VANCOUVER (Horizon Weekly)—During the commemoration of the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide a new monument dedicated to its victims was unveiled in downtown Vancouver.

 

The monument, which is sculpture shaped like a fingerprint of a survivor, pays homage to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

More than 350 community members were joined by leaders and political officials for the unveiling, which featured remarks Archbishop Nathan Hovhannesian, Bishop Anoushavan Danielian, Armenia’s Ambassador to Canada Armen Yeganian, local, state and federal government officials, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member Hagop Der-Khachadourian, ARF Canada Central Committee chairman Raffi Donabedian and filmmaker Atom Egoyan.

 

Organized by Canada’s joint 100th Anniversary Committee, the event, which was led by Masters of Ceremonies Hagop Der-Hagopian and Varto Shanazarian, featured a presentation about the history of the monument by George Shahnazarian, a description of the monument was presented by its architect Matilda Aslizadeh.

The Premier of the British Columbia province, Christy Clark, extended her well wishes to the Armenian community of Vancouver and throughout British Columbia and acknowledged the unveiling of the monument.

“In British Columbia, we honor the victims of this tragedy. By recognising and remembering hese events, we hope to prevent them from ever happening again – anywhere,” said Clark.

“Today I join with you in celebrating the unveiling of the Armenian Genocide Monument. Dedicated to the memory of the victims, this monument and today’s commemoration give us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to peace, respect, and harmony,” added Clark.