NCC ‘caved in’ on donor recognition
The National Capital Commission “caved in” to lobbying by Tribute to Liberty, the charitable group raising funds for the new $5.5 million Memorial to the Victims of Communism, abandoning a policy that banned the acknowledgment of donors at commemorative sites, says the charity’s former chair.
The 2012 policy reversal cleared the way for Tribute to Liberty, then struggling to raise money for the memorial, to offer donors name recognition at the memorial, which will occupy a 5,000 square metre site between the Supreme Court and Library and Archives Canada.
However, a Department of Canadian Heritage spokesman said the amendments “were not driven by Tribute to Liberty.”
Under the banner “final opportunity,” a notice in a recent Tribute to Liberty newsletter offers those who donate $1,000 a place on the memorial’s “Wall of Remembrance.”
“You can forever memorialize the name of a loved one on the Memorial to the Victims of Communism’s Wall of Remembrance with a $1,000 donation,” the text reads. “Space on the wall is limited. Make your donation today to ensure that the world never forgets the suffering endured under communism.”
As well, Tribute to Liberty’s website promises an on-site plaque to those who donate $100,000 or more. Those who donate between $1,001 and $99,999 will also be recognized by name at the memorial site.
Under a policy adopted in 2006, the NCC explicitly ruled out this sort of donor recognition. “Donor contributions to the commemoration, whether financial or other, shall not be acknowledged in any manner as part of the commemorative site,” the policy stated.
In its fall 2011 newsletter, Tribute to Liberty reported that many donors and potential donors were asking why there was no donor recognition at the memorial site. The charity had total assets of just $9,574 at the time.
Tribute to Liberty had recently participated in an evaluation of the NCC’s commemoration program, the newsletter said, and “raised the issue of on-site donor recognition. The NCC responded by saying they would look into the issue.”
In its winter 2012 newsletter, Tribute to Liberty advised that the NCC had promised an answer by March. “Tribute to Liberty is hopeful the NCC will change its policy regarding on-site recognition as it wants to be able to recognize donors at the memorial site.”
In an interview, Alide Forstmanis, who was chair of the charitable group from 2008 until October 2012, said she pushed for the policy review. It took about two years, she said, but “obviously, they caved in on that.”
Forstmanis, now the charity’s treasurer, said about 500 people have made the requisite $1,000 donations and will be named on the Wall of Remembrance.
The NCC referred Citizen questions about the policy change to the Department of Canadian Heritage, which assumed responsibility for commemorative monuments in September 2013.
In an email, Tim Warmington, a media relations adviser with Canadian Heritage, said the amendments to the NCC’s 2006 policy “were made with international standards in mind and were not driven by Tribute to Liberty.” In a followup interview, Warmington refused to say what motivated the policy change. “The response we provided is the response we provided,” he said.
Tribute to Liberty chair Ludwik Klimkowski denied that the charity is effectively selling space on the memorial. “I don’t want to create an impression that there’s some kind of monetary exchange here,” he said. “It is about gathering testimonials and information about the life of someone they would like to commemorate.”
Klimkowski suggested the fee was a way of limiting the number of names, given finite room on the memorial. “Obviously, we have to be prudent in terms of the space.”
Leslie Maitland, president of Heritage Ottawa, said on-site donor recognition is a relatively new idea that has become increasingly common in the arts and in heritage conservation projects.
However, she added, “It’s a bit of a head-scratcher with something like a commemorative monument, because while you want to thank your generous donors, you don’t want a distraction from what the actual theme of the monument is.”
Bill Pechet, director of Vancouver’s Pechet Studio, which has worked on memorial projects, said donor recognition ideally should be disengaged from the memorial itself “so it’s not encountered and confused with its actual purpose. It’s not about the glorification of those who gave money.”
But Ottawa architect Barry Padolsky, who has publicly criticized the choice of a prime location on Wellington Street for the memorial, said recognizing donors at the memorial site “doesn’t trouble me too much,” provided it is done discreetly.
Padolsky said it was “probably
You might argue that my name on the wall is not representative of my story. It doesn’t necessarily have to be.
true” that the NCC policy wasn’t changed in response to Tribute to Liberty’s lobbying. “I think there’s been pressure to find ways to engage sponsors and donors to contribute to public art and commemorations.”
Since the policy change, Tribute to Liberty’s fundraising efforts have been much more successful. Including outstanding pledges, it now has raised about $1.5 million, Klimkowski said. He said the names on the Wall of Remembrance will represent the stories of the 100 million people worldwide who were victimized by communist regimes.
“You cannot put hundreds of thousands of names of Canadians on the wall,” he said. “So I said, ‘Why don’t we just ask 1,000 generous Canadians to represent the stories of the survivors and victims of communism?’”
Klimkowski made the first donation, but said his name on the wall will represent a Polish priest who was tortured and killed for supporting the Solidarity movement.
“You might argue that my name on the wall is not representative of my story,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be. I chose to commemorate a hero who is really close to my heart.”