We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, formally express our collective request for you to urgently denounce the recent hate crimes expressed by several individuals in the community of St. Albert on Saturday, January 25th.

 

Alberta is a place of prosperity and diversity. Our diversity is our strength. We trust you understand this, and the importance of civil society and human rights. We also trust that you understand that when these pillars are under attack they must be defended, in turn, with the strongest possible statements.  Individuals, especially those such as yourself, who sit in positions of power should be the first to show this leadership.

 

We know these expressions that were witnessed by community members in St. Albert and thousands of others on social media are not representative of St. Albert or Alberta, but we cannot be silent in the face of any expression of hate, however small it may appear, given the rise in division fueled by dangerous statements by other political figures, including President Donald Trump.

 

Surely you must agree with the Mayor of St. Albert and many other leaders in our communities who have condemned the actions of the individuals that took place this past Saturday, January 25th in the strongest possible terms. We expect that you will join them in denouncing these individuals' actions and reiterating Alberta's commitment to safe communities for everyone.

 

According to Statistics Canada, documented hate crimes have nearly doubled in Alberta between 2019 and 2023, and these are only those events captured by police reports. It is well past time for our provincial government to get tough on hate crimes, and to get back to building safer communities for all Albertans.

 

We will keep advocating for human rights and safer streets and communities, and we are hopeful to see a statement from the Office of the Premier, denouncing the hateful acts that took place in St. Albert this weekend as soon as possible.

 

Sincerely, the undersigned:

Will you sign?