Canada’s blunder is a lesson in the importance of historical literacy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologised after the government accidentally honoured a Nazi.

‘Deepest apologies.’

Those were the words of a Canadian parliamentary official following a major gaffe by the country’s political leaders.

At a House of Commons meeting last week — attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — members of parliament were seen honouring an individual who served in a Nazi unit during World War II.

The incident, which sparked international outrage, has since been addressed as an embarrassing mistake on part of the Canadian government.

Speaker Anthony Rota had recognised Yaroslov Hunka, 98, as a ‘Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero’, before thanking him for ‘all his service’. Two standing ovations followed.

The mistake was only discovered after the ceremony when citizens, historians, and dubious members of the media dug into Hunka’s background.