Statement
OTTAWA, April 30, 2019
In 2015, April 30 each year was designated as Journey to Freedom Day to commemorate the flight of Vietnamese refugees to Canada after the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Canada welcomed tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees thanks to the help of families, churches and communities across the country. Canada had never before received so many refugees or deployed such a level of humanitarian assistance. It was at that time that Canada created its private refugee sponsorship model, acclaimed around the world.
On Journey to Freedom Day, we remember the lives lost and the suffering experienced by the Vietnamese "boat people" who arrived on our shores. It is also an opportunity for Vietnamese Canadians to express their gratitude to their new country and its people. On this day, we pay tribute to the approximately 300,000 Vietnamese Canadians who have helped shape the inclusive and prosperous society we know today.
