Statement from Premier Pillai on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:

“Today, I invite Yukoners to join people around the world in solemnly remembering the six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust – known in Hebrew as the Shoah – along with the millions of others persecuted by the Nazi regime for their ethnicity, sexuality, disability and religious or political beliefs.

“Today we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Vistula-Oder offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II. Today, this concentration camp serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of hatred, bigotry and indifference.

“We mourn the victims of the Holocaust. We honour the resilience of those who survived. Their courage and determination to rebuild their lives in the face of unimaginable loss serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

“We cannot reflect on the atrocities of the Holocaust without acknowledging and confronting the rise of antisemitism and other forms of hatred occurring today. We must uphold the promise of 'never again' by educating ourselves and our children, challenging prejudice wherever it appears and standing united against all forms of injustice and discrimination. Here in the Yukon, we are incorporating Holocaust education into the Grade 10 curriculum and working to make the territory a place where everyone is safe, valued and appreciated and where people are not afraid to stand up for what is right.

“The Jim Smith Building in Whitehorse will be illuminated to honour the victims of the Holocaust. Today, and every day, we renew our vow: never again.”