B.C. premier David Eby issued the following statement on January 27:
“The Holocaust stands as one of humanity’s most profound moral failures, a carefully engineered attempt to erase an entire people. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we confront that truth with humility, sorrow and resolve. ‘Never again’ cannot be a passive promise; it must be an active commitment to confront hatred.
“Today, we honour the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah, along with the millions of Roma and Sinti people, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, political dissidents and all others targeted by the Nazi regime. Behind every number was a life: a child with dreams, a parent protecting loved ones, a family whose future was stolen. Their loss is immeasurable and their memory must remain at the heart of our collective conscience.
“As the number of Holocaust survivors grows smaller each year, our responsibility grows larger. We must preserve their stories and heed their warnings. Their testimonies show us how extremism and dehumanization escalate when left unchallenged and where indifference and hate can lead.
“This International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we resolve to ensure that remembrance is matched by action. In British Columbia, we are strengthening Holocaust education in our high school curriculum, so every student understands the truth of this genocide and the consequences of hate. We are also continuing to work with Jewish communities to improve safety at synagogues, schools and community centres because no one should fear for their safety because of who they are.
“These actions are essential, especially at a time when Jewish communities in British Columbia and around the world are facing a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic threats, harassment and violence. Confronting antisemitism is not optional. It is a moral imperative – and central to making ‘Never Again’ real.
“On this day and every day, we stand with Holocaust survivors and their families, with Jewish British Columbians and with all those who defend human rights and dignity. May the memory of those murdered in the Holocaust guide our actions, strengthen our resolve and remind us of the world we must create together: one built on truth, empathy and justice.”
