Member of Parliament Taleeb Noormohamed announces funding for Holocaust remembrance initiatives in Vancouver and Victoria.
VANCOUVER, BC, March 5, 2025 /CNW/ - The federal government is committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and honouring the voices of survivors, while actively combatting antisemitism and hate in all its forms.
Today, Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs (Canada-U.S.), Member of Parliament (Vancouver Granville), announced more than $590,000 in funding for two initiatives in British Colombia. He made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities.
The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre will receive $467,307 to support the creation of online learning programs on Holocaust remembrance and education for teachers and students across British Columbia. The Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island will receive $124,000 to help educate a variety of community stakeholders and provide interactive training on the Holocaust, antisemitism and the experiences of local Jewish Canadians.
These projects are among the first initiatives across Canada to receive funding through the new National Holocaust Remembrance Program.
Budget 2024 provided $5 million over five years, starting in 2024–25, and $2 million per year on an ongoing basis, for the creation of a new, permanent National Holocaust Remembrance Program. This new program is also part of Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate, which brings together 20 key federal programs in a government-wide approach to combatting hate, building unity and keeping Canadians safe.
The National Holocaust Remembrance Program helps keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and helps Canadians better understand the Holocaust and the ways antisemitism still affects us today.
Quotes
"Eighty years ago, humanity witnessed one the darkest chapters in history with the murder of more than 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. We have a responsibility to never forget and ensure the events of the Holocaust are never repeated. As we see a rise in antisemitism today, we must be reminded that it is our responsibility to stand up for all Jewish communities. That is why we introduced the new National Holocaust Remembrance Program, which will support initiatives to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and teach Canadians how they can play an active role in combatting antisemitism."
—The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
"This is one of the Government of Canada's largest investments in the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre since its inauguration. VHEC plays a critical role in educating our friends and neighbours about the very real horrors of the holocaust. If we do not continue to learn about our shared histories and learn about the horrors of our past, we are bound to repeat them. Fighting antisemitism and hate is a fight that we must all take on together."
— Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs (Canada-U.S.), and Member of Parliament (Vancouver Granville)
"This funding is a powerful endorsement of the VHEC's decades-long commitment to Holocaust education in Canada. As Western Canada's leading Holocaust museum, we continue to challenge Holocaust denial and distortion through innovative programming and community outreach. With this support, we will develop three bilingual online learning programs, create new educational archives and historical resources, and equip educators and students with the tools they need to foster remembrance and combat antisemitism."
— Hannah Marazzi, Acting Executive Director, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
"We are deeply grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage for this vital investment in Holocaust education and antisemitism prevention. The funding will assist the Jewish community on Vancouver Island to develop programming as well as facilitate trainer development and program delivery to local community leadership. We truly believe a better understanding of Jewish history and culture, the history of the Holocaust and antisemitism and the current lived Jewish experience will give police officers, educators and other community leaders the capacity to be upstanders, not bystanders."
—Coral Grant, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island
Quick Facts
On January 27, 2025, The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, announced new funding to combat antisemitism, preserve Holocaust remembrance, and educate against Holocaust denialism and distortion in Canada and around the world. This announcement includes more than $2 million for projects funded through the National Holocaust Remembrance Program.
Antisemitism continues to rise in Canada. Recent events in the Middle East have led to increasing rates of hate incidents against Jewish communities across the country. Hate crimes targeting Jewish people rose 71 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to July 2024 Statistics Canada data, making Jewish Canadians the most targeted group in Canada for hate crimes.
Canada has the fourth-largest Jewish community in the world, following Israel, the United States and France. In the 2021 census, 335,000 Canadians identified as Jewish. As of December 2024, Canada's Holocaust survivor population is roughly 9,800, one of the largest in the world.
The Government of Canada's efforts to build a safer, more inclusive society include the work of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism. The position of Special Envoy was created in 2020 as part of the federal government's commitment to strengthening national and international efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and honour the stories of survivors.
In October 2024, the Government of Canada released the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Using Canadian examples, the handbook serves as a tool to identify and address antisemitism.
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.
Related Products
Backgrounder: Remembering victims of the Holocaust and preserving their stories
National Holocaust Remembrance Program
Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism
Associated Links
Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
For more information (media only), please contact: Waleed Saleem, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 1-819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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