Marie-France Sirois had no connection with Ukraine before her son decided to leave to fight the Russian invasion. She is now relying on the Ukrainians to honor the memory of her boy who died in combat, while Canada shows no intention of doing so, she laments.
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
“Me, I did not feel that I was supported. It’s like it’s wrong that my son joined the Ukrainian army to help the Ukrainian people,” said M.me Sirois.
The mother of the family agreed to grant an interview to The Press to talk about his grief. But she also describes how, as the parent of a foreign fighter, she felt left on her own after her son’s death.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Émile-Antoine Roy-Sirois and his mother, Marie-France Sirois, during the 30e young man’s birthday
The latter, Émile-Antoine Roy-Sirois, died on July 18 in Ukraine while fighting the Russians near the town of Siversk, in the Donetsk region. He and three other foreign fighters – two Americans and a Swede – were killed by tank fire.
According to several accounts, Émile-Antoine died while rescuing an American who had just been wounded in a Russian offensive of rare intensity.
“What helps me in mourning is that I knew my son very well. I knew his motives, the reasons he was there, she said. I know that’s what he wanted, that he was happy there, that he had the feeling of accomplishment. »
I think he still believed he would come back. But it’s the best thing for me to tell myself that he was happy until the end. Otherwise, I wouldn’t survive.
Marie-France Sirois, about her son who died in combat
Émile-Antoine “was not a soldier”, notes his mother. The 31-year-old, who grew up in Bas-Saint-Laurent, had studied philosophy instead, then at HEC Montreal.
However, he had always been passionate about history and conflict. In 2014, he even joined the Foreign Legion, a corps of the French army which brings together soldiers of various nationalities. His passage had lasted only a few months, explains his mother.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, he was working as a customer experience specialist in a company in Montreal.
Then, at the end of February, the Ukrainian president launched an appeal for foreign volunteers. Despite warnings from Global Affairs Canada and his family who tried to dissuade him, he left for Ukraine at the end of March.
“He was like, ‘Mom, I’ve made a big decision. Everyone tried to dissuade him from leaving. But there was nothing to do, ”explains his mother.
PHOTO ARCHIVE THE CANADIAN PRESS
Émile-Antoine Roy-Sirois, 31, died on July 18 in Ukraine.
“I think it came for him in some unspeakable way. Emile was not someone of half measures. When he decided he had seen enough, he left. »
Repatriation of the body
The death of her son set in motion a host of steps to repatriate her body. She says she felt abandoned by Global Affairs Canada.
“Global Affairs Canada was supposed to help me, but nothing was happening. At one point, I asked them to take care of me,” she says.
The lady at Global Affairs Canada was very nice, but she couldn’t really help me. She said it was up to me to deal with the funeral home there. She called me almost only to find out how I was doing. They didn’t interfere.
Marie France Sirois
The Ukrainian consul in Montreal supported Mr.me Sirois. The funeral home and the Ukrainian army eventually took care of repatriating the mortal remains.
Not a surprise
According to military historian Tyler Wentzell, a researcher specializing in the law and history of foreign fighters, the reaction of Canadian authorities is not a surprise.
“Foreign fighters have always been a headache for governments because they usually go against official policy,” says the book’s author. Not for King or Countryabout Canadian volunteers who participated in the Spanish Civil War.
In the case of Ukraine, the line is thin, because Canada supports Kyiv, not only in its declarations, but by sending money and military equipment. Ottawa has however been very clear about the fighters, recalls this doctoral student at the University of Toronto.
“The government has been very clear: whoever goes there goes there in their own name and not in the name of Canada,” notes Tyler Wentzell. “The more Canada performs actions that suggest that it supports or recognizes these soldiers, the more it flirts dangerously with the idea that they are agents of the state. »
The issue of recognition
One question remains, however: how will the Canadians who left to fight in Ukraine on a personal basis be honored? Mr. Wentzell recalls that there are several monuments to the memory of the Canadian volunteers who left to fight in Spain between 1936 and 1939. However, they were never recognized as veterans by Ottawa.
Marie-France Sirois began to think about this question. She decided to turn to Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in the country.
“My allies are the Ukrainians, and I will go with them for the commemoration. The urn, I have it here and we haven’t decided what to do with it yet, she said. It is with them that it will be decided. I wish there was something, maybe a commemorative plaque. »
She thinks the first anniversary of her son’s death would be a good time. “It would be wonderful if it coincided with the victory of Ukraine. »