MLAs warn Sask. towns of event tied to white supremacists
By Vanessa Brown, Leader-Post August 22, 2013
At least two Saskatchewan towns have been warned by their
local MLA's office about an apparent trick to declare an occasion connected to
a white supremacist group.
The towns of Kindersley and St. Walburg were notified
Wednesday after it was revealed that the City of Regina had become the latest
city duped into declaring European Heritage Week in October. The event is
promoted by the Nationalist Party of Canada, whose founder was convicted of
communicating racial hatred in the 1980s. The party's website asks supporters
to contact Kindersley, St. Walburg and other towns to proclaim the event.
Steve Rennick, director of communications for the
Saskatchewan Party caucus, said calls went out to various constituency offices
after Mayor Michael Fougere rescinded the designation Tuesday.
"It's small-town Saskatchewan. You look out for your
neighbour," Rennick said. "(The constituency offices) took it upon
themselves to contact their municipality just to make sure they knew what it
was they had agreed to or were supporting."
Officials with the towns of Kindersley and St. Walburg
confirmed they received requests to endorse the occasion on Wednesday. Unlike
the City of Regina and multiple other cities over the years, staff in
Kindersley and St. Walburg were warned ahead of time.
Kindersley Mayor John Enns-Wind said the request was thrown
out and the group has been asked to take the town's name off its website.
"We didn't expect that one coming, and neither did
Regina, obviously," said Enns-Wind, referring to the request from the
European Heritage Week Celebration Committee that describes the event as
celebrating the contributions of Europeans in Canada. He added many requests
come in from charities and non-profit organizations asking the town to
designate a certain day.
"What the Nationalist Party of Canada has done is
piggybacked on a very good practice that other organizations do to spread
political ideology. Kudos to our MLA."
St. Walburg Mayor Tony Leeson said the request will be
forwarded to council - as is procedure - but he doubts it will be approved. He
said the town does not support the party's aims, and called the request
"despicable."
The towns of Turtleford, Rosetown and Pelly were also listed
on the group's website, but staff in those municipalities said that they hadn't
yet received similar requests.
vbrown@leaderpost.com
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