What was at first a story of vandalism and disrespect to the Ukrainian community, has since transformed into a question about what type of symbols should be tolerated in Oakville.
Halton Regional Police said in a press release today that the message written on a controversial monument in Oakville's St. Volodymyr Church cemetery in June is no longer being considered a hate offence.
St. Volodymyr Cemetery
Click for detailed map © OpenStreetMap contributors CC BY-SAClick for detailed map © OpenStreetMap contributors CC BY-SA
The message was originally written on the monument on June 21. Police were called in to investigate on the 22nd. Someone wrote "Nazi war monument," referring to the fact that this particular monument commemorates a World War Two division of Ukrainians that fought as part of Nazi Germany's SS from 1943 to 1945.
The classification of the message as a hate crime caused an uproar in many parts of Canada, leading to a Twitter storm as well as several national news stories.
Statement from the Police
"The initial information collected by investigators indicated that the graffiti may have been hate-motivated, targeting the identifiable group of Ukrainians in general" reads today's HRPS press release. "At no time did the Halton Regional Police Service consider that the identifiable group targeted by the graffiti was Nazis."
The monument in question reads: "For those who died for the freedom of Ukraine."
But many historians largely agree that the division's legacy is not a positive one. The division itself was accused of massacring Polish citizens and its members implicated in the prior murder of Ukrainian Jews.
Halton Police Chief Steve Tanner weighed in on the issue on Twitter, saying, "there is no support for the Nazi SS within Canada, nor should there ever be anywhere."
There is no support for the Nazi SS within Canada, nor should there ever be anywhere. The Nazi party/SS are by no means a protected group under any hate crime related legislation.The most unfortunate part of all of this is that any such monument would exist in the first place
— Chief Steve Tanner (@ChiefTanner) July 17, 2020
The Chief went on to clarify that Nazis are not a "protected group" that can be targeted for a hate crime. "The most unfortunate part of all of this is that any such monument would exist in the first place," he wrote.
Should the Nazi centograph be in Oakville?
Community leaders are also reflecting on what it means to the town. It's especially important as new information about the history of this monument comes to light.
"It seems complex at first," says Oakville Rabbi Stephen Wise. Rabbi Wise does not believe the issue is complex, just that this series of developments about the funeral monument has been particularly unusual.
"This cenotaph represents this Nazi killing unit that killed Jews in the Holocaust. It's kind of hard understanding why it's sitting in Oakville," he says. "It's a bit of an insult to Canada, the Jewish community in Oakville and really the city of Oakville."
"It honours a dishonourable act - It honours Nazis," Rabbi Wise says. "It doesn't have a place in Oakville and should be removed."
Amidst the discussion, Mayor Rob Burton released a press statement today. He says that it is not within his power to remove the monument.
"Unfortunately municipalities have no role in regulating the contents of private cemeteries," it reads. Burton says the memorial was "repugnant" to him and that if Ontario law allowed, he would have had it removed years ago.
The investigation into the painted message is ongoing but is now considered only vandalism. Halton Police said that it will continue to update the public through media releases.