April 24 is not just a date. It’s a scar etched into the hearts of Armenians and into the conscience of humanity. It marks the beginning of one of history’s darkest chapters: the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians during the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to 1923. It is not just a solemn occasion for mourning, but also for reckoning. A time to confront a profound historical injustice and the responsibility we all share to remember, to educate, and to speak out.
At the Armenian Genocide Museum of Canada (AGMC), remembrance is not passive. It is an active commitment rooted in dignity, endurance, and truth. We hold the memory of those who were lost: mothers who shielded their children from unimaginable horror in the concentration camps of Der Zor, fathers who vanished without a trace, poets and scholars silenced before their words could reach the world. These were not abstractions. They were human beings with families, vibrant lives, and dreams. The weight of their absence is still felt today.
This day is about what endured in the face of erasure. Against all odds, a people held on. They rebuilt what was destroyed and safeguarded their language, traditions, and memory across generations and continents. That continuity, fragile and fiercely preserved, is more than survival. It is resistance. It is a living rebuke to those who sought to erase a nation from existence.
It defies the “Final Solution” envisioned by Talaat Pasha, who proclaimed that only one Armenian should remain, kept in a museum as a relic of a vanished people. And it confronts the haunting words of Adolf Hitler, who, on the eve of invading Poland, asked, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” This day answers him. We speak. And we remember.
The mission of the AGMC is to carry that resistance forward. Through every exhibit, every testimony, and every digital record, we ensure the voices of the 1.5 million speak loudly.
What began inside a single Canadian home as a personal effort to trace family lineage, just a few rooms transformed into a space of remembrance, has grown into a national institution with international reach. The AGMC is expanding rapidly, with a vision to become one of the leading centres of Armenian Genocide education and awareness. The very home where it all started will soon be featured as part of our historical journey, a symbol of how remembrance can begin humbly and still carry global impact.
As Executive Director, my mission has been to ensure this growth reflects both authenticity and urgency. We have dozens of projects lined up this year alone: from new digital exhibits and oral history archives to educator resources and community partnerships. Every initiative is a step toward preserving memory and confronting denial – not just for Armenians – but for all people who value historical truth and justice.
In a world where denial still exists and history is distorted and even fabricated to serve the aims of power and politics, we must be vigilant. History does repeat itself, as we are witnessing it again in the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Artsakh. When the world turns away, injustice takes root. That is why we are here: to ensure the world sees, hears, and remembers, so that atrocity is never met with silence again.
On this April 24, I invite you to remember with us. Light a candle. Say their names. Share their stories. However you choose to honour the lives lost, know that your voice joins a chorus that stretches across time and space. A living tapestry of remembrance and resolve.
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Bernard Kradjian
Executive Director
Armenian Genocide Museum of Canada (AGMC)
