Vanier College apologizes for cancelling Holocaust commemoration at symposium

Vanier College in Montreal. (CTV News)

Vanier College has apologized after a Holocaust commemoration was cancelled last week due to safety concerns.

The annual event was part of a symposium on the Holocaust and genocide at the Montreal CEGEP. While school officials had said there was no direct threat, the 34th edition of the event was called off as a precaution because of the war in the Middle East.

Eva Kuper, a Montreal-based Holocaust survivor who was scheduled to speak at the event, called the decision “cowardly.”

“Anti-semitism is a light sleeper. It just takes bad situations, and wars, and hatred to have it rise to the surface and that’s what we’re seeing today,” Kuper told CTV News in an interview last Wednesday.

On Monday, Vanier College issued a statement offering an apology for how the events unfolded.

“The decision to reschedule the Holocaust Commemoration was made in the context of heightened attention to safety and security for participants and the broader College community. In doing so, the College acknowledges that it did not fully consider the significance and impact that such a change could carry,” part of the statement reads.

“This was an oversight. We regret the consequences that resulted and extend our sincere apologies to those who were affected, and especially to Ms. Eva Kuper and all Holocaust survivors.”

The college said it takes “full responsibility” for the decision, adding that it intends to offer a commemoration for students and staff soon, “under conditions that allow it to proceed with the respect and attention it deserves.”

The Holocaust and Genocide Symposium has been held at Vanier every year since 1992 and features scholars, survivors and educators during the weeklong event.