Liberals plan apology for turning away Jewish refugees in 1939
OTTAWA— The federal Liberals are working on an apology for the Canadian government’s decision in 1939 to turn away a boat of German Jews hoping to seek asylum in Canada, The Canadian Press has learned.
Some wanted the apology for the MS St. Louis to come in concert with Wednesday’s inauguration of the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead only made passing reference to the incident in his speech.
From the monument, Trudeau noted, it is possible to see the Peace Tower. But that’s also a reminder that Canada has not always been a welcoming nation.
“May this monument remind us to always open our arms and our hearts to those in need,” he said. The ship had 900 Jews aboard when it was turned away from both Cuba and the United States before a group of Canadians tried to convince then-prime minister Mackenzie King’s government to let it dock in Halifax.
While history records King trying to convince Frederick Blair — his immigration minister at the time — to consider their plea, the minister ultimately refused.
The ship returned to Europe. While some passengers were taken in by Belgium, France, Holland and the U.K., about 500 ended up back in Germany, half of whom did not survive the Holocaust.
The story of the ship gained renewed attention earlier this year, when pictures and stories of the victims circulated on social media in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban immigration and refugee settlement from certain countries.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather also referenced it during a debate on Trump’s travel ban, saying Canada must remember it hasn’t been immune to its executives making similar decisions.
“I hope one day a Canadian govern- ment will apologize for what happened with the St. Louis,” Housefather said at the time. When asked during a New York Times interview in June how Canada avoids anti-immigrant sentiment, Trudeau said Canada must acknowledge times it its history when it wasn’t a welcoming country.
Sources, who aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter, say work is ongoing to formalize the MS St. Louis apology and determine when best to deliver it.
Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said Wednesday that securing an apology for the MS St. Louis incident “has long been a priority” for his group.
“We’ve been engaged in productive conversations with parliamentarians on this issue and are grateful that Prime Minister Trudeau recognized this dark chapter in our history at the unveiling of the National Holocaust Monument earlier today,” he said.
“Only by acknowledging our past mistakes can we ensure that in the future, our country will stand for what is right.”
The idea for a Holocaust monument was sparked in 2007 by a University of Ottawa student who complained Canada was the only Allied nation without such a monument.
The Conservative government took up the cause — a private member’s bill allowing for the monument was one of the last to get royal assent before the Tory minority was defeated in a no-confidence vote in 2011.