Not releasing the names of alleged Nazi war criminals who entered Canada would be a continued protection of individuals who perpetrated the Holocaust, or collaborated with the Nazis.
Earlier this month, there were stories in both The Globe and Mail and the Ottawa Citizen revealing that Library and Archives Canada is preparing to release a list of nearly 900 names of alleged Nazi war criminals who entered Canada following the Second World War.
With the passage of time, it can be safely assumed that the overwhelming majority of these individuals are long since deceased.
Those Canadian officials responsible for allowing these Nazi war criminals entry—and failing to bring them to justice for the war crimes they committed—are most certainly no longer among the living. So, one would think this would be a rather routine release of formerly classified government information. However, that has not proved to be the case.
The contentious files include documents compiled by the 1986 federal government war crimes commission headed by Justice Jules Deschênes. One such document is entitled “Master List of alleged war criminals resident in Canada with a list of sources.” While this particular list contains 774 names, additional files of Nazi scientists and technicians who entered Canada following the war brings that total to 900.
The original news stories revealed that after Library and Archives Canada (LAC) had received an access to information request for the “Master List of Alleged war criminals,” they had conducted a series of consultations with what LAC officials described as a “discrete group of individuals or organizations.” Those consulted included various representatives from Canada's Ukrainian community, along with other Eastern European diasporas. Not included in the LAC discussions were any Holocaust survivors or Holocaust scholars whom one would think would be the key stakeholders in a decision to release the names of Nazi war criminals.
Also, one would think that all Canadians would be interested in knowing the identity of alleged Nazi war criminals who were allowed to live out their lives peacefully in our midst. (more...)
Shielding Nazis in Canada the wrong use of time, resources
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