Maclean's: Winnipeg Is Most Racist City

bush_cheney2004 · January 23, 2015

Now here's something different.....MACLEAN's rips Winnipeg as Canada's most racist city. Gotta love Facebook's contribution to the eloquent discourse:

“Oh Goddd how long are aboriginal people going to use what happened as a crutch to suck more money out of Canadians?” Winnipeg teacher Brad Badiuk wrote on Facebook last month. “They have contributed NOTHING to the development of Canada. Just standing with their hand out. Get to work, tear the treaties and shut the FK up already. Why am I on the hook for their cultural support?”

Another day in Winnipeg, another hateful screed against the city’s growing indigenous population. This one from a teacher (now on unpaid leave) at Kelvin High School, long considered among the city’s progressive schools—alma mater to just about every Winipegger of note, from Marshall McLuhan to Izzy Asper, Fred Penner and Neil Young.

http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/welcome-to-winnipeg-where-canadas-racism-problem-is-at-its-worst/

Maybe Joni Mitchell was right....is Winnipeg Canada's most racist city ?

Bryan · January 23, 2015

That cover is hilarious… "Canada has a bigger race problem than America, and it's ugliest in Winnipeg". If that's true, then what that means is there is no such thing as racism at all in the US, because it's virtually nonexistent here. It's not as if Macleans had much integrity to begin with, but they really outdid themselves with that one.

The real problem, if there is one, is aboriginal people (including many of the members of my own family) who go out of their way to reinforce as many stereotypes as they possibly can. When something they do turns out badly, they'll inevitably blame whitey. When aboriginals are killing each other at an alarming rate, the number of murdered aboriginals becomes a dog whistle for social justice warriors who want to blame it on racism. It's preposterous.

Smallc · January 23, 2015

The real problem, if there is one, is aboriginal people (including many of the members of my own family) who go out of their way to reinforce as many stereotypes as they possibly can.

My aboriginal fiancee says the exact same thing.

Black Dog · January 23, 2015

That cover is hilarious… "Canada has a bigger race problem than America, and it's ugliest in Winnipeg". If that's true, then what that means is there is no such thing as racism at all in the US, because it's virtually nonexistent here. It's not as if Macleans had much integrity to begin with, but they really outdid themselves with that one.

Didn't read the article, then?

The real problem, if there is one, is aboriginal people (including many of the members of my own family) who go out of their way to reinforce as many stereotypes as they possibly can. When something they do turns out badly, they'll inevitably blame whitey. When aboriginals are killing each other at an alarming rate, the number of murdered aboriginals becomes a dog whistle for social justice warriors who want to blame it on racism. It's preposterous.

And I'm sure that's exactly what goes through people's heads when they make bad life choices, right?

My aboriginal fiancee says the exact same thing.

And, according to you, her experiences don't count.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Black Dog

Michael Hardner · January 23, 2015

I really don't understand the desire to blame rather than look inwards and reflect on such collective problems.

Shortly after, the Winnipeg Free Press released poll results showing that 75 per cent of Winnipeggers consider the city’s divide between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal citizens a “serious problem.”

The people of Winnipeg realize that the divide is a problem, so can't we just agree ? The other thing we have to realize is that something different has to be tried. Simply cutting people a cheque doesn't make their lives better. And devoting more resources, or less resources just talks about the cost of solutions - not about solutions themselves.

BubberMiley · January 23, 2015

It's absolutely true. I'm just surprised it took Macleans 100 years to notice.

Smallc · January 23, 2015

But yes I would agree that in terms of racial discrimination and hatred, Winnipeg is probably number 1. I wouldn't agree it's worse than many American cities.

Smallc · January 23, 2015

And blackdog, her observations, as a general rule, don't count. Neither do mine. It was simply an acknowledgement that his family members aren't alone in feeling that way.

jacee · January 23, 2015

I really don't understand the desire to blame rather than look inwards and reflect on such collective problems.

The people of Winnipeg realize that the divide is a problem, so can't we just agree ? The other thing we have to realize is that something different has to be tried. Simply cutting people a cheque doesn't make their lives better. And devoting more resources, or less resources just talks about the cost of solutions - not about solutions themselves.

I am appalled to see you reciting the 'simply cutting a cheque' slur.

There will be an opportunity this year when the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is released for Canadians to have very significant conversations about our responsibilities to help Indigenous people recover from the genocide our governments inflicted on them for over 100 years.

Canada will be very much in the international spotlight through that process.

The question in my mind is this: Are Conservative Canadians capable of participating in those conversations constructively, or will they just have hissy fits on the sidelines lobbing explosive racial slurs?

In a poll I saw some years ago, 80% of Canadians believed we should honour our treaties with Indigenous Peoples. The Supreme Court agrees.

The 20% who would choose to continue to violate the treaties seem very resentful that the genocide wasn't completed. Despite sustained and horrific efforts, complete anihilation and assimilation wasn't achieved, and the results of genocidal damage are still very apparent.

How we address this in coming years will be our greatest challenge and will define us as a nation.

.

Remiel · January 23, 2015

When the Conservatives can count on greater than 20% of Canadians to misunderstand their political system whenever the issue of coalitions comes up what proportion of that 80% do you think really has a clue about the treaties? 80% of people agree we should respect the treaties because they do not understand them at all and because we are conditioned to accept "rules" that are in place. If they did understand them though and what they entailed, much fewer people would acquiesce so easily.

Michael Hardner · January 23, 2015

I am appalled to see you reciting the 'simply cutting a cheque' slur.

I don't see how that phrase can be considered a 'slur'.

And the rest of your post appears unrelated to my comment.

bush_cheney2004 · January 23, 2015

...The question in my mind is this: Are Conservative Canadians capable of participating in those conversations constructively, or will they just have hissy fits on the sidelines lobbing explosive racial slurs?

Do you really think such criticism is only reserved for Conservative Canadians ?

Shady · January 23, 2015

the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Right out of George Orwell.

Black Dog · January 23, 2015

Right out of George Orwell.

To a tin-foil hat wearing nincompoop maybe.

Here's a list of similar (and similarly named) bodies from around the world.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Black Dog

BubberMiley · January 23, 2015

Having read the article, I was kind of surprised at how poorly it was written. There is an unacceptable divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this country, and that is most visible in Winnipeg where there is a large proportion of Indigenous people, but the article just focused on unrelated anecdotes and lazy regurgitation of existing reporting of minor incidences that really amount to nothing. There's no study, there's no data--just a vague impression and an attention-getting headline.

And really, it's not like police are shooting unarmed Aboriginals in the streets like they are in the U.S.

And it's not like Manitoba put a bounty on Indigenous people to exterminate them like they did in Minnesota.

So while I recognize the situation is bad and certainly needs to be improved, what evidence do they have again that Canada is worse than the U.S.?

Argus · January 23, 2015

What your impression is of a given group is based on what you hear, see, read and are told about that group. But experiences trump all. It's noteworthy that the opinions ordinary Canadians tend to have about natives gets worse the closer they are to a reservation. For most of us it's mostly just a theoretical thing. I personally don't know any natives. The only ones near me I'm sure of are those in the native group home on the next block, the one the cops keep showing up in front of due to fights and other problems. My opinions, then, are based on what I see in the media. And as I'm very much a peace, order, and good government conservative, and someone who believes in personal responsibility, that opinion, on a general level, is not the greatest. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. That doesn't mean I don't want the miserable situation on so many reservations addressed, but I just don't see how to do it without steamrolling over native objections. Because honestly, they can't stay there in the boonies with no work.

As for Winnipeg, I can say a friend went there on a five day business trip last month. She described it as a dull, ugly city, with an amazing number of drunk and homeless natives on the street. She likes jogging after work but the hotel warned her against it, saying wouldn't be safe.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Argus

Black Dog · January 23, 2015

Having read the article, I was kind of surprised at how poorly it was written. There is an unacceptable divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this country, and that is most visible in Winnipeg where there is a large proportion of Indigenous people, but the article just focused on unrelated anecdotes and lazy regurgitation of existing reporting of minor incidences that really amount to nothing. There's no study, there's no data--just a vague impression and an attention-getting headline.

And really, it's not like police are shooting unarmed Aboriginals in the streets like they are in the U.S.

And it's not like Manitoba put a bounty on Indigenous people to exterminate them like they did in Minnesota.

So while I recognize the situation is bad and certainly needs to be improved, what evidence do they have again that Canada is worse than the U.S.?

The data?

Smallc · January 23, 2015

That doesn't necessarily have much of anything to do with racism.

bush_cheney2004 · January 23, 2015

...So while I recognize the situation is bad and certainly needs to be improved, what evidence do they have again that Canada is worse than the U.S.?

Indeed...why is the issue even defined in such terms ? Can't any domestic issue in Canada be defined and discussed without reference to the U.S. as a benchmark ?

Black Dog · January 23, 2015

What your impression is of a given group is based on what you hear, see, read and are told about that group. But experiences trump all. It's noteworthy that the opinions ordinary Canadians tend to have about natives gets worse the closer they are to a reservation. For most of us it's mostly just a theoretical thing. I personally don't know any natives. The only ones near me I'm sure of are those in the native group home on the next block, the one the cops keep showing up in front of due to fights and other problems. My opinions, then, are based on what I see in the media. And as I'm very much a peace, order, and good government conservative, and someone who believes in personal responsibility, that opinion, on a general level, is not the greatest. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. That doesn't mean I don't want the miserable situation on so many reservations addressed, but I just don't see how to do it without steamrolling over native objections. Because honestly, they can't stay there in the boonies with no work.

The problem is when a general impression (natives are drunk and violent) is used to inform one's personal interactions with native people on an individual level. Let's put it this way: when I see a white homeless guy drunk on the street, I don't assume the next white guy I see is a drunk bum, yet people do that with native people all the damn time.

As for Winnipeg, I can say a friend went there on a five day business trip last month. She described it as a dull, ugly city, with an amazing number of drunk and homeless natives on the street. She likes jogging after work but the hotel warned her against it, saying wouldn't be safe.

Yeah if that's true the hotel people are probably full of shit unless your friend was in the north end and even then, people are overwhelmingly victimized by members of their own racial or ethnic group.

BubberMiley · January 23, 2015

Indeed...why is the issue even defined in such terms ? Can't any domestic issue in Canada be defined and discussed without reference to the U.S. as a benchmark ?

I don't know. Can you discuss an issue without using Canada as a benchmark?

bush_cheney2004 · January 23, 2015

I don't know. Can you discuss an issue without using Canada as a benchmark?

Yes...because it always points back at the U.S. anyway....even love for Hillary Clinton !

Edited January 23, 2015 by bush_cheney2004

BubberMiley · January 23, 2015

Yeah if that's true the hotel people are probably full of shit unless your friend was in the north end and even then, people are overwhelmingly victimized by members of their own racial or ethnic group.

Although downtown Winnipeg is no utopia, they were probably talking about the likelihood of slipping on the ice and breaking an ankle.

But the North End isn't that bad at all---I ride my $4000 mountain bike by myself through there all the time without even a feeling of bad vibes.

Some people get frightened about being asked for change though, and I guess if you're a small woman by yourself, I can understand that.

Smallc · January 23, 2015

The North end isn't dangerous at all. You stay away from the wrong parties and you'll be fine, no matter what 'race' you are.

Smallc · January 23, 2015

In response to Argus earlier, what your impression of Winnipeg is depends very much on where you are. Parts of the city are beautiful. Other parts aren't much to look at.