Ottawa – Three Ministers, almost seventy Members of Parliament, five Senators, Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of France, Russian Federation, Israel, the Holy See, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus, Rwanda, Cameroon, Syria, Libya, and Mr. Arman Akopian, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, attended the reception, on April 14 2010, commemorating the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The momentous event, which took place in the West Block of the House of Commons was organized by the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
 
Almost twenty former members of federal and provincial Parliaments, former Senators, Municipal Councillors, Academics, Journalists, members of NGOs, representatives of ethnic communities and His Excellency Mr. Ara Papian, Former Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Canada also attended the event.

There were also more than a hundred and fifty Canadian-Armenians from Montreal, Laval, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Cambridge, St. Catharines in the commemorative event. 

After the welcoming remarks of master of ceremonies Mr. Chahe Tanachian, and Ms. Taline Abrakian, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian opened the event with a prayer.

The speakers of the day reaffirmed their commitment to justice and expressed their unwavering solidarity with the Armenian people in their struggle to fend off Armenian Genocide Denial.

Mr. Wayne Marston, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek and Human Rights critic of the NDP delivered the speech of NDP leader Mr. Jack Layton. Ms. Nicole Demers spoke on behalf of Bloc Québécois leader Mr. Gilles Duceppe. The Honourable Bob Rae, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and foreign affairs critic for the official opposition spoke on behalf of the official leader of the opposition, the Honourable Michael Ignatieff. Mr. Agop T. Evereklian, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Mr. Jason Kenney said that Mr. Kenney was unable to be present to the event because he is mourning the death of his father who passed away just a few days ago. Following this announcement, Minister of Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), and Member of Parliament for Cambridge, the Honourable Gary Goodyear read the the Right Honourable, Stephen Harper’s message to the gathering.

Actress Arsinée Khanjian delivered the message of the Armenian Community. She mentioned that Canadian-Armenians have contributed to the development of Canada in the social, economic, cultural, and political domains and added that the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, should also be part of the history of Canadian people. Khanjian expressed the concern of the Armenian community about the fact that some Turkish organizations in Canada continue the propaganda of the Denial of the Armenian Genocide by urging the Canadian legislature to review its decisions of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The main keynote speaker of the day was Rabbi Dr. Steven Leonard Jacobs, Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Alabama and a long time member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS). Dr. Jacobs thanked Mr. Roupen Kouyoumdjian and the Armenian community for the invitation. Dr. Jacobs stated that he is a child of Survivors of the Holocaust and feels the pain of a Genocide. He called upon Jewish, American and other historians to once and for all recognize the Armenian Genocide and leave no room for Deniers, who disrespect human history and their personal titles as academics. Dr. Jacobs concluded that Genocide Denial is the last step of Genocide and paves the way for future Genocides to take place.

Mr. Arman Akopian, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia thanked the Canadian Government for its support of the Armenian cause.

Bishop Bagrat Galstanian closed the ceremony with a prayer.