Community Reflects on 111 Years of Resilience: A Day of Remembrance in Vancouver

By Lorig Korajian

On April 26, the Armenian-Canadian community of British Columbia gathered at Mountain View Cemetery to mark the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Organized by the United Armenian Committee of BC, the commemoration served as both a solemn remembrance of the 1.5 million martyrs and a celebration of the community’s enduring survival.

The ceremony, which was emceed by Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) member Lorig Korajian, took place at the Armenian Genocide memorial monument. The striking steel sculpture, modelled after the magnified fingerprint of a genocide survivor and supported by fifty metal rods mapping the geography of the massacres, provided a powerful backdrop for the day’s proceedings.

The outdoor portion of the program included remarks from Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. Minister Dix, who recently hosted a commemoration at the BC Legislature in Victoria, spoke on the necessity of “active memory” and the importance of history driving contemporary action. Sunita Dhir, MLA for Vancouver-Langara, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the need for collective solidarity against injustice. These contributions were particularly poignant as the city also marked the one-year anniversary of the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy, with speakers expressing solidarity with the Filipino community.

The program highlighted the participation of local youth, beginning with students from St. Nerses Shnorhali School and ARS Araz School leading the national anthems. The students of St. Nerses Shnorhali continued the presentation with a performance of the song Ari Im Sokhag and recitations of prominent Armenian poetry. Students from ARS Araz School presented on the historical significance of the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and read the names of notable Armenians in the diaspora. Their presentation detailed the contributions these individuals made to the communities that welcomed them, serving as a powerful reminder that Armenians continue to create and thrive globally.

Dr. Jeff Sahadeo, a professor at Carleton University and a British Columbia native, delivered the keynote address. During his speech, Dr. Sahadeo traced the episodic history of genocide recognition globally, from the Soviet Union in the 1960s to the present day in Canada. He noted that while this history is uniquely Armenian, the broader lessons regarding truth and vigilance remain universal.

The formal proceedings included the reading of the official Proclamation of the Province of British Columbia. The committee also acknowledged greetings and regrets from several representatives unable to attend due to parliamentary business or local memorial events, including MPs Don Davies, the Hon. Terry Beech, Parm Bains, Marc Dalton, and Elizabeth May, as well as MLAs Teresa Wat, Mable Elmore, and Steve Kooner.

The commemoration concluded with a closing prayer led by the Very Reverend Father Vartan Tashjian and Reverend Father Keghart Garabedian. Following the ceremony, a reception allowed for a time of fellowship. The event served as a testament to the community’s resilience, echoing the spirit of William Saroyan’s “New Armenia” through the continued preservation of language, story, and culture within British Columbia.