VICTORIA - Premier Gordon Campbell was joined by over 60 Holocaust survivors in a ceremony at the legislature today to mark Yom Ha'Shoah or Holocaust Memorial Day in remembrance of the more than six million victims of the Holocaust.

"Today is a day to reflect on the devastating and divisive impact of hate, but also the power of unfailing hope," said Campbell. "Today we remember those six million lost to hate and intolerance. But we also honour the survivors who embraced hope and humanity even in the midst of the deepest darkness, and we rededicate ourselves to uphold their legacy by building a nation that offers freedom and peace for all."

Joining Premier Campbell at today's ceremony were representatives from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Victoria Holocaust Remembrance and Education Society, and the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. During the ceremony, eight Holocaust survivors lit six candles to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945.

"Yom Ha'Shoah is a day to honour those taken by the Holocaust and those who survived, and to ensure all Canadians remain steadfast and vigilant against the shadow of hate even today," said Gerry Cuttler of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. "By commemorating Yom Ha'Shoah - Holocaust Memorial Day – the Canadian and British Columbia governments reaffirm their commitment to the values of multiculturalism and diversity, democracy and freedom."

The Holocaust Memorial Day Act was passed in 2000 and British Columbia was the second province to officially recognize this day in Canada. Yom Ha'Shoah is observed around the world and the day is determined each year by the Jewish calendar.