Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the Syrian people deserve the democratic reforms they are fighting for and their president must step aside if he is not prepared to offer them "real change."
The regime led by Syrian President Bashar Assad has been under fire for weeks, as a wave of pro-democracy protests have pushed for greater freedoms.
But Assad has cracked down hard on the protesters, with Syrian opposition members estimating that some 1,400 people have been killed and another 10,000 detained since the demonstrations began in March.
On Monday, Assad gave a speech in which he acknowledged that the demands for reform were legitimate and he was forming a new committee that would study a method of introducing more political parties into Syrian politics.
But Baird said the Syrian president offered only "vague promises" that gave no indication of whether he would follow through with reform.
"Canada joins several allies in saying the president has a choice: he can reform or go. The status quo is no longer acceptable," Baird said in a statement issued late Monday.
"Canada supports the people of Syria in their peaceful efforts to realize democracy and human rights."
With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
