The National Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa will undergo significant updates by 2026 following requests for revisions to its exhibit content, according to a Department of Canadian Heritage briefing note.
Blacklock's Reporter says the changes come after criticism over historical omissions, including the failure to mention Jewish victims on the monument’s original dedication plaque when it opened in 2017.
“Since the inauguration of the Monument, the department has received requests to revise the content of the on-site interpretive exhibit,” stated the note National Holocaust Monument Exhibit Renewal.
The revisions have been requested by Holocaust survivors’ descendants and other concerned individuals.
The requested changes include broadening references to Holocaust victims to acknowledge other persecuted groups, addressing Canada’s anti-Semitic policies during and after the Second World War, and correcting text that may mislead visitors about victim numbers at specific Holocaust sites.
The department has not disclosed the exact wording that will be revised but confirmed new plaques will be installed by spring 2026.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inaugurated the monument in 2017, located near the Canadian War Museum.
Following backlash over the omission of any reference to Jews on the dedication plaque — which instead referred only to “millions of men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust” — cabinet later acknowledged the oversight.
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge announced an advisory panel last November to oversee the exhibit’s revision process. The panel, which includes Holocaust survivors, historians, and educators, is expected to submit its final recommendations later this year.