As the controversial monument approaches its first anniversary, the Department of Canadian Heritage has reversed course on the names originally meant to be inscribed on it.
The controversial Victims of Communism memorial in downtown Ottawa will no longer feature the names of specific individuals after federal officials determined a significant number could be linked to the Nazis.
The memorial, located near the corner of Wellington and Bay streets, was intended to honour those who suffered under communism.
But concerns have been raised over the years by Jewish organizations and historians that names of eastern Europeans who collaborated with the Nazis in the Holocaust have been put forward in an attempt to whitewash their past.
The Ottawa Citizen reported in 2024 that the Department of Canadian Heritage was told by historians that more than half of the 550 names to be inscribed on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism should be removed. The reason was because of potential links to the Nazis or questions about affiliations with fascist groups.
As originally planned, there were to be 553 entries on the memorial’s Wall of Remembrance.
Canadian Heritage has now reversed course on inscribing specific names. “The Government of Canada has emphasized that all aspects of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism must align with Canadian values of democracy and human rights,” department spokesperson Caroline Czajkowski said in an email. (more...)
Government retreats on Victims of Communism memorial names in aftermath of Nazi controversy
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