Canada’s National Holocaust Monument to be Adjacent to War Museum in Ottawa

On April 23, The Honourable Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Democratic Reform), on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, announced that the National Holocaust Monument, expected to be completed by 2015, is be build adjacent to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. The announcement came during a National Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, which was hosted by the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem with the assistance of the Zachor Coalition.

Located at the corner of Wellington and Booth streets in Canada’s capital, the future National Holocaust Monument will be one of several commemorative sites leading to Confederation Boulevard, the ceremonial route linking major tourist attractions and historical landmarks in Ottawa. The monument will face the Canadian War Museum and command outstanding views of the Parliament buildings.

Upon completion, the new monument will bring Canadians of all faiths together to remember the millions of innocent men, women and children counted among Holocaust victims. The Monument will help ensure the memory of the Holocaust is never lost. The hope is that by teaching current and future generations of Canadians the roots and causes of this atrocity, future acts of genocide will be prevented.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the advocacy arm of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, has been active in advancing the National Holocaust Monument from its earliest stages, working with MPs from all parties to achieve unanimous support for Minister Tim Uppal’s National Holocaust Monument Act.

In response to yesterday’s announcement, David Koschitzky, Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, issued the following statement:

“We congratulate the members of the National Holocaust Monument Development Council, whose hard work has brought this important memorial one step closer to completion. We are deeply gratified by the choice of such a prominent location in downtown Ottawa, close to Parliament Hill. As well, the monument’s proximity to the War Museum is a fitting testimony to the sacrifices made by Canadians in liberating Europe from Nazi rule.

“Once constructed, the Monument will offer future generations the opportunity to remember the Holocaust’s impact on all Canadians – Jewish and non-Jewish alike. In so doing, the Monument will be an enduring reminder of the need for vigilance in fighting antisemitism, oppression and the darkest expressions of human evil.”