The legislature in the Canadian province of Ontario is considering designating December 13th as Nanjing Holocaust Remembrance Day.

A version of a measure supporting this was unanimously approved in the Provincial Assembly. If eventually adopted, Ontario would become the first western government to have such a day of remembrance.

The lawmaker who led the motion said residents should have the opportunity to learn about the massacre at Nanjing during the second world war.

Ontario is Canada's most populous province, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the country's population.