SASKATOON -- Police are investigating after two organizations in the city were targeted by posters with hateful messaging.
Saskatoon Open Door Society CEO Ali Abukar said staff found posters glued to the front doors of two of its locations Thursday morning.
The posters featured a phrase referring to a “great replacement" of Canadians of European descent, language sometimes used by white nationalists.
"In Saskatoon, we have a very welcoming community, a community that is all connected and celebrates its diversity and when you see this kind of messaging, it's a big threat to our community,” Abukar said.
Staff removed the posters immediately so they wouldn’t upset anyone using their services.
Abukar said he’s received a lot of support from the public and that it’s important for people to stand up against acts like this.
“To speak up against these kinds of things and to make it clear that this kind of messaging does not belong in Saskatchewan,” he said.
OUTSaskatoon, an LGBTQ advocacy group in the city, was also targeted by the poster campaign.
"Everybody was just really shocked that this happened and then incredibly disheartened and angry about it," said Amanda Guthrie, education manager at OUTSaskatoon.
She said she wants people who use their services to know that this incident doesn’t change what’s happening within the organization’s doors.
"We’re still here with smiles, open arms, full of acceptance and a poster on our window is not going to hurt us enough to make us diminish our efforts to provide a safe space for people in Saskatoon and surrounding areas," Guthrie said.
The Saskatoon Police Service said the investigation is in its early stages and there are limited details available at this time.
