Council re-affirms anti-racist stance

In quoting the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Scott says municipalities are the “guardians of the public interest” and there is an obligation for local government to take the lead.

Councillor Garth Frizzell was the co-author of the Motion and says the move was validated by recent stats. “What we saw just days after the motion was passed unanimously by Council was a release of StatsCan data that showed in BC, we have had a sixty percent increase in hate-related crimes,” he says. “That we suspected was true and it’s all the more important to condemn that and stop that activity.”

Council also passed the second motion. It “… reaffirms our commitment to the principles of the Canadian Cities Against Racism and Discrimination.” Prince George is one of 96 signatory municipalities, which establishes policies to eradicate all forms of racism and discrimination promotes human rights and diversity.

But Council went one step further. “We want clear and firm steps that everyone can follow and not just say ‘Well, I don’t discriminate. I don’t hate anybody.’ But to examine all those micro-expressions of these things. And to fully understand who we are and what we’re putting out there.”

That report will be coming back in mid-June.

by Cheryl Jahn

Council re-affirms anti-racist stance

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