CANADIAN PARLIAMENT KEEPS MINUTE OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 27 2006
Yerevan, April 27. /ARKA/. The Canadian Parliament kept a minute
of silence in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide in
the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The pres and information department,
RA Foreign Office, reports that an Armenian delegation was invited
to the Parliament’s sitting on April 24, 2006.
The minute of silence was announced by Speaker Peter Milliken with
the parliamentarians’ consent at the end of the Government’s hour.
Hundreds of representatives of Armenian communities in Canada arrived
in Ottawa from Montreal and Toronto. The Armenian delegation visited
the RA Embassy in Canada and laid a wreath to the monument “Eternal
Armenia” in front of the Embassy. The same day, Armenian organizations
held a procession of protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Canada.
On April 23, a large-scale function in memory of the Genocide victims
was held at the Armenian center in Toronto. Speaking were Chairman
of the New Democratic Party Jack Leyton, the leader of the official
opposition John Torin, candidate for the post of chairman of Liberal
Party Joe Volpen, representatives of the Greek and Armenian communities
of Canada, members of the Canadian Parliament. Premier of Ontario
Delton Mcguiny addressed a message to the participants.
Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Genocide Research
Rich Hinges was a keynoter at the function.
Similar arrangements were held in Montreal on the initiative of the
Hay Dad Montreal Commission and the Armenian Congress in Canada.
On April 23-24, Canadian TV channels marked the 91st anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide. Liturgies were offered in Saint Grigor
Lusavorich and Saint Hakob churches in Montreal and in Saint Mesrob
church in Ottawa.