Too Many Nazis

No, I am not talking about MAGA, nor even  Nick Fuentes alone in a room.  

I am not even talking about the United States.

I am talking about Canada.

Specifically, I am talking about the decision recently made by the Department of Canadian Heritage to not put any names on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Toronto.

At least half of the proposed names were Nazis, Waffen SS members, and their fellow travelers, and so they gave up trying to fix it.

It does seem that an a lot of people donating to this project via the Tribute to Liberty charity were objectively pro-Nazi.

Canada’s controversial Memorial to the Victims of Communism will not include the names of alleged victims of communism, per a statement from Canadian Heritage spokesperson Caroline Czajkowski.

Historians, journalists and other experts have warned since 2021 that a list of names submitted for commemoration on the monument included suspected war criminals, Nazi collaborators and members of wartime fascist groups.

“The Government of Canada has emphasized that all aspects of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism must align with Canadian values of democracy and human rights,” wrote Czajkowski in a statement. “The Wall of Remembrance will now solely feature thematic content that conveys the broader commemorative and educational intent of the Memorial.”

Czajkowski added that there is “no set timeline for the completion of the thematic content” and that the heritage department will continue to collaborate with project sponsor Tribute to Liberty “to ensure the Memorial remains a respectful and inclusive place of remembrance and reflection.” 

………

Tribute to Liberty was responsible for preparing the list of alleged victims, which were compiled as part of a fundraising effort over several years. 

The Maple reached out to the organization’s board chair, Ludwik Klimkowski, for comment, but received no response.

According to Czajkowski, Tribute to Liberty is expected to independently develop an educational program related to the monument.

………

In February 2024, Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese obtained documents through an Access to Information request that showed the unveiling was actually postponed in part due to the fallout from the scandal surrounding Parliament’s standing ovations for Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian Waffen-SS veteran. 

In October 2024, the Ottawa Citizen reported that St-Onge’s office could not commit to ensuring no Nazis would be commemorated on the monument.

As reported in Ricochet, the name of at least one Nazi collaborator, Janis Niedra, had been engraved on a nameplate and affixed to the monument before the unveiling was postponed. 

Sandra Richards, a Canadian Heritage project manager, noticed the name had been attached to the Wall of Remembrance during a site visit. 

An email thread obtained by Ricochet through Access to Information revealed that Richards and several other Canadian Heritage officials were aware of Niedra’s name and that there was an agreement in principle that Niedra’s name would be excluded from the commemoration.

………

Sandra Richards, a Canadian Heritage project manager, noticed the name had been attached to the Wall of Remembrance during a site visit. 

An email thread obtained by Ricochet through Access to Information revealed that Richards and several other Canadian Heritage officials were aware of Niedra’s name and that there was an agreement in principle that Niedra’s name would be excluded from the commemoration. 

I'm thinking that perhaps there should be an investigation of the Tribute to Liberty charity.