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Writer's picturetyudelson
Oct 2, 20233 min read

Genocide in Canada is currently top of mind: What are we going to do about it?

Lip service will not do.


Canada’s shameful history in addressing genocide was reinvigorated in the last couple of weeks as we:

  1. marked our National Day of Truth and Reconciliation,

  2. learned about more unmarked Indigenous graves in B.C., and

  3. witnessed the disgraceful recognition of a Nazi war criminal in the Canadian Parliament.

As governments and religious institutions continue to grapple with making amends for their horrific long-term participation in the cultural eradication of our Indigenous populations, we now learn about Canada’s abject failure to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.


We learned that, in the aftermath of the 2nd World War, it was easier to get into Canada if you were a Nazi than if you were a Jew. And this attitude continued unabated for years after the war. In 1962, for example, a cabinet memorandum warned against bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. It accused Canadian Jews of seeking revenge against Germans, comparing the racism of Canadian Jews in seeking to bring Nazi war criminals to justice to the actual actions of the Nazis themselves.


These varied events only work to amplify the need for yet more calls to reexamine our own history, particularly as it relates to dealing with human rights and human dignity. They also highlight the need for follow-through on the correction of past mistakes. Our legislative and religious institutions are at the top of the food chain for this work. Our schools follow closely behind.


Sadly, there continues to be resistance to dealing with Indigenous trauma (examples include the failure to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and failure to turn over Indigenous records) while antisemitism is on the rise.

Which means, we’re simply not adequately learning the lessons and, more importantly, not doing the work, to ensure a safe and respectful haven for everyone.


The story we, Canadians, tell ourselves is a multicultural narrative where we seek to celebrate diversity.


Let’s not lose track of this honorable goal.


See Genocide is foundational to Canada: What are we going to do about it?


In recent years, we’ve heard quite a few Indigenous stories, but not so much about Nazis in Canada, so here are a couple of telling podcasts on this subject:


CBC Radio: The Current with Matt Galloway - Sep. 29, 2023: How did Nazi sympathizers end up in Canada?

Segment 12:12

It was just a week ago that the Speaker of the House recognized a man who turned out to be a veteran of a Ukrainian SS division. Anthony Rota has since apologized and resigned, but there are now calls for a detailed investigation into Canada's history with Nazi sympathizers.


CBC Radio: The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay - Oct. 1, 2023: Irwin Cotler reflects on Canada's past treatment of Nazis

Guest host Rebecca Zandbergen speaks with human rights advocate and former federal minister Irwin Cotler about Canada's complicated history with Nazis

Segment 22:00

Canada is grappling with a complicated part of its past after a member of a Nazi unit was honoured in the House of Commons. The incident has Canadians revisiting history and the country's own record after the Second World War. Irwin Cotler is Canada's special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. He is also a former federal Liberal justice minister, attorney general and the international chair at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. He joins Rebecca Zandbergen to discuss how Canada should reckon with its past and future actions.

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