2/3 of those getting asylum in Montreal from Syria are Armenians

November 30, 2015 By administrator

Thousands of refugees from Syria being welcomed to Canada under the federal expedited plan will land in Montreal or Toronto.

The Globe and Mail daily of the country informed that about two thirds of those arriving in Montreal are Syrian Armenians, and the local Armenian community has assumed their sponsorship.

“We don’t see much of them,” said Stephan Reichhold, the director of an umbrella group of 100 agencies serving newcomers to Quebec. “They arrive, they’re picked up by their sponsor group from the airport and then they disappear from our radar.”

According to the document obtained by the daily, only 311 of the people slated to arrive in Canada by the end of this year are sponsored solely by the Canadian government.

Montrealers march to mark centennial of Armenian genocide

May 3, 2015 By administrator

Jason Magder, Montreal Gazette
They marched to remember. They marched for recognition.

Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau joined thousands of people on a march organized by the Armenian Genocide

Thousands of Montrealers wove their way through downtown Montreal on a hot Sunday afternoon in a sombre three-kilometre march from Westmount Park, along Ste-Catherine St. to Place des Arts to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Held in honour of the estimated 1.5 million people who died, the commemorative walk followed similar marches held in Toronto and Ottawa.

Organizers estimated 10,000 people took part were accompanied by a drum band as they marched in relative silence.

The march commemorated Armenians, as well as Rwandans, Jews and other victims of genocide, and called for an end to genocide worldwide.

However, most of those taking part were from Montreal’s Armenian community, hundreds of them wearing black T-shirts with the message “I remember and demand.”

It has been 100 years, and this is the only genocide from the 20th century that has not been recognized by its perpetrators. It was a systemic massacre of a people. We will never forget. — St-Laurent resident Edward Agopian

The demand is for a recognition by the Turkish government that a genocide took place.

“It has been 100 years, and this is the only genocide from the 20th century that has not been recognized by its perpetrators,” said St-Laurent resident Edward Agopian. “It was a systemic massacre of a people. We will never forget.”

Agopian said although it has been a long time since the genocide occurred, nearly every Armenian in the world has a personal connection to the massacre.

“At the end of the day, there were 2 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, and 1.5 million of them disappeared,” he said. “We have 8 million or 9 million worldwide, so every person has at least one story of a family or extended family member that they lost along the way. Both my grandparents were orphaned. Their stories touched me personally.”

Among those who attended were Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, and many other MNAs and city councillors. Among them was Harout Chitilian, vice-president of the city’s executive committee, and a descendant of Armenian genocide survivors.
“My ancestors were driven out from their historic homes. We have cherished this home,” Chitilian said. He added he’s confident the Turkish government will eventually recognize its role in carrying out the genocide.

“I think the process itself is a long one, but I firmly believe the day will come that the perpetrators will recognize it, because I think it’s the only way to turn the page on that part of history that was extremely dark,” Chitilian said.

When they arrived in Place des Festivals, many marchers laid flowers in front of a replica of Dzidzernagapert, a monument to the genocide in the city of Yerevan.

The marchers filled the Place des Festivals, listened to several speeches and watched a broadcast of a commemoration held in Place des Arts.

jmagder@montrealgazette.com
twitter.com/JasonMagder

Canada CTV News: Armenian Genocide remembered at solemn ceremony

May 3, 2015 By administrator

CTV Montreal
Published Sunday, May 3, 2015

Montreal 1915-2015

A large crowd met at Westmount Park Sunday for the March for Humanity, an event that aimed to mark the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which saw an estimated 1.5 million Armenians killed by Ottoman Turks in Europe. CTV Report

“We not only wanted to remember our victims but at the same time start a new journey, a journey of educating the population that a genocide did exist,” Georges Tsovikian of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Canada told CTV Montreal Sunday.

Organizers sought not only to bring attention to the plight of the Armenians 10 decade back but also welcomed such groups targeted by genocide such as Ukrainians, Rwandans, Cambodians.

Widespread murder based on ethnicity is still going on and events like stress that the practice must stop forever, as participant Meghri Doumania put it, “because we see genocide is still going on after two centuries and it’s just not acceptable.”

And while the event occurred before anybody in attendance was born, one woman said that her mother knew the heartbreak.

“She suffered so much. I was a child and every night, every night, I was awoken because my mother wasn’t sleeping. She was crying, crying, crying,” said Dikranuhi Arevian.

And while the event was far away in time and location, the memory lives on.

“We’ve inherited the Canadian culture, we believe in the Canadian culture but at the same time we’ll never forget our heritage,” said Rafy Froundjian.