South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Garry Michi (Photo from South Bruce Peninsula municipal website)
The former mayor of South Bruce Peninsula says he “deeply regrets” the words he used when talking about a neighbouring Indigenous community.
- South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Garry Michi Resigns
- Town, County Issue Apologies After South Bruce Peninsula Mayor’s Comments Draw Backlash
Garry Michi stepped down as the town’s mayor on Tuesday, after an audio clip of him making comments about the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation started circulating online recently and led to calls for his resignation.
Michi did not respond to interview requests, but now he’s sent a statement to Bayshore Broadcasting News saying he wants to “acknowledge the harm caused by my ignorant, insensitive and poorly chosen words.”
The full statement from Michi, the former mayor of South Bruce Peninsula, appears below:
I deeply regret the words I used during a personal conversation and the subsequent impact they have had. I want to acknowledge the harm caused by my ignorant, insensitive and poorly chosen words, and I want to sincerely apologize for the damage this has caused to the relationship between myself, the town and the First Nations community.
My intention when becoming the mayor of this town was to enhance our relationship with the First Nations people, but my words were completely out of line with that objective and I take full responsibility for my words; there is no excuse for my behavior and I am committed to learning from this experience.
I recognize that my own privilege clouded my judgement, leading me to speak without proper understanding. I make no attempt to justify this. I hope that with time and effort, I can rebuild the trust and respect that our friends and neighbors deserve. I extend my apologies for my inappropriate conduct while mayor of TSBP and as a citizen, I pledge to educate myself and strive for better conduct in the future.
I am grateful to the community for holding me accountable for my words; such language should never be tolerated. I will personally reach out to Chief Greg Nadjiwon to offer my sincere apologies.
This situation has opened my eyes to a broader perspective, one that I am determined to grow from. I am open to conversation with the aim of regaining your respect and I will encourage sensitivity training and educational programs for all to gain a better understanding of our neighboring Indigenous communities.