NDP steps up anti-racism fight

Notley assigns two ministers to address growing problem of racism in province

In the shadow of the Quebec City mosque shooting, Premier Rachel Notley says the Alberta government will take new action to combat racism in the province.

Speaking at an event in Medicine Hat, Notley said the cabinet discussed the issue at its retreat in Banff last week even before the slaying of six Muslim men in a mosque on Sunday.

That tragedy shows even more the need for new initiatives to strengthen anti-racism efforts, she said.

“We need to renew our efforts and recommit ourselves to living the values of respect, inclusion and value of diversity in our day-to-day lives,” said Notley.

“It reminds us that every day is an opportunity for us to live these values and to do it in a way that strengthens our community, not divide it.”

Notley provided no other details about the NDP government’s plan, but said Labour Minister Christina Gray and Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda will be responsible for the new initiatives, which will be rolled out “in the weeks and months to come.”

The premier did not indicate the government’s motivation for the new measures, but there have been a number of recent incidents in the province. In Calgary over the last six months, incidents have included anti-Muslim posters at the University of Calgary in October, vandalism of a mosque, and racist stickers and graffiti at a CTrain station.

Edmonton has seen the racist verbal abuse of a black man caught on tape and anti- Sikh and antiMuslim posters at the University of Alberta.

In October, the chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission raised concerns about a number of racist incidents.

“This is not the Alberta that I know; Nor is this the Alberta in which I want to live,” Robert Philp wrote in a message posted on the commission’s website. “Albertans have the right to live in a province that respects, values and celebrates our differences.”

According to Statistics Canada, in 2013 Alberta was second only to Ontario in the incident of police-reported hate crimes among provinces.

Notley visited an Edmonton mosque and attended a vigil for the Quebec City victims on Monday. She spoke personally to Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard on Thursday to offer Alberta’s condolences.

The Quebec City shooting occurred against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s executive order that temporar-

We need to renew our efforts and recommit ourselves to living the values of respect, inclusion and value of diversity in our day-to-day lives.

ily blocked travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States and indefinitely halted the intake of refugees.

Notley reiterated Friday that Alberta is willing to accept more refugees if Ottawa decides to increase Canada’s intake in response to the U.S. action. The federal government has set a goal of settling 25,000 refugees in 2017.

“Diversity grows and strengthens our communities, so it’s good for us that way. But it’s also the right thing to do,” she said.

“We are not a little island that is not part of the rest of the world. We are part of the rest of the world.”