NCC board approves victims of communism memorial in Garden of the Provinces and Territories

A memorial for victims of communism canbe built in theGarden of the Provinces and Territories after the National Capital Commission board approved afederal land use request at its meeting Thursday morning.

• Government seeks feedback on memorial to victims of communism
• Memorial should be small, reflect Canadian values: survey
• NCC rescinds land use for victims of communism monument

Construction of the monument in the garden west of the terraces willrequire the"sensitive and appropriate"relocation of Twelve Points in Classical Balance, an artwork by Chung Hung,saidStephen Willis, theNCC'sexecutive director of capital planning.

The site was previously approved in June 2011, but the NCC approved a different sitenear the Supreme Court of Canada building on Wellington Street inNovember 2013, garnering much criticism as the space had previously been pegged for a new federal court building.

In January 2016, the NCC rescinded the use of land near the Supreme Court of Canada, after the new Liberal government joined a host of critics in denouncingthe site.

In February,Heritage Minister Mlanie JolyinvitedCanadians to offeronline input on a newdesign for the memorial, as the initial winning design was criticized for its scale.

A new design for the memorial would still need to be approved by the NCC board for the site.

The monument is expected to be complete in 2018.