Alex Bennie posted photos of the notes she found to the Vernon Rant and Rave (uncensored) Facebook group, sparking outrage in the community.
Image Credit: Alex Bennie
September 30, 2020 - 1:24 PM
A Vernon parent was horrified after stumbling upon hundreds of notes promoting a white supremacist website, scattered across the pavement near her child's school.
Alex Bennie said she disposed of as many of the notes as she could at Alexis Park Elementary. She said the notes were also found at Kidston, BX and Harwood elementary schools and have been picked up by other parents.
Bennie posted photos of the notes to the Vernon Rant and Rave (uncensored) Facebook Group, sparking outrage in the community.
Alex Bennie posted photos of the notes to the Vernon Rant and Rave (uncensored) Facebook Group, sparking outrage in the community.
Image Credit: Alex Bennie
The discovery coincides with Orange Shirt Day today, which commemorates the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of Indigenous survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation.
Charity Sakakibara, Aboriginal Contact School District 22, said these notes show why days like Orange Shirt Day are so important.
"It's very disturbing and certainly it highlights the need for events like Orange Shirt Day to address the fact that, yes, there is racism in Canadian society," she said.
"We need Orange Shirt Day to counteract and recognize that."
The Superintendent of School for School District 22 was also disturbed by the notes.
"Today, on Orange Shirt Day, we are recognizing the injustices and racism our Indigenous students and families faced in the past and continue to face today," Joe Rogers said.
"We will continue to work with community partners and staff to create a school system and community that values and respects the dignity of each person."
He added that most of the offensive materials were picked up by parents and staff before school started this morning.
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