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Trudeau Unveils Holocaust Monument in Ottawa

Diane Koven, Ottawa Correspondent for The Canadian Jewish News
September 28, 2017

The long-awaited inauguration of Canada’s National Holocaust Monument took place on Sept. 27, in spite of a dramatic rainstorm that forced the ceremony to be moved inside the adjacent Canadian War Museum.

In the presence of over 500 people from across the country, including many Holocaust survivors and their families, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of the importance of the monument for all Canadians.

“I have had the privilege, as prime minister, of visiting Holocaust memorial sites around the world,” he said. “We now have a place here in our nation’s capital where families can come together to learn, to ask those tough questions, to grieve and to remember.”

He also acknowledged the presence of Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair.

“This is one of those moments when all parties come together, remembering in solemn reflection something that we must never forget,” said Trudeau.

He noted that Canada was one of the first countries to officially recognize Israel, “but we must confirm the ugly truth that anti-Semitism is not just a thing of the past in Canada.”

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