Minister Rob Nicholson and Vietnam

Vietnam: The Canadian senator who introduced the bill, originally titled the Black April Day Act, said at first that it would mark the day South Vietnam fell under the power of an authoritarian and oppressive communist regime, according to Globe and Mail. The bill title was later amended to the Journey to Freedom Day Act and references to Hanoi were removed. Binh added that both countries have taken steps to advance their relationship in recent years and hoped Canada would work to repair the damage the bill has caused. However, Vietnam government and some members of Canada Vietnamese community still take issue with the reference to April 30 – the day in 1975 when the North Vietnamese defeated Saigon. A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson declined to respond to questions about the Vietnam government reaction to the bill passage. An embassy official told The Globe this year that Hanoi views April 30 as a day to remember the end of the war and to mark reconciliation rather than a day of mourning. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.