Why does Canada celebrate Raoul Wallenberg Day? Why Raoul Wallenberg? Who was he? What did he do?

By Pauline Easton and Dougal MacDonald 

The Harper government commemorated “Raoul Wallenberg Day”[1] on January 17 with a statement issued by Minister of Multiculturalism Jason Kenney. With much hyperbole and no facts, Kenney’s announcement says:

“Each year on January 17th, Canadians pay tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, one of the greatest heroes of the 20th century.

“Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat sent to Budapest, Hungary, during the Second World War. At great personal risk, he helped rescue tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from certain death at the hands of the Nazis and their like-minded allies.