Government seeks feedback on memorial to victims of communism
Feedback to be passed along to competing design teams, Department of Canadian Heritage says
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is inviting Canadians to offer feedback online in the next two weeks about the design of the controversial victims of communism memorial.
The Memorial to the Victims of Communism, a project of private group Tribute to Liberty that was championed by the former Conservative government, was slated to be built on land in front of the Supreme Court of Canada building on Wellington Street.
But the National Capital Commission rescinded the use of the land after Joly joined a host of critics in declaring the monument should be built further west in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories.
The winning design for the proposed monument was also previously criticized for its scale, leading the NCC to unveil a smaller, less intrusive design last summer.
The Department of Canadian Heritage is now seeking a new design, which is expected to be completed in the Garden of Provinces and Territories by 2018.
The public can participate in an online survey from Feb. 2-16 to offer feedback on the size, "desired emotional reaction," and "visitor experience" of the monument.
The feedback will be passed along to competing design teams to help them develop proposals for the monument.
"Commemorative monuments play a key role in reflecting the character, identity, history and values of Canadians. I call on all Canadians to share their vision for this new national memorial, and for how we honour the millions of people who fled communist regimes to find refuge in Canada," Joly said in a news release on Tuesday.