Mr. Speaker, today as hundreds of thousands of people in Yerevan, Armenia lay flowers around the Armenian Genocide Memorial, Canadians of all backgrounds will join in commemorating the lives of those lost between 1915 and 1923.
This day 94 years ago marks the beginning of the brutal and systematic destruction of the Armenian people by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. In this first modern genocide, approximately one and one-half million Armenians perished.
It is only in recognizing the atrocities of the past that we can learn the lessons of history and ensure that such callous disregard for humanity is never repeated.
I call on all members of the House to honour the victims of this genocide and stand firm with the Armenian Canadian community in recognizing the suffering of their forefathers.