OTTAWA, December 12, 2024

The Government of Canada inaugurated the Memorial to the Victims of Communism – Canada, a Land of Refuge, with Ludwik Klimkowski, Chair of Tribute to Liberty.

At this ceremony, the Arc of Memory, the centrepiece element of the Memorial, was unveiled. Designed by Paul Raff Studio and fabricated by Dymech Engineering, it includes an array of more than 4,000 metal rods configured on two gently curved wall-like frames intended to express the vastness of people who suffered under communist regimes. The work also invites visitors to reflect on Canada as a free and welcoming country.

Located on the west side of the Garden of the Provinces and Territories in downtown Ottawa, the Memorial also recognizes Canada’s international role as a place of refuge from injustice and persecution. The site also includes a landscaped gathering area that provides a contemplative space for visitors to reflect on these experiences.

Tribute to Liberty, a Canadian charity founded in 2008, played a leading role in establishing a Canadian memorial to honour the victims of communism. It is governed by a nine-member volunteer board of directors, which represents key ethnocultural communities in Canada that were affected by communism. 

Canadian Heritage facilitates the development of new monuments of national significance on federal land in Canada’s Capital Region. It worked with Tribute to Liberty and the National Capital Commission to make this memorial a reality.