Winnipeg, Canada - August 23, 2010. Today Canadians will mark Black Ribbon Day - a national day of remembrance for the victims of European Communism and Nazism. Black Ribbon Day was declared a national day of commemoration by Canada's Parliament last fall. This annual day of remembrance marks the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between the Nazi and Soviet Communist regimes.

Memorial Day Commemoration
For the first official Canadian memorial day known as Black Ribbon Day, community churches in cities across Canada are opening their doors this evening of Monday, August 23, 2010 for people to commemorate the victims of Europe's totalitarian regimes.

Black Ribbon Day Conference
Coinciding with the Church memorials is a conference co-sponsored by the University of Toronto's Munk Centre, the Central and Eastern European Council and the Black Ribbon Day Foundation. The conference has attracted leading historians and political scientists to discuss the theme, "History, Memory and Politics in Central and Eastern Europe".

For more information please visit www.ucc.ca