‘We are better than that’: Councillor Bolin condemns hate speech graffiti

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Trevor Bolin and the rest of city council were upset by the discovery of racist graffiti on the local Treaty 8 office.

The office, located in downtown Fort St. John, was spray painted with profanities and swastikas over the Family Day long weekend.

“I think [our reaction] was in line with everyone’s reaction,” explained Bolin in an interview on the February 21st episode of This Week in the Peace. 

“There was anger towards something like that happening, there was sadness [at] the fact that that’s still happening, and that we haven’t advanced beyond not only the vandalism, but what was also on the building.”

According to Bolin, council and staff members found out about the vandalism at the same time as the greater community, from social media posts.

“Literally, as soon as council found out about it, council came together,” Bolin said. “We, with staff, drafted a response to the community, an overall letter to the community.”

Bolin hoped that the mayor’s statement made it loud and clear that there is no space for hate or racism in Fort St. John.

“We are better than that, and regardless of if it was kids playing around, or if it was somebody who was viciously trying to make a statement, none of that is okay.”

Bolin urged anyone who sees similar vandalism elsewhere in the community to phone the RCMP.

The graffiti has since been painted over. 

The Fort St. John RCMP detachment is investigating the incident as a hate crime, and officers are in the process of collecting security camera footage of the outside of the building, to create a timeline of events and identify potential suspects.

Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is urged to contact the detachment at 250-787-8100.