research and work was vital. Perhaps the connection comes from the fact that the author is an artist as well as a scholar, and expresses the heart of the stories in a meaningful way. 

I wouldn't say that this was a fun, quick, or entertaining read -- but it was absorbing and really fascinating to learn from. Definitely recommended to history buffs, other Ukrainian Canadians, or those interested in exploring the intergenerational effects of racism and prejudice in our wider past.