Preserving Holocaust remembrance and creating safer communities

TORONTO, May 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, as we prepare to mark Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. As one of the darkest chapters in human history, the unimaginable inhumanity, loss, and grief faced during the Holocaust and from its memories, will never go away.

This year, Yom HaShoah comes as Jewish communities are still reeling from Hamas' brutal October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel – the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust – and the subsequent disturbing rise in antisemitism in Canada and around the world. Canada unequivocally condemns Hamas' attacks, anyone who glorifies their indefensible actions, and the unacceptable acts of antisemitic violence that have targeted Canada's Jewish community.

On this day, we must remember, but we must also learn, educate others, and renew our eternal obligation to stop this from ever happening again.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today highlighted a $90.5 million package of measures from Budget 2024 to combat antisemitism, preserve Holocaust remembrance, educate against Holocaust denial and distortion, and protect gathering spaces for Jewish people.

This includes:

Creating a new, permanent national Holocaust remembrance program. Budget 2024 includes an investment of $5 million that will support initiatives to preserve the memory of the Holocaust for future generations, and help more Canadians learn about the atrocities committed and the prevalence of antisemitism that led to them.

Supporting the construction of the new Montréal Holocaust Museum. The Government of Canada will invest $5 million to help build this museum, which aims to educate a new generation of visitors, including students, about the horrors and injustice of the Holocaust. This builds on a previous investment of $20 million to support this project and is part of a suite of generational investments to support the redevelopment and renewal of Canada's major Holocaust education centres. This includes investments of $2.5 million for the Toronto Holocaust Museum and $25 million to support the construction of a new Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, which will include an expanded home for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.

Strengthening our support to Canada's Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. Budget 2024 will provide $7.3 million to support Special Envoy Deborah Lyons' work to help build a more inclusive society and ensure that current and future generations of Jewish people can be and feel safe at home and abroad. This builds on previous funding in Budget 2022 of $5.6 million over five years, starting in 2022-23.

Keeping communities safe against hate-motivated crime. Budget 2024 announces $41.2 million to improve the collection and availability of hate crime data in Canada, support police colleges to increase training on handling hate crimes, develop and deliver specialized training to Crown prosecutors, and raise awareness in the judiciary about the unique dynamics of hate crime. By ensuring we have the right data and that police, prosecutors, and judges are trained to prevent and enforce hate crimes, we can improve our ability to comprehensively combat this hate.

Protecting synagogues and cultural spaces. As part of Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, Budget 2024 will provide $32 million through the Security Infrastructure Program to increase security at gathering spaces, such as synagogues, day schools, and community centres. This will protect communities at risk of hate-motivated crime, including Jewish communities. We will also be cutting red tape and evolving the Security Infrastructure Program to make it easier and more efficient for organizations to access security support when they need it.

Launching a review to renew and enhance Canada's National Holocaust Monument. Using existing resources, the federal government will work with Holocaust scholars, educational experts, and the local community to increase the Monument's visibility and engagement in Ottawa, Ontario, and with Canadians across the country.

To Jewish Canadians – we stand with you. Our solidarity is steadfast. And our commitment to your safety is ironclad. Whether it's at a synagogue or a Jewish business or school; whether it's wearing the Star of David or a Kippah – Jewish Canadians deserve to feel safe, supported, and welcomed. They deserve to live openly and proudly Jewish lives, without intimidation or fear.

We will do whatever it takes to raise awareness of the Holocaust, fight antisemitism, and combat hate in all its forms – and those are just some of the things that we're doing to build a more fair and inclusive country for everyone in Budget 2024. As we mark Yom HaShoah, Canada reaffirms its commitment to stand with Jewish communities so this dark chapter in history is never repeated.

"We stand with Jewish Canadians – today on Yom HaShoah, and everyday. We must stand together, remind ourselves of the consequences of hate, educate others, and renew our efforts to root out antisemitism. Jewish Canadians deserve to live openly and proudly Jewish lives, without intimidation or fear."

— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

"Simply saying 'never again' is not enough. In this year's budget, we are making investments and taking concrete action to confront antisemitism, hatred, and intolerance in all its forms – while reaffirming our commitment to stand with Jewish Canadians."

— The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada

"Antisemitism has no place in Canada. The investments in Budget 2024 will help educate current and future generations of Canadians, ensuring we never forget the horrors of the Holocaust and always stand up against antisemitism, and all forms of hatred."

— The Hon. Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

"It is painful – but essential – that we never forget the stories, families, and legacy of those lost in the Holocaust. Its history must be told through our museums, monuments, and community spaces, teaching us to continually reflect so that these things never happen again. Yet tragically, hate, fear, persecution, and antisemitism live on. They must be fought every single day. Generations of Jewish Canadians and Jewish people around the world today remember – through concrete actions and in the spirit of solidarity, we are with you."

— The Hon. Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"Yom HaShoah is a reminder that it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that the promise of 'never again' is kept. There is much work that must be done to ensure that Canadian Jewish communities are not only safe, but able to flourish and thrive. Younger generations from every community across Canada need to learn about the dangers of Holocaust denial, distortion, and inversion, and all Canadians must recommit to combatting the antisemitism we are witnessing every day here and around the world."

— Deborah Lyons, Canada's Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism

• In total, Budget 2024 proposes $273.6 million over six years, starting in 2024-25, with $29.3 million ongoing, for Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims of discrimination and violence.
• Since 2018-19, Canada has invested over $260 million for Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy, Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, and the Canada Race Relations Foundation to fight racism and hate and ensure that our society continues to be strengthened by Canada's remarkable diversity.
• Earlier this year, the Government introduced the Online Harms Act, which will combat the significant increase in online hatred directed at vulnerable populations, including the Jewish community. It also creates new and strengthens existing Criminal Code provisions to ensure those who commit hate crimes are held accountable.
• The position of Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism was created in 2020 as part of the federal government's commitment to reinforce national and international efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and the stories of survivors. The Special Envoy works to combat antisemitism, hatred, and racism and to promote and defend democracy, pluralism, inclusion, and human rights.
• Canada's commitment to human rights and combatting antisemitism at home and abroad is anchored in our membership and work with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). As the only international institution mandated to focus on issues related to the Holocaust, the IHRA promotes awareness about the far-reaching negative impacts of antisemitism around the world and seeks ways to end it. In June 2022, Canada announced that it will double its annual contribution to the IHRA.
• In 2019, the Government of Canada adopted the IHRA's definition of antisemitism. A companion handbook to the IHRA's definition is being developed and will be published this year.
• In 2022, the federal government amended Canada's Criminal Code to make it a crime to willfully promote antisemitism by condoning, denying, or downplaying the Holocaust.
• The Government of Canada's Budget 2024 was tabled in the House of Commons by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance on April 16, 2024.

• Fairness for Every Generation
• Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation
• Communities at Risk: Expanded Security Infrastructure Program (SIP)

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office