Photo: Goderich Town Hall
Goderich Council passed a resolution denouncing recent Neo-Nazi activity in the community.
A notice of motion was put forward during Monday’s council meeting, and was accepted as amended based on a suggestion from Deputy Mayor Leah Noel.
During discussions, Noel said, “I think that it’s important to stay true to the spirit of the original motion, but the resolution is only meaningful if the words we use are council’s words, and the message we send to the community is council’s message, because that’s what we’ve been asked to do.”
She explained that over the past couple of weeks, she had had private discussions with other members of council, and had come up with ideas for a friendly amendment that was suggested to council during Patrick Corvyn’s presentation from No Hate In Huron at council’s previous meeting.
Noel added that she was hoping to “…Build on the original proposed motion, so that we have a resolution that is more robust in its scope, and contain specific action items that reflect the town of Goderich’s ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and respect.”
The deputy mayor then read out the new motion:
“Whereas municipal governments in Canada, along with other levels of government, have responsibilities within Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as federal, provincial, and territorial Human Rights codes, and therefore have an important role to play in addressing racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination,
“And whereas the Town of Goderich is committed to the goal of fostering a welcoming and caring community, but strengthening a sense of belonging among every citizen who makes Goderich home, as outlined in the 2024-2027 Strategic Action Plan, and evidenced in our equity, diversity and inclusion human resources policy, 03-2022 of November, 2024,
“And whereas the Town of Goderich rejects racism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia, and discrimination-related intolerance in all forms,
“Be it therefore resolved that the Town of Goderich hereby reaffirms its commitment to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion through its bylaws and policies, and strongly supports the vigorous enforcement of the hate propaganda, and hate and bias-motivated crime provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada, in the interests of public safety and the wellbeing of all of our citizens, commits to working together with other organizations and jurisdictions, including other levels of government, Indigenous peoples, public and private sector institutions, and civic society organizations, to foster equality, and appreciation of cultural diversity and respect, take specific actions and implements programs to cultivate a sense of belonging for all citizens, including initiatives such as the painting of the Pride crosswalk, providing support for public organizations through the Community Grants Program, creating Welcome Packages for new residents, enhancing accessibility throughout the town, and organizing public awareness campaigns on key social issues through the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, and regularly assess and re-assess our policies, procedures, and actions, to ensure they continue to foster and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in our community.”
Once the motion was approved, Mayor Trevor Bazinet shared his thoughts thanking both the deputy mayor and council for their work on the motion, saying “It was not an easy process and it will never been an easy process. I think – and I said it during my statement during last council meeting and… we’ve done a lot of good things in this community over the past several years, and sharing the positives of what we’ve done is so, so important.”
Referring back to efforts done by the Town of Goderich through its various community campaigns focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion, knowing that discrimination-based ideologies are being spoken and celebrated within the community is not welcome.
During Corvyn’s presentation to council on October 7th, it was brought to council’s attention that not only was the sentiment of “White Lives Matter” a rallying cry for White supremacists and Neo-Nazis, but in August, there was a gathering of a Neo-Nazi hate group within Goderich itself.
“Unfortunately, there are groups, there are people that might not have the same beliefs that all of us do, but coming together as a community is so important,” said Bazinet. “I believe that this community is one of the most welcoming communities around. And unfortunately, there will be the odd thing happening, but I want to make sure that everyone in this community feels safe.”