Memorial to the Victims of Communism - Canada, a Land of Refuge unveiled

Arc of Memory honours victims of communism and recognizes Canada's international role as a place of refuge from injustice and persecution.

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada inaugurated the Memorial to the Victims of Communism – Canada, a Land of Refuge, with Ludwik Klimkowski, Chair of Tribute to Liberty.

At this ceremony, the Arc of Memory, the centrepiece element of the Memorial, was unveiled. Designed by Paul Raff Studio and fabricated by Dymech Engineering, it includes an array of more than 4,000 metal rods configured on two gently curved wall-like frames intended to express the vastness of people who suffered under communist regimes. The work also invites visitors to reflect on Canada as a free and welcoming country.

Located on the west side of the Garden of the Provinces and Territories in downtown Ottawa, the Memorial also recognizes Canada's international role as a place of refuge from injustice and persecution. The site also includes a landscaped gathering area that provides a contemplative space for visitors to reflect on these experiences.

Tribute to Liberty, a Canadian charity founded in 2008, played a leading role in establishing a Canadian memorial to honour the victims of communism. It is governed by a nine-member volunteer board of directors, which represents key ethnocultural communities in Canada that were affected by communism.

Canadian Heritage facilitates the development of new monuments of national significance on federal land in Canada's Capital Region. It worked with Tribute to Liberty and the National Capital Commission to make this memorial a reality.

Quotes

"We hope that families in Canada who were victims of oppression and tyranny will find comfort in this memorial. This site will be a place to remember those who were lost, to reflect on Canada as the free and welcoming country it is, and to move toward a brighter future."

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"We solemnly commit to preserving the voices and experiences of those who sought refuge on Canada's shores, while honouring the memory of those who never had the chance or died trying. This national memorial stands as an enduring testament to a profound truth—the freedoms and dignity we cherish in Canada are not simply inherited gifts, but hard-won responsibilities. They are fragile, precious and demand our constant vigilance and protection."

— Ludwik Klimkowski, Chair, Tribute to Liberty

Quick Facts

The Government of Canada will continue to ensure all aspects of the Memorial remain compatible with Canadian values on democracy and human rights.

The Memorial's design was chosen through an open design competition from October 2016 to May 2017. Five teams were short-listed by a jury of experts to prepare design proposals. On May 17, 2017, Team Raff's Arc of Memory proposal was announced as the winner.

Arc of Memory is a dynamic living calendar, designed to capture the many moments of suffering and injustice to be remembered, in solace and gratitude. More than 4,000 metal rods are arranged along with 365 slender posts, each one pointing at a unique angle of the sun, for every hour of every day, across a year. The memorial is divided in the middle at the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, inviting visitors to step through in a metaphorical journey from darkness and oppression to light and liberty.

Ottawa-based Dymech Engineering fabricated the sculpture. There are 12,700 components, more than 6,200 of which are unique, custom-made parts. Dymech assembled the components in 12 sections that were brought to the site and secured to the plinth, two at a time, over the course of multiple months.

The cost of the Memorial is $7.5 million. Tribute to Liberty contributed $1.5 million.

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact:Charles Thibault-Béland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]