Releasing names of 900 alleged Nazi war criminals who fled to Canada could embarrass federal government

excerpts from Ottawa Citizen article-

A list of 900 alleged Nazi war criminals who fled to Canada could remain secret as federal officials come under increasing pressure to censor the records because they could prove embarrassing to this country.

Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa consulted in June and July with what it called a “discrete group of individuals or organizations” about whether the list should be made public, according to documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

A few stakeholders were concerned that the release of the report would result in new legal action (criminal prosecution, citizen revocation, or otherwise) being brought against the individuals named in the report,” a summary of the library’s discussions noted.

Other stakeholders who advised LAC worried the list would embarrass Canada’s Ukrainian community or be used by Russians for propaganda purposes, the records show.

Large numbers of soldiers from a Ukrainian Waffen SS division fled to Canada after the war.

Library and Archives Canada had hoped to release information to the public between Sept. 16 and Sept. 20, but how many names of the alleged Nazi war criminals will actually be made public is not yet known.

The list was part of the 1986 war-crimes commission led by Justice Jules Deschenes. The names were compiled from RCMP files and other documents.

LAC spokesperson Richard Provencher said the organization had received three requests under the Access to Information law for the Deschenes document and as a result “undertook targeted consultations with external stakeholders.”

“As of today, LAC is still refining and concluding its analysis to respond to the ATI requests received,” Provencher added.

LAC would not provide specific details on the individuals and organizations it consulted. It did not respond to questions about whether Holocaust survivors were excluded from the proceedings.

In September 2023, Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged “Canada has a really dark history with Nazis in Canada.”
It has been almost a year since MPs of all parties gave two standing ovations to Yaroslav Hunka, a resident of North Bay, Ont., who was described by then House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota as a hero.