Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; and Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast; have issued the following joint statement regarding recent acts of racist anti-Indigenous vandalism on the Sunshine Coast:

“We stand together with shíshálh Nation to denounce and condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist anti-Indigenous vandalism that occurred on July 7, 2020.

“These ignorant, cowardly and reprehensible acts are contrary to the values of our government and the people of British Columbia and Canada.

“We value our strong relationship with shíshálh Nation and are proud to work together through a long-term, government-to-government relationship grounded in our 2018 foundation agreement. Together, we are focused on protecting the environment and promoting economic opportunity and growth for the shíshálh Nation and the entire region – work that benefits everyone who lives on the Sunshine Coast.

“We recognize the outpouring of support for shíshálh people from near and far – and we join those voices.

“There is no place in our society for the kind of racism we saw this week on the Sunshine Coast. We all must stand up and oppose racism in all its forms.

“By working to make systemic changes to recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous peoples in all areas of life, we are building a province where every person can thrive, has access to opportunities and is treated with dignity and respect.”