News Release - Minister Kenney visits Babyn Yar holocaust site

Kyiv, November 23, 2008 — Babyn Yar is a site in Kyiv, Ukraine, where more than 33,000 Jewish people were killed over a two-day period during World War II. Over 100,000 Jewish and non-Jewish victims of Nazi terror were killed in the months following. Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today visited that site as part of a trip to Kyiv to mark the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, the 1932–33 famine-genocide in Ukraine.

“Standing on these grounds today is a bitter reminder of the horrific acts of the past, but also reaffirms the commitment of the Government of Canada to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust is never lost,” said Minister Kenney.

The mass killings, known as the Babyn Yar massacre, took place on September 29–30, 1941, and are known as one of the largest massacres in the history of the Holocaust. Holocaust education and combatting anti-Semitism are important priorities for the Government of Canada.

“We will not forget what took place here or in other areas of the world,” said Minister Kenney. “Canada is working with its international partners to see to it.”

Minister Kenney has spearheaded Canada’s recent and ongoing efforts to move toward full membership in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. This reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that future generations can understand the causes of the Holocaust and its consequences.

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