Comedian calls out businessman Wilson for offensive tweet
Calgary-born comedian and actor Andrew Phung called out another city celebrity Thursday for remarks on Twitter he says are “terrible and offensive.”
On Wednesday morning, businessman/philanthropist W. Brett Wilson said Mayor Naheed Nenshi only won the 2017 municipal election after he played “the race card,” spurring a “NE voting block” to get out the re-election vote for the city’s first Muslim mayor.
On Thursday evening, however, Wilson posted an “unconditional apology” for the remark on his twitter account.
“I posted a thoughtless and inflammatory tweet about the 2017 Calgary municipal election that upset Mayor Nenshi and many others,” Wilson wrote. “I apologize without reservation.”
In the earlier tweet, Wilson suggested it was northeast voters who put Nenshi back in the mayor’s seat. Calgary’s northeast quadrant is widely viewed as the city’s most visibly multicultural area.
But, numbers show the mayor’s strongest support came from southwest wards. And, he took the most votes in 12 of 14 wards across the city when going up against Bill Smith.
Nenshi tweeted a response to Wilson’s accusation of “playing the race card.”
He wrote, “I generally ignore hateful people but wasn’t I just saying yesterday about how the cheapest insult is ‘playing the race card’? (I also won 12 of 14 wards and biggest margin was in Mr. Wilson’s neighbourhood if memory serves.)”
Phung, who like Nenshi was born and raised in the city’s northeast, took to social media later that day with a message for Calgary’s non-profit agencies. He said he would no longer work with organizations receiving money from Wilson.
A list of those organizations could be a long one. Wilson, who made millions in the oil sector and as an investment banker, is a noted philanthropist in Calgary. He has worked with or donated money to groups such as the Calgary Foundation, the United Way of Calgary and the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
At least one charitable organization is responding. When asked about Wilson’s remarks, the Calgary Foundation provided a statement in response, which it also released in a tweet.
“As a community foundation committed to belonging and inclusion, we unequivocally denounce racism,” read the statement. “Comments recently made online are racist and harmful, and underscore the need for education, awareness and change in our communities and in our institutions. Calgary Foundation is committed to taking a deep dive into our work on racial equity, and supporting the continued systems change
Comments recently made online are racist and harmful and, underscore the need for education, awareness and change.
work within our organization.”
At a news conference Thursday, Nenshi described Wilson as someone “who has been supported and coddled by the establishment.”
He said Wilson’s tweet implied he did not deserve to be mayor because only “ethnic people” voted for him, which he noted was not true.
Wilson became a national celebrity as one of the “Dragons” on the CBC reality show Dragons’ Den, where he was seen as one of the kinder and more generous dragons.
However, Wilson’s Twitter persona is seen as less warm. He has been a vocal opponent of the planned Calgary Green Line while boosting the city’s new hockey area. Wilson is a co-owner of the NHL’S Nashville Predators.