Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) welcomes today’s announcement by the Canadian government that it will issue an apology over the fate of the MS St. Louis.

In 1939, the MS St. Louis set sail from Germany to Cuba carrying more than 900 Jewish passengers escaping the Nazis. Upon arrival in Havana, the refugees were denied entry by the Cuban government. The ship then turned its sights on America, where it too was turned away.

Finally, the ocean liner embarked towards the Port of Halifax and met a similar fate when Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King refused to grant it entry. The ship was ultimately forced back to Europe where it’s believed some 250 of the original 937 passengers were murdered by the Nazis. 

“Today’s announcement is a meaningful step towards acknowledging a shameful chapter in Canadian history,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “While an apology can never change the past, it can awaken the national conscience to ensure such grave mistakes are never repeated in the future.”

FSWC is committed to educating Canadians of all ages and backgrounds about the consequences of the Holocaust to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again. Recognition of historical injustices, like the MS St. Louis, is key to this cause and the advancement of human rights across the globe.