Thunder Bay, First Nations leader pledge to fight racism in Ontario city

By The Canadian Press

The city of Thunder Bay, Ont., and First Nations leaders in the region have signed a pledge to fight racism in the northern Ontario community, which has been plagued by tensions between Indigenous residents and local police.

The statement acknowledges systemic racism exists in Thunder Bay and says it must be challenged by all members of the community.

The statement signed by the city, Fort William First Nation and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation states the need to improve safety for Indigenous students attending school in Thunder Bay.

It calls for leaders to develop an anti-racism campaign for the city and includes a promise to work together on short-terms measures to protect students for the coming school year.

First Nations leaders say Thunder Bay has recently seen several acts of violent racism against Indigenous peoples, including the case of an Indigenous woman who died after being struck by a trailer hitch earlier this year.

A Statistics Canada report from June states 29 per cent of all anti-Indigenous hate crimes across Canada in 2015 were committed in Thunder Bay.

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