EllisDon reacts to suspected hate crime at Toronto worksite
EllisDon has responded to a suspected hate crime incident at its Michael Garron Hospital worksite in Toronto.
Two Black workers arrived at the site as usual on the morning of June 11 to find two strategically placed nooses. Police were called and are investigating, while EllisDon has said it will conduct its own investigation into the incident. The nooses were not on the site when workers left for the day Tuesday afternoon, and the site is monitored by 24-hour video surveillance.
In a statement released on June 12, EllisDon said it is confident the placement of the nooses was strategic and motivated by racism.
“To say we are shocked and disgusted would be an understatement,” said the official statement. “These actions are not a joke. They are ignorant, and will come with harsh consequences which we will fully support.”
EllisDon president and CEO Geoff Smith elaborated:
“I am appalled and outraged at the hateful and racist actions that took place at one of our construction sites. This will not be tolerated, not now, not ever. We will work with Toronto Police Services, with every resource we can muster, to identify the guilty individual or individuals and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent, and never allowed to participate in our industry again. We have worked extremely hard to ensure a culture and environment that allows people to work free of discrimination and intolerance. Obviously, there is more work to be done; and I know I speak for the entire industry when I say that we do not intend to rest until this kind of behaviour is eradicated entirely."