Regional Connections Immigrant Services and the Pembina Valley Local Immigration Partnership are speaking out after a troubling incident that happened in Winkler last month.
Winkler Police report that in the early morning hours of June 15 they received a 911 call in the area of Harmony Lane during which a female could be heard screaming.
Upon arriving in the area, police were flagged down and advised that a male had been seriously assaulted and had his turban removed by three male suspects who fled the scene on foot.
The suspects were said to have been yelling racial slurs at the victim as they punched and kicked him.
Winkler and Morden police officers located and arrested the three suspects nearby. They face a range of charges, including assault.
Regional Connections board chair Michael Grenier and executive director Steve Reynolds addressed the incident in a joint statement on Friday.
“We are saddened and deeply disturbed by the recent racially motivated assault that occurred here in Winkler,” they said. “We care and are concerned for the victim, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this act of hate.
“At Regional Connections, we stand firmly against violence, racism, and all forms of discrimination. No one should ever be targeted or harmed because of their race, ethnicity, or beliefs. Such acts are not only illegal, they’re contrary to our core values as Canadians. We remain committed to our vision of building community together, which includes equity, justice, and safety for each of us.
“We call on our community to come together, to support one another, and to speak out against hate. Silence speaks volumes at a time like this. Today we have friends and neighbours who will be more fearful of a simple act like walking home from work at night in Winkler.”
The agency hosted a drop-in counselling session Tuesday night for anyone impacted by the event. Community members are also encouraged to contact Regional Connections any time for additional counselling support, resources, or referrals.
“Together, we will continue to build a community rooted in dignity, respect, and love,” Grenier and Reynolds stressed.
In an interview on Monday, Reynolds noted that while incidents of racially-motivated physical violence are thankfully rare in the Pembina Valley, many newcomers do report experiencing distressing incidents of racism.
“This has definitely opened things up for staff and clients in terms of sharing things they’ve experienced,” he said, noting that while many newcomers praise the area for being welcoming, there has also been an increase of late of people expressing anti-immigrant sentiments.
“Sometimes it’s indirect, but pointed things. One person here was sharing that some people in the coffeeshop were talking about immigration and immigrants really negatively and it seemed like intentionally loudly so they could hear, looking at them as they were talking. They were uncomfortable enough that they had to leave. They were with their family and kids and they left. Things like that are happening here.”
The best thing community members can do to battle this rising tide in racist attitudes is to speak out when they hear it, Reynolds said, pointing in example to Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt’s comment to local media last week that such incidents are “despicable.”
“This is not what the community is about, and for people to hear that strong condemnation from community members and leadership is really important,” said Reynolds.
We can’t just pretend it isn’t happening, he stressed.
“We’ve got work to do in the community.”
