Remembering the victims, survivors, and the lessons of the Holocaust


Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Human Rights Commission

To mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, Interim Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, issues the following statement:

Today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Canadian Human Rights Commission joins people around the world in remembering and honouring the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust. We honour the resilience and courage of the survivors and reaffirm our commitment to fight against all forms of hate, discrimination, and intolerance in Canada.

This solemn day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. It serves as a powerful reminder of the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust.

Amidst continued Holocaust denial and distortion, we recall that the Holocaust was the systematic persecution and annihilation of approximately 6 million Jews, two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.

We also recall the millions of other victims of persecution and murder, including ethnic Poles, Roma and Sinti populations, Soviet citizens, 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons, people with disabilities, and political and religious dissidents. The total death toll of all groups targeted by the Nazi regime is 11 million people.

Today as we honour the memory of the lives taken in the Holocaust, we honour the survivors who came to Canada to rebuild their lives and raise their families. Now over 80 years later, the Commission stands in solidarity with all Jewish communities across Canada.

We remain deeply concerned about the rise in antisemitism in Canada, and elsewhere around the world. When expressions of antisemitism are downplayed and left unchecked, it leaves hate to fester and to take deeper root.

This commemorative day is about the importance of ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust never be diminished or forgotten, and that history never be repeated. We are committed to promoting a Canada where every person feels free and safe no matter who they are or what they believe.

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The Commission is Canada’s National Human Rights Institution accredited under the UN Paris Principles, and works to promote and protect human rights within Canada.

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