June 18, 2014 — Ottawa — Department of Canadian Heritage
Today, the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, announced the six teams chosen as finalists in a national design competition to create concepts for the national Memorial to the Victims of Communism – Canada, a Land of Refuge. The landmark will recognize Canada’s role in offering refuge to the millions that left behind torment and oppression under Communist regimes for new beginnings in a free and democratic country. It will also serve as a reminder to both Canadians and visitors to Canada of the ravages of Communist regimes and reflect the Canadian values that unite us and must be protected.
A request for qualifications, launched in March 2014, invited teams of professional artists, architects and landscape architects to submit their credentials and examples of past work as part of the first stage of a two-stage design competition.
The jury of design professionals, specialists, and a representative from Tribute to Liberty, the charitable organization responsible for establishing the memorial, recommended the following six teams as finalists:
- Team Bartosik: Michal Maciej Bartosik, artist; Fung Lee, landscape architect; James Melvin, landscape architect (all from Toronto, Ontario)
- Team Kapusta: Janusz Kapusta, artist (New York, USA); Voytek Gorczynski, architect (Toronto, Ontario); Andrzej Pawlik, architect (Mazowieckie, Poland)
- Team Moskaliuk: Wiktor Moskaliuk, architect (Markham, Ontario); Larysa Kurylas, artist (Washington, D.C.); Roger Courtenay, landscape architect (Markham, Ontario)
- Team North: Alissa North, landscape architect; Peter North, landscape architect; and Scott Eunson, artist (all from Toronto, Ontario)
- Team Phillips: Christopher Phillips, landscape architect (Vancouver, British Columbia); Marc Boutin, architect (Calgary, Alberta); Krzysztof Wodiczko, artist (New York, USA)
- Team PLANT: Lisa Rapoport, architect; Anna Passakas and Radoslaw Kudlinski of Blue Republic, artists; Eric Beck Rubin, historian (all from Toronto, Ontario)
The teams will spend the coming weeks developing their concepts, which will be presented to the jury in August 2014. Prior to the jury considerations, the public will be invited to see the designs, meet the artists and share their opinions on each of the designs. The public’s comments will be shared with the jury.
“I want to thank all the teams who submitted their expertise for this significant monument project, and I am looking forward to seeing the inspiring design ideas they will present to the jury in August. This new landmark in our nation’s capital will honour the lives lost under Communist regimes, recognize the experience of Canadians who emigrated from Communist countries, and celebrate their contribution to Canada.”
—The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
“I am pleased that we have reached this next step in developing this monument and honouring the untold millions that have suffered and lost their lives to Communist tyranny. Not only will this monument stand in their memory, it will stand as a reminder of Canada’s continued commitment to welcome those fleeing such oppression, and it will stand through future generations as a testament to a disturbing period of human history that must never be forgotten.”
—The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
