Bill C-442

2nd Session, 40th Parliament,

57-58 Elizabeth II, 2009

house of commons of canada

BILL C-442

An Act to establish a National Holocaust Monument

Whereas there is no public monument to honour all of the victims and Canadian survivors of the Holocaust in the National Capital Region;

Whereas Hitler's plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe led to the murder of six million men, women and children;

Whereas the Nazis sought to eliminate vulnerable groups such as disabled persons, the Roma and homosexuals in their bid to establish the hegemony of the Aryan race;

Whereas it is important to ensure that the Holocaust continues to have a permanent place in our nation’s consciousness and memory;

Whereas we have an obligation to honour the memory of Holocaust victims as part of our collective resolve to never forget;

Whereas the establishment of a national monument shall forever remind Canadians of one of the darkest chapters in human history and of the dangers of state-sanctioned hatred and anti-Semitism;

And whereas a national monument shall act as a tool to help future generations learn about the root causes of the Holocaust and its consequences in order to help prevent future acts of genocide;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Holocaust Monument Act.

INTERPRETATION

2. The following definitions apply in this Act.

“Council” means the National Holocaust Monument Development Council established by the Minister under section 4.

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for the National Capital Act.

“Monument” means the National Holocaust Monument referred to in section 3.

“public land” means an area of land owned by the Crown that is accessible to the public at all times.

PURPOSE

3. A National Holocaust Monument shall be established to commemorate the victims and Canadian survivors of the Holocaust.

COUNCIL

4. Within one year after the coming into force of this Act, the Minister shall establish a council, to be referred to as the National Holocaust Monument Development Council, composed of not more than five members.

5. (1) The Minister shall hold an open application process whereby members of the public who possess a strong interest in, connection to, or familiarity with the Holocaust may apply to the Minister to become Council members.

(2) The members of the Council are not entitled to be paid any remuneration for acting as Council members.

(3) The Council shall adopt by-laws to carry out its functions under this Act.

NATIONAL HOLOCAUST MONUMENT

6. The Minister, in cooperation with the Council, shall oversee the planning and design of the Monument and shall choose a suitable area of public land in the National Capital Region for the Monument to be located.

7. (1) The Minister shall be responsible for allocating the public land for the Monument and for maintenance of the Monument.

(2) The Council shall spearhead a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of constructing the Monument.

8. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada may assist the Council in the performance of its functions under this Act.

TIMELINE

9. The Monument shall be completed not later than three years after this Act comes into force.