3 minute read
This is our Canada
SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE
In May, the remains of 215 children were uncovered at the site of a former residential ‘school’ in Kamloops, B.C. In June, another 104 unmarked graves were found in Brandon, Manitoba. At the former site of the Marieval ‘school’ in Saskatchewan, another 751 unmarked graves. As more sites are searched, the graves of more lost souls have been and will continue to be uncovered across this nation.
It’s estimated that 150,000 First Nations children were forced into residential ‘schools’ nation-wide over 120 years, the last closing only in 1997. That means during most of our lifetimes, children were being torn from their families and forced to assimilate in a cultural genocide. Those children faced abuse and neglect. Those that survived lost their language, culture, and connection to their history and loved ones.
In June, several people assaulted a 24-year-old gay man near Hanlan’s Point on the Toronto Islands – a spot that is generally thought of as safe space for the LGBTQ2IS community. The assailants used homophobic slurs; they broke the bones of his face in several places and fractured his hip.
On June 6, a driver targeted and drove into a Muslim family of five who were out for a walk on a summer evening. That act of terror murdered four people ranging from 15 years old to 74. The only one to survive was a boy of nine who will never see his parents, his sister, or his grandmother again.
This is our Canada.
It breaks my heart. These aren’t the only incidents like this. And while I believe most people want true reconciliation, and equality and freedom for every person, our collective heartbreak means nothing unless we take action.
We have let hatred of all kinds simmer and fester for too long. We let too many comments slide without calling them out. Our outrage at the horrific stories in the news is only momentary, because it’s not our day-to-day experience. But for many people, those comments, that racism, the hatred and trauma are their everyday experiences.
Many of us hold hands with our partners on any street at any time without considering whether it’s a ‘safe space.’ How many of us enjoy summer evening walks while others live in fear that someone will do them harm simply because of their skin colour, their gender expression, their religion, or their clothing?
Our Canada lends privilege to some; to those who are the ‘right’ colour, who wear the ‘right’ things, practice the ‘right’ religion. Our Canada oppresses those who don’t assimilate or ‘behave.’ Our Canada further punishes many people through systemic barriers and inequities, and sometimes outright hatred and violence. Our Canada tells far too many people to shut up and get over it. Our Canada is a living hypocrisy.
If you experience or witness discrimination, harassment, violence, or verbal aggression of any kind in the workplace, please report it to your employer, your Union Steward, and your Union Representative. I know it may take time to feel comfortable speaking about an experience, but even if you’re not ready to report it, please reach out to someone you trust to talk.
The Members’ Assistance Program information, as well as some other supports and resources, are at ufcw175.com/assistance.
As your Union, we will continue to learn and do better. We will work to keep the conversations going about privilege, hate, and systemic oppression.
I encourage you to visit our Instagram stories or scroll through our Facebook page to find resources and information about Pride, Indigenous history and reconciliation, Islamophobia, and more. I hope the resources serve as a stepping stone to learning more about this country, our history, and how we can move forward in the fight to achieve equality, justice, and representation for all.
Please continue to look out for one another, and take care.
In Solidarity,
Kelly Tosato treasurer@ufcw175.com
