socastcmsRssStartFreq 90.5/Oldies 96.7 News staffsocastcmsRssEnd
Peterborough’s mayor is hoping he’ll be able to get specifics regarding allegations of racism felt by the Chief of Hiawatha First Nation.
In an opinion piece in the Peterborough Examiner this week by Chief Laurie Carr, she wrote: “In recent months, I have experienced both blatant and covert racism, more intensely than ever before. It came from those in positions of power and public trust: politicians, police officers, city workers, firefighters and paramedics. These are the people we are supposed to rely on. They are trusted to protect and serve. It also came from the general public.”
As part of a response, Jeff Leal released a statement on Friday:
The City of Peterborough takes extremely seriously the comments by Hiawatha First Nation Chief Laurie Carr in a column in The Examiner that she has experienced racism by City employees. The City welcomes an opportunity to meet with Chief Carr. Chief Carr shared the important message that calling out racism is a first step. The City will be following up with Chief Carr to get specifics of these allegations so that each matter can be investigated and appropriate action taken.
Racism is expressly prohibited through the Code of Conduct for City employees and will not be accepted. Anyone who experiences a Code of Conduct violation by a City employee can submit a complaint directly to the City or anonymously to a third-party service provided by the City at https://www.peterborough.ca/council-city-hall/plans-and-policies/employee-code-of-conduct/. The City’s employees represent the City and are held to that standard.
On the broader message of moving forward in a systemic way, the City’s Indigenous Relations Advisor, Shelley Knott, is scheduled to present an update to a City Council General Committee meeting in October to share information on action to date by the organization and future direction. The City is committed to building strong relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities and reflecting the principles of truth and reconciliation.
Carr further wrote, “We owe it to ourselves, to our children, and to our communities to not turn away from this conversation. Because if we don’t face it, we become part of the silence that allows racism to continue. As September 30th approaches, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we must rise with one voice to say: Enough is enough.”
