Hate to Hope mural launch hopes to spark conversations in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John Arts Council was joined by the city and the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner to officially unveil the new Hate to Hope Mural in the Pomeroy Sport Centre Thursday.

The new mural was designed and painted through a partnership between the Fort St. John Arts Council and the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner.

The piece is inspired by the hate to hope inquiry the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner did in 2021 into the rise of hatred in B.C. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kasari Govender, B.C.’s first independent Human Rights Commissioner, took the job in 2019 and quickly decided on hate within communities for the office’s first inquiry.

“The overall finding of the inquiry was unsurprising, unfortunately, which is that, indeed, hate incidents did rise dramatically over the course of the pandemic,” Govender said.

“Even based on police statistics alone, the number rose about 118 per cent, which we know is a far underestimate of what really happened on the ground.”

She says the inquiry’s focus was the rise of hate during times of societal crisis, but the information isn’t new.

“It is a deeply unfortunate reality of our time that we are continually reminded why this work to address hate matters so much,” Govender said.

“With the anti-SOGI marches and the rise of trans hate in September, to the rise of Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate in recent weeks, people continue to be targeted by violent words and actions based on integral aspects of their identity.”

The Human Rights Commissioner says hate is not the “amorphous, unsolvable” problem it seems, however.

In March of this year, the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner delivered the inquiry’s results to B.C.’s legislature, which included 12 recommendations on how to take action against hate.

Govender says since March, the office has been calling on the provincial government to implement the recommendations.

“It is beyond time to move from nice words to meaningful actions on these issues and to confirm that the fundamental dignity of every person is of the utmost importance and deserves the utmost protection,” Govender said.

She says the mural’s theme doesn’t end with the study of hate — hope is also at the centre of the work.

“If we don’t believe change is possible, we will be immobilized by the state of the world,” Govender said.

The Human Rights Commissioner says the office was created to promote and protect human rights in the province.

“While this work is, at its core, based on a fundamentally optimistic view of humanity, a vision for a better future, it’s not just idealism that helps us all keep working towards the same goals,” Govender said.

“We have the backing of human rights laws in the province, of the Canadian constitution and international human rights laws. And we have the power of communities to stand together against hate.”

The Human Rights Code includes many parts of a person’s identity that cannot be discriminated against, such as religion and race. Part of the work the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner has been doing is to add homelessness or poverty to the list.

Govender says there is nothing in Canada saying discrimination based on homelessness or poverty is illegal.

“We’ve been pushing for that since the very beginning of our existence as an office. We did see a really devastating rise in violence and hate against people who are homeless,” Govender said.

“People were murdered in some communities during COVID, and they would otherwise have met the criteria for a hate crime, except that hate on the basis of being poor or homeless doesn’t count in our law.”

She says she’s also concerned that children and young people bear the brunt of the actions of the adults in their lives.

“From the Jewish daycare in Kelowna that was shut down due to a bomb threat, to the students in Montreal who arrived [Thursday] morning to bullet holes in their doors, to my friend’s brown children who have been taunted as being Hamas, to the children who are denied anti-bullying education because of disinformation and transphobia,” Govender said.

The Human Rights Commissioner says the mural represents an opportunity for the community to reflect on the dual concepts of hate and hope.

Heidi Avanthay, with the City of Fort St. John and the local arts council, says the call for artists was circulated in July.

The mural contract was awarded to a company of professional artists from Northwest B.C. called the Raven Tacuara Collective.

Artists Facundo Gastiazoro and Stephanie Anderson completed the mural in October.

“The white base thrusts up into the vivid colours filled with columns of leaves and dandelion seeds representing growth and transformation, a symbol of hope,” Avanthay said.

“The artwork depicts how hate can infiltrate a community and how the community of Fort St. John coming together can create hope by supporting a welcoming and safe place for everyone.”

Avanthay believes the artwork is a conversation starter, especially for those not from Fort St. John.

Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen echoed Avanthay’s sentiments.

“This mural is a testament to the resilience and the unity of our community, region and province,” Hansen said.

“It stands as a symbol of our commitment to combating hate and promoting hope in the face of adversity.”

The mayor says the mural reminds us the journey from hate to hope is not easy but is a path worth pursuing because hate has no place in our society.

“Let it remind us that we are committed to creating a society where love, compassion and hope thrive,” Hansen said.

“We will continue to work together to foster understanding, combat hatred, and ensure a brighter and more inclusive future for all.”

The mayor says when people enter the Pomeroy Sport Centre, visitors will feel the energy from the artwork.

“It just gives a really bright, bold, vivid entrance to the Pomeroy Sport Centre, and it’s fantastic because the centre is used from the wee little ones to the seniors,” Hansen said.

“This is a nice piece for us, and we’re hoping to have more community art in the future.”