'A Holocaust and genocide connection': Nazi artifact auction draws criticism in Montreal
Military insignia, a soldier’s notebook, and a naval flag emblazoned with a swastika are some of more than 100 Nazi artifacts up for auction online in Montreal.
Champagne Auctions, which hosted the Thursday evening auction, expects most of the buyers to be private collectors interested in military history.
“We are selling historical pieces for military collectors,” said Claude Champagne of Champagne Auctions.
But members of Montreal’s Jewish community are concerned about the sale, with some wondering who will buy the artifacts.
“Unfortunately, the sale of Nazi artifacts is not something new,” said Sarah Fogg, spokesperson for the Montreal Holocaust Museum. “It’s something we see frequently, actually.”
"While they can be interpreted as military objects, there's definitly a Holocaust and genocide connection there," she said. "It's important to remember that when talking about the collection of these objects."
While the museum exhibits remnants of the Holocaust, Fogg says the displays are curated to present the stories of survivors and victims.
When the items are sold on their own, it’s difficult to know where they will end up. Some worry they’ll land in the hands of Nazi sympathizers.
“We would obviously hope that these objects would end up rather in the hands of institutions that can preserve them,” said Fogg.
That way, they can be presented “in a way that’s informative … and aware of the context they were created in.”
B'nai Brith Canada, a Jewish rights organization, has questioned the morality of profiting from the sale of Nazi memorabilia, calling on the federal government to impose a ban.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.