Several public places around the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam have been defaced with posters advertising a “Whites-Only” toddlers’ play group. Posters appeared on bus stops and at the Coquitlam Centre shopping centre calling on members of the community to “escape forced ‘diversity’” and join a Telegram chat where it was apparent that more information would be shared. While the community outcry against these posters has been significant after their widespread publication, this example of hatred is only one of the more visible in Canada’s long-lasting flirtations with white supremacy.
This advertising campaign comes on the immediate heels of parliamentary controversy where a Ukrainian member of the Nazi SS was given a standing ovation by MPs on the floor of Canada’s House of Commons. As if in a call and response, the white supremacist posters appeared rapidly, signalling a resurgence of an emboldened and radical local far-right which has become involved in a variety of reactionary actions including an anti-trans “Million March 4 Children” rally outside Coquitlam city hall, just minutes from the defaced mall. While the Canadian far-right finds itself dwarfed by other political tendencies, their boldness to espouse their views in public reflects a frightening trend in Canadian politics which will undoubtedly facilitate violence disproportionate to their number. With Pierre Poilievre, a conservative with a history of platforming transphobia, poised to sweep Canadian elections with a majority, the situation of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as well as racialized minorities stands to become even more dangerous. The enabling actions of the Liberal government under Justin Trudeau in its failure to proactively protect the rights of marginalized communities has carved a niche for white supremacists to sow their roots. While the seeds of racial hatred are baked into the genocidal history of Canada, the political environment enables the public airing of these views and will certainly escalate in scale and severity if left unchecked.
The Canadian left stands at a turning point. The Canadian masses are feeling the crippling blows of inflation, the erosion of publicly funded medical care, and a cost-of-living crisis with a government that seems to think that rhetoric is enough to pay the rent. The right is seizing the opportunity to direct discontent caused by capitalism toward vulnerable minorities and will continue to fan the flames. The left cannot leave this space unchallenged. The choice has come to us. We must make sure that the real reasons for these issues — the greed of the capitalist class and the complicity of their subservient government — are blamed. Not racialized people and sexual and gender minorities who are only trying to eke out an existence amid rampant ignorance and bigotry. The Canadian left must stand in firm solidarity with every member of the working class — especially those who have been placed in the crosshairs.