Thousands of Torontonians commemorate the centenary of the Armenian Genocide
Thousands of Torontonians commemorate the centenary of the Armenian Genocide –
(photo by Ishkhan Ghazarian)
By Kim Therriault
Sunday, April 19, 2015 over 5000 Torontonians commemorated the centenary of the Armenian Genocide. The event honoured the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and celebrated a people’s survival. This historic event took place at Queens Park and all levels of government were represented. A number of passionate speeches were delivered to a large and diverse crowd. Premier Kathleen Wynne called the Armenian Genocide “…a terrible tragedy…and a dark moment in human history.” She went on to say that “…the passage of a century has not diminished the horror of these events, nor has it diminished the importance of recognizing the atrocity in Armenia as genocide.” Defence Minister Jason Kenney and Toronto Mayor John Tory among other political representatives, addressed the crowd, and Armenian-Canadian director Atom Egoyan delivered an inspiring keynote address. Members of parliament, foreign diplomats, and Consul Generals of Germany, Lebanon, Argentina, and Cyprus were all present.
Those in attendance were asked to support Motion M-587 which will be introduced and voted on very shortly in the Canadian House of Commons. When adopted, the motion will recognize April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention month (visit emailmp.com)
Following the commemoration, supporters took to the streets together, and marched to raise awareness and prevent future genocides. The march, organized by the Armenian community on the event of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, also included Jewish, Ukrainian, Assyrian, Pontian, Kurdish, and Rwandan communities, all who have suffered genocides during the past 100 years.
The march was led by a group of boy scouts representing the Georgetown boys, a group of Armenian orphans who were given shelter by Canada in 1923. Jewish, Ukrainian, Assyrian, Pontian, Kurdish, and Rwandan communities all joined the thousands-strong march. The procession ended at the Metropolitan United Church where an Ecumenical church service was led by the Archbishop of the Toronto Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Thomas Collins.
Today’s Unity March comes just a week after Pope Francis called the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians ‘Genocide’ and called on Turkey to take responsibility for its actions. Several other events, including a sold-out Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert presenting “Sounds of Armenia”, are planned locally and across the country leading up to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, commemorated internationally on Friday, April 24th.
The Armenian Genocide, which began on April 24, 1915, was the planned extermination of a million and half Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turkey. More than two million Armenians were forcibly taken from their homes and villages, men drafted into and murdered in the Ottoman Turkish army, and women, children and the elderly driven into the Syrian deserts where they were starved, beaten, raped, drowned, or burnt alive. Survivors ended up in orphanages and refugee camps across the Middle East and the West. 150 of the genocide orphans were brought to Canada starting in 1923 in what became known as Canada’s Noble Experiment.