Toronto police are investing a series of hate crimes after two more nooses were found hanging at downtown construction sites.

Officials from The Daniels Corporation confirmed on June 26 that a noose was found at the company’s DuEast site on Dundas Street East and Sumach Street. The company immediately filed a report with the Toronto police, and issued a statement.

"We are disgusted and horrified at this heinous act, which we are treating as a hate crime," said company president Mitchell Cohen. “This deplorable act against the Black community is unacceptable and we reaffirm that there is zero tolerance for racism, prejudice and hate on our construction sites and within our organization.”

"Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident within the construction industry and reinforces that more action is required."

The day before, another noose was found at the Bay Park Centre site at 81 Bay Street. EllisDon and Govan Brown. The companies immediately contacted Toronto Police Services, which confirmed that the noose was on site, but not that there was any video evidence of its being hung at the site. Nor, the police said, is there any evidence to connect the noose to the ones that were left at another EllisDon site on June 10.

EllisDon CEO Geoff Smith has taken strong action to condemn what the company, and many across the industry, are calling hate crimes.

“This is a disgraceful act by someone weak and cowardly,” he said in a statement on June 25. “We will do everything possible to identify, prosecute and evict anyone involved from our industry. The perpetrator has acted in a way to try and achieve notoriety and even influence by sowing division and hatred. We will never allow that to happen.”

On June 18, he also wrote an open letter to MPPs Rima Berns-McGown and Peter Tabuns regarding the noose that was found on the company’s Michael Garron Hospital site.

Meanwhile, a number of industry groups have taken to social media to condemn the actions.

The Canadian Construction Association Tweeted on June 27, “We are shocked and disgusted by the racist, hateful actions that have recently taken place on Toronto construction sites. The guilty individual(s) must be identified and prosecuted.”

Joseph Mancinelli, vice-president and regional manager of the Labourers International Union of North America for Central & Eastern Canada, issued the following statement:

“Any & all forms of racism & bigotry hold no space in our organization, our industry or in our communities. LiUNA has zero tolerance for such acts. I am disgusted, absolutely disgusted by the hate crimes on jobsites. It does not rep the integrity of our industry. Enough is enough.”

And the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) says it is appalled by the actions.

“These are disturbing and shocking racially-motivated incidents that are denounced by everyone who works in our industry,” said RESCON president Richard Lyall. “These are acts of cowardice and racism that have no place in our industry nor society. The perpetrators must be caught and prosecuted.

“Our industry and members have zero tolerance for racism and discriminatory behaviour of any kind. Hanging a noose is a hate crime. These perpetrators will be terminated and no longer welcome in the industry.”

Police are investigating.