441-01773 (Civil and human rights)

The Government of Canada would like to thank the petitioners for their request that calls upon the Government of Canada to “apologize for the wrongful internment of German and Austrian Canadians during World Wars I and II”; and “commit to never again hold, imprison, or intern innocent Canadians based solely on their ethnic origin.”

The Government of Canada believes in the importance of learning from the past, including the more difficult moments in our history.

During both the First and Second World Wars, under the authority of the War Measures Act, the Government of Canada interned or restricted freedoms of people originating from countries with which Canada was at war, and anyone who was deemed to be a security risk. These measures have left an indelible mark on our country’s history and caused pain to the families and descendants of those interned, including members of the German and Austrian communities. 

The measures that were taken are inconsistent with Canadian values. In 1988, the Government of Canada repealed the War Measures Act. Canada has since chosen to put in place several legal measures that safeguard human rights and recognize the multicultural nature of Canada’s population. These include the Canadian Bill of Rights (1960), the Canadian Human Rights Act (1977), the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982), and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) which enshrined into law the federal government’s commitment to promoting and maintaining a diverse, multicultural society.

The Government recognizes the importance of sharing this history in order to learn from it, and also acknowledges the importance of recognizing the contributions that the German and Austrian communities have and continue to make to the development of Canada, as well as those from other communities such as Italian, Ukrainian and others that were impacted by the internment.

In 2008, under the now sunset Community Historical Recognition Program, a $10-million endowment was made to the Shevchenko Foundation to establish the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. The Fund supports projects that commemorate and recognize the experiences of all of the communities affected by the internment operations of the First World War. It enables them to tell their stories and educate Canadians about the past and the contributions they have made to building Canada.

Through National Historical Recognition Program funding, Parks Canada has created an exhibit to increase awareness about Canada's First World War internment operations. The Exhibit is located in Banff National Park where one of the former internment camps was located.

A number of Museums have educational information on their websites related to the internment operations. These include the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier21, and the Canadian Museum of History. Others have screened films or held exhibits on this subject in the past.

In 2016, Parliament passed a motion to establish the month of October as German Heritage Month. It provides an opportunity for all Canadians to recognize the German community’s contributions to Canada’s success, with their heritage shaping our social and economic fabric.

The Government of Canada is deeply committed to building an inclusive country that we can all be proud of. This tragic episode in our shared history reminds us of the importance of defending our values of openness and inclusion, and the impacts that can result from xenophobia, racism, discrimination, and hate.