Statement by Minister Rodriguez on the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, marks International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

OTTAWA, Jan. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Today in Canada and around the world, we honour the memory of more than 6 million Jewish men, women, and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and of countless others who suffered the horrors and atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.

In 2005, January 27 was designated the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. This date marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp, by Soviet troops in 1945.

In 2017, the Government of Canada unveiled the National Holocaust Monument, located in the heart of the nation's capital, to honour the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi-era crimes and to salute the courage and resilience of Holocaust survivors who chose Canada as their home. We must always remember the invaluable contribution of these survivors in shaping the inclusive society we know today whose strength is built on diversity and openness.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, I encourage Canadians to assume their collective responsibility to fight antisemitism and discrimination in all its forms, and never let intolerance and hatred take root in our communities. May we reflect on the powerful lessons learned from one of the darkest chapters in human history in order that we may never forget.

SOURCE Canadian Heritage