 I want to say thanks to everyone gathered here at the March of the Living gala for the warm welcome But I do want to begin by saying a few words about my dear friend Nate who has so bravely shared his story with countless Canadians He along with other Holocaust survivors many of whom are in the room tonight Have brought one of history's darkest chapters to life Reminding us of our shared responsibility to never let such hatred take root in our homes our schools or our communities To Ellie Rubenstein and the organizers of tonight's event National chair Heshi out bomb Toronto chair Marcia Bramsky and dinner chairs Ruth Eckstein Tammy Gleed and Jennifer Green I'd like to thank you for all you do to support this important tremendous initiative Tammy as I did earlier. I want to publicly recognize the loss of your dad bill our loss of bill and salute All he did to support Holocaust education To my friends our MPs Michael Levitt and Marco Mendicino. Thank you for all that you do to promote and support this important initiative Justice Justice Rosie Abela, thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for being such a friend And one other friend here. I want to recognize in the audience for whom May 8th is also a special day Irwin Kotler, where are you? It's Irwin's birthday today Irwin has been a good friend for a long time and helped me Understand as I started out as a politician What matters and what doesn't and he still reminds me of that every time we see each other He's a true professor I'm honored to be given the chance to share a few words with you on this meaningful evening For the last 30 years Thousands of marchers have traveled to poland to honor the memory of six million jews who were brutally murdered by the nazis A tribute to both the survivors and the victims of the holocaust The march of the living bears witness to this strength And resilience of the jewish community from generation to generation I want to again commend the incredible leadership and dedication of ellie rubenstein Who has led this march since its inception in 1988 Through education and advocacy he has reminded us of our collective responsibility As jews and of friends of the jewish community to ensure that Never again is never forgotten So thank you ellie for all that you have done especially in educating and inspiring our youth And Together we stared at the barbed wire fences that once separated the victims from their captors We marched along the railways that delivered so many jews to their deaths We laid our hands On the railcars that took mothers sisters fathers and sons away from their homes and away from each other Including nate's family Together We cried by the crematorium for all the innocent lives cut short by hatred intolerance racism And anti-semitism My visit to auschwitz will forever stay with me and Guide my time as prime minister But also My being as a father a husband a son a brother and a citizen The heartbreaking reality of the holocaust Is one that I have not lived But hearing nate's story and seeing the relics of this devastating chapter of history strengthened my resolve To carry on the legacy Of those who perished It was ellie vissel who said When you listen to a witness You become a witness That day I became a witness To nate the same way thousands of marchers became Witnesses to both the survivors and the victims of the holocaust every year For the past 30 years The holocaust has taught us the power to kill Silence The devastating consequences of the inaction Have put in light the culpability of those who have remained without a voice against injustice To discrimination And racism Against hatred Intolerance And anti-semitism at every moment in all its forms It's not just the responsibility of governments Members of the same religious community It's a shared responsibility That requires the efforts and commitment of all the members of society Regardless of their beliefs Their origins Or their age As a citizen, we all have the duty to remember the stories of these women and these innocent men Their lives have been stolen, and so watch what such atrocities never repeat Still today, according to the most recent numbers, 17% of all the ANE crimes in Canada Are made of Jews I regret to say that the Jews are victims of ANE crimes more than any other religious group So we have to do more as a society to end the xenophobic and anti-semitic attitudes That reside in our communities, in our schools, and in our working environment According to the most recent figures 17% of all hate crimes in Canada target Jewish people And it pains me to say that Jewish Canadians more than any other religious Jewish people more than any other religious groups Are victims of hate crimes We need to do more as a society to end xenophobic and anti-semitic attitudes That still take root in our communities, our schools, and in our places of work One of the things I find so inspiring about the march Is its commitment to education Which permeates everything you do When I learned that you would be announcing scholarships that bear the names of survivors I couldn't help but think that there is truly No better tribute to their legacy After all Education and knowledge Is our most powerful tool against the ignorance and hatred That fueled the Holocaust And I am proud to say that our government shares your commitment to the importance of Holocaust education I would like to recognize the countless contributions the survivors and their families have made To the Jewish community, but also And essentially to our national fabric I stand here on May 8th In Canada's inaugural marking of Jewish Heritage Month Which was recently passed in the House of Commons But as a country We must learn from our successes In tandem with our failures Between 1933 and 1945 The Canadian government only accepted around 5 000 Jewish refugees due to our discriminatory None is too many Immigration policy of the time The most egregious example of this misguided policy happened in 1939 When Canada turned away the MS St. Louis The Canadian government infamously turned its back 907 German Jews Were fleeing persecution Forced to return to Europe 254 were eventually killed in the Holocaust We cannot turn away From this uncomfortable truth About ourselves and about our country And of Canada's part in it We must learn from this story Remember this story And let its lessons guide Our actions going forward And that is why I am proud to announce tonight That the government of Canada Will issue a formal apology in parliament Over the fate of the MS St. Louis and its passengers We have not only lost the passengers But also their descendants and our community We have not been able to show them the kindness and compassion that they deserve Now an apology in the House of Commons Will not rewrite This shameful chapter of our history It will not bring back those who perished Or repair the lives Chattered by tragedy But it is our hope That this long overdue apology Will bring awareness to our failings As we vow to never let history repeat itself And look forward To offering this apology on the floor of the House Once again, thank you all For all you do In this, the March of the Living Gala But all you do every day To contribute to the strength of your community But mostly to contribute every day To the strength of this extraordinary country Thank you, my friends