Mayor draws praise across continent

People from across Canada and the U.S. sent messages of support to Summerland Mayor Toni Boot following her high-profile visit to a shop that sold bandannas designed to look like the Confederate flag.

The notes, which are only available for viewing in person at town hall, include messages from Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart and a handful of other local politicians from across B.C.

Support also came from as far east as Ontario and Minnesota.

“I am writing to you from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the current wave of change got underway. Since I can’t be there to physically support you, I just want you to know you have the support of maybe hundreds of thousands of people in North America and around the world,” an email signed by J. Santiago reads.

“It was a courageous act that doesn’t seem to happen as much as it used to (especially down here in the States). Of course there was going to be push-back, but you’re on the right side of the issue (and history).”

But that sentiment wasn’t shared by everyone who wrote to Boot.

“Just because you are Black and the flag is Confederate doesn’t take away the fact that this is a group of peoples’ heritage and you through (sic) it in the garbage,” wrote Jason Rudolph, who didn’t list a hometown.

Roughly half of the notes were penned by Summerlanders, including well-respected businessman Ken Sewell, who owns Builders Mart.

“I want you to know that even though I disagreed with some of your decisions while in public office I was proud that when you discovered who displayed the bandanna you quickly and discreetly helped the individual to see where his actions were improper and probably quite offensive to some,” wrote Sewell.

Boot showed up at Your Dollar Store With More on July 18 with two friends and a reporter in tow, and confronted staff about the bandannas. While the bandannas had already been pulled from shelves, there were some in the stock room that were given to Boot. She then went outside and cut up the bandannas.

The mayor said she learned the bandannas were at the store after accepting an apology the night before from a man who displayed one of the items during an antiracism parade earlier in the week.