Holocaust survivor, Eva Olsson, is back in the north and speaking to students at a high school in North Bay.
She is an advocate for anti-bullying, equity and compassion, and her latest visit seems timely, as issues of intolerance persist everywhere.
At 93 years young, Eva Olsson is sharing stories from the holocaust and how she was taken to concentration camps when she was 19.
"What made me Canadian was accepting the values that Canada represents." said Olsson.
The message she's spreading is to end bullying and hate.
"When I ask kids generally: ‘how many of you use the word hate every day?’ I get a chuckle, it's a big joke. Well, hate is not a joke, hate is a killer." said Olsson.
For the school, spreading this message is just as important.
Sylvie Vannier is an English teacher at École secondaire publique Odyssée.
"We talk about bullying a lot. We talk about racism, and Anti-Racism Day was just a few weeks back. There are always reasons to talk about inclusion, to talk about acceptance and this message is never too many times that the students will hear it." said Vannier.
For Olsson, this message is one that she says she will never stop spreading.
"I see the need is out there, hate is still out there. Murdering, killing, wars, it's not love that causes it, it's hate." said Olsson.
She says she will not stop sharing her story or speaking to students about bullying and hate until she feels there’s no more hate in the world.
