The first public inquiry from British Columbia’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner will examine white supremacy and the “disturbing surge of hate” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The commissioner’s office said there has been a significant rise in reported hate-related incidents in B.C. since 2020, which highlights an urgent need for a “trauma-informed” investigation.
“It is critical for all of us to be better prepared to prevent and respond to hate during global health, economic and social crises to protect our human rights during turbulent times,” Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender said.
“Many of us are uncomfortable acknowledging hate because we want to think of our country as a peaceful, respectful place. The truth is that hate is here, and it is growing.”
Govender’s office said it has prioritized tracking hate incidents that are not only racially motivated, but also occur based on “religion, gender identity, disability, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, poverty or homelessness.”
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said the most disturbing case of hate he has heard of during the COVID-19 pandemic was a homeless man being pepper-sprayed and run over on a Nanaimo street.
Charles Samuel Salter was hospitalized with injuries that included fractures. “That was a dreadful example,” Krog said.
Police are continuing to investigate the July 10 incident.
Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien said it was one of the most brazen attacks he has seen in his career.
Beyond that, Krog said, Nanaimo has not had a lot of hate-related issues through the course of the pandemic.
“We know that some communities have seen a lot of anti-Asian racism because of COVID, and Trump calling it the Chinese flu and whatnot,” he said. “Within the context of Nanaimo, I don’t think there have been the kind of significant incidents one would expect.”
Krog said a threat was made when an anti-racism car rally was held last month.
“It was reasonably well-attended,” he said.
He said Nanaimo had a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020, as well.
Victoria police have not noted instances of hate to be on the increase, said spokesman Const. Cam McIntyre.
“We’re thankful that we did not see a rise in hate crime in Victoria and Esquimalt as we saw in other parts of British Columbia,” he said.
“However, we know that many incidents of hate crime are not reported to police for a variety of reasons.
“We want everyone in our community to be safe, and to know that VicPD will do everything we can to keep them safe.
“If anyone is the victim of an incident, hate-related or otherwise, we encourage them to report to police so that we can work to make our community a safer place together.”
The Cowichan Intercultural Society in Duncan, which supports newcomers to Canada and their integration into the Cowichan Valley, said it has seen “an increased visibility to racism.”
“I would assume that it was already there in various degrees of latency, but that it was really triggered by the pandemic,” said executive director Lynn Weaver.
She said there has been anti-Asian hate in bolder forms than before, such as racist slurs being directed at the society’s clientele.
“This sort of thing of people actually shouting slander, that we don’t typically see. That seemed more COVID-specific.”
Changes made to B.C.’s Human Rights Code last year gave the commission new power to publicly inquire into matters that would promote and protect human rights.
This makes the “Inquiry into Hate in the Pandemic” the commission’s first public investigation since Govender was appointed in September 2019.
After a year-long examination, a report will be published, which will also address how to prevent hate, particularly during social upheavals such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Fear and ignorance underlie much of the rise of hate and white supremacy in B.C.,” said Govender.
“Combating hate in all its forms requires addressing fear, systemic inequality and ignorance through an evidence-based approach to change,”
To prepare for the inquiry, the commission has consulted with 23 community groups. This fall, the commission will announce how members of the public can provide insight on their experiences for the inquiry.
