Ground prepared in Laval for Armenian Genocide Memorial

While being assisted by an Armenian Apostolic clergy member, Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt turns over the soil for a monument to be unveiled next April, comme- morating the Armenian Genocide

Spiritual leader Aram I makes special visit for ceremony

By Martin C. Barry • NEWSFIRST

30/6/2010

Catholicos Aram I, spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Holy See of Cilicia, led a ground-blessing ceremony on June 18 in Laval, in preparation for the erection of a monument commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Unveiling next April
The Comité Lavallois du Monument du Génocide Arménien (CLMGA), which is composed of representatives of Armenian churches in Laval, will be putting up the monument on Daniel Johnson Boulevard at the intersection of the Autoroute 440 service road, on land provided by the City of Laval.

The memorial, which will be unveiled in April next year, will be dedicated to the Armenian victims of actions committed by the government in power in Turkey in 1915, during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Local leaders attend
The crowd attending the event included Laval-les-Îles Liberal MP Raymonde Folco, Chomedey Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette, Laval city councillor for Chomedey Basile Angelopoulos, Councillor Jocelyne Guertin who represents the Souvenir-Labelle district, Councillor Ginette Grisé of the district of Laval-des-Rapides, and Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.
Historians generally acknowledge that the annihilation of scores of Armenians during this period was the first modern genocide, involving systematic, organized killing. The Armenian Genocide is the second most studied case of genocide, after the Holocaust of World War II. According to some western scholars, up to 2,500,000 Armenians perished in the ordeal.

Justice at last

“After 95 years we are united once again. At last, justice will have the last word,” Hampik Karayan, president of the CLMGA, said in a speech to those who gathered for the ceremony. “Now in Laval, the memory of our martyrs and the conscience of humanity have prevailed. This is a collective victory thanks to an Armenian community that is faithful to its history and to its life, but which is also faithful to its friends.”

Alluding to the assistance local Armenians received from the Mayor Vaillancourt, Hampik said that politics in Laval is largely based on friendship rather than coalitions. “That is what we learned over the years that the Laval Armenian community and Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt have been working together.” Like others who spoke during the ceremony, Hampiq said the monument should stand not just for the memory of the Armenian Genocide, but also for “all the crimes against humanity.”

Crime against humanity

Aram I said the day was significant not just because of the friendship behind the initiative, but also because of the significance of the effort in terms of the commitment being made towards the rights of all people. “This initiative is not just for the Armenian community, but for all society and all persons, because the Armenian Genocide was a crime against humanity,” he said.
Vaillancourt said Laval residents in general share some common values with the Armenians. “Faith, respect for family, a willingness to conserve peace and to build with others … I feel confident that the gesture we are going through with today will be followed by many others throughout the world so that never again in the world will there be genocides. The Armenians were the first, but they will also be the first to help us so that other genocides don’t happen again. A long life to the Armenian community who live here in Laval.”

Greetings from Charest
According to Guy Ouellette, Premier Jean Charest sent his warmest welcome to Aram I. “Today we are witnessing an historical moment,” Ouellette said. “Not only are we here to inaugurate the future monument commemorating the Armenian Genocide, but also we are honored by your (Aram I’s) presence.”

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