Ontario Investing in Toronto Holocaust Museum

New state-of-the-art museum a massive win for the province’s Jewish community

THORNHILL – Laura Smith, MPP for Thornhill, a tireless advocate in government for education to combat antisemitism, was pleased to join Premier Doug Ford on Friday to announce that Ontario is contributing $500,000 in funding for the newly opened Toronto Holocaust Museum to support educators, education programs, partnerships with community organizations and security.

“Nothing is more impactful than a living history,” said MPP Smith. “The technology that is being used will immortalize survivors and their lived experiences through modern interactive educational tools – for the benefit of current and future generations. I am proud that our government is investing in the significant work that this museum is doing to protect our future by encouraging awareness and an understanding of the past.”

“Our government is proud to support the creation of an immersive, state-of-the-art educational experience at the Toronto Holocaust Museum,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “Strengthening Holocaust education by ensuring that the lived experiences and events essential to understanding Jewish history are well-documented, shared and discussed will also help support anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives across Ontario. We are building a province that is welcoming, safe and inclusive for all.”

MPP Smith was joined by her caucus colleagues Minister Monte McNaughton, Minister Michael Ford, Minister Stephen Lecce, Minister Michael Kerzner, Minister Neil Lumsden, Associate Minister Stan Cho, MPP Robin Martin and MPP Matthew Rae at the museum opening.

“It’s critical that we have people from all across Ontario come by and take a tour and get a real sense of the atrocities that happened,” said Premier Ford. “As time passes and the atrocities of the Holocaust grow more distant, it’s never been more important that history lives on.”

The Toronto Holocaust Museum will be one of the first Holocaust museums specifically designed for the post-survivor era. It will allow children to interact with virtual avatars of over 70 survivors, all of whom have a large bank of questions and answers for visitors to ask.

While nothing can replace the power of a living survivor account, recorded testimony from survivors and their artifacts, documents, and photographs, will ground the larger narrative of the Holocaust and its aftermath in the personal experiences of those who survived and built new lives in Canada.

“I’m hopeful about what is possible through education,” said Minister Lecce. “While there is sadness, there’s great light in this darkness.”

MEDIA CONTACT

Daniela Tabachnik
Executive Assistant, MPP Laura Smith
905-731-1178
daniela.tabachnik@pc.ola.org