Is the memorial to the victims of communism merely the latest symbol of political power?

By Laura Bohnert
In the last century, nearly 100 million people died under the ruthlessness of communist regimes. Mass killings, man-made famines, displacements of entire populations — the effects became immeasurable examples of the powerlessness of populations under the control of totalitarian dictators like Stalin. For the past few years, plans have been in the works to create a monument for the victims of oppressive and devastating communism — but is political participation in the monument’s creation skewing the message?
In recent years, the monument has become a point of public contention, a fact which Zuzana Hahn, a Toronto artist who was approached to work on the project, finds painful. “It was meant to be an inspiration,” quotes Hahn. “It was meant to be someplace where we questioned things and were inspired by things”; however, the conservative government’s overpowering interest in the project seems to be challenging that intent.
Ludwig Klimkowski, chair of Tribute to Liberty, the largely Conservative-associated group which quickly began to overshadow Hahn’s co-founded Open Book Group in the development of the project, objects, claiming that “This is not a Conservative Party project.”
“This is meant to create one unified site of commemoration where we can learn from each other’s experiences and come to a healing place,” continues Klimkowski. It is a “representation of the Canadian mosaic of ethnic groups and a representation of the safe harbour Canada gave us.”
And yet, the conservative party not only appears to be largely funding and spearheading the $5.5 million project — and barrelling minority groups out of its way in the process– it also appears to be changing the meaning of the project itself, turning it into a politicized symbol of the conservative government’s power.
According to the Communist Party of Canada, who finds Harper’s current vision of the monument offensive, “The true underlying goal of this campaign is intended to intimidate and isolate progressive parties and movements, and to limit the free expression of ideas.”
The involvement of the Tribute to Liberty group seems to support this claim. According to Hahn, attempts to shift the monument’s focus from the victims of communism to the victims of oppressive and totalitarian regimes were shut down. Even the compromise on the title was eventually overlooked: “A Monument to Victims of Totalitarian Communism” no longer contains the word “totalitarian” in its title (should we be concerned that the prime minister of Canada has an aversion to creating a monument that stands against totalitarianism?).
As a result, a project which had originally been intended to unite Canadians has now become the latest outlet for contention. And to what end has it become immersed in politics and so closely tied to the Conservative regime? This close to the 2015 election, it seems an odd time for the Conservative government to be attempting to leave its mark on Ottawa, no less with a monument that outdoes even $1 million Victims of Communism memorial in Washington, DC and which seems intent on creating a rift of controversiality. It seems an odd political tool for the Conservatives to claim not to be using.
Construction of the monument is set to commence this year in front of the Supreme Court of Canada, just West of Parliament Hill.