Arnprior council votes to apologize for mayor's comments

Councillors in Arnprior, Ont., have voted to publicly apologize to people of colour in their community for the mayor's earlier comments denying systemic racism exists in the Ottawa Valley town. 

The motion to apologize was put forward by Coun. Lisa McGee during a special council meeting on Dec. 23. 

This follows a CBC Ottawa series on racism in the Ottawa Valley, where Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) shared their experiences with racism and called on local leaders to do something about it.

The problem here is that he's stuck on something that isn't even up for debate. Systemic racism isn't an opinion.- Sophie Smith-Doré, Arnprior resident

In one story, Arnprior Mayor Walter Stack told CBC he doesn't believe there's systemic racism in his town and suggested racist incidents there are isolated. 

"I don't think there is a systemic racism problem in the Ottawa Valley. That said, I don't doubt that there [are] isolated issues," Stack told CBC News in late November. "I've never really, to be honest, witnessed it here."

Some residents signed a petition that called for the town to publicly apologize for the mayor's earlier statement.

"The mayor does not speak for all of council," said McGee during the meeting. "Make no mistake. [Racism] does happen systemically in Arnprior."

"I realize now on the topic of systemic racism in the Town of Arnprior, I should have spoken sooner, and for this I do apologize," said Coun. Chris Toner, who seconded the motion. 

Mayor abstains from vote

According to the motion, a formal apology to the town's BIPOC community is overdue. It calls on all council members to apologize and acknowledge the hurt caused by the delay.

All six councillors voted in favour, but the mayor abstained.

Council was unprepared and frankly, surprised that despite hours and hours of research, this was his conclusion.- Coun. Lisa McGee

"I still am struggling with the systemic part of it. I'm just being candid and honest," said Stack during the meeting.

"I also look at this as representing the whole community, and I am really struggling with that label. And I'm hoping that this process we're going through in January and February will help me with that word and that definition."

Mayor repeated denial, says councillor

In an email to CBC, McGee explained that councillors called for the special meeting before the holidays so that they could publicly apologize.

"The majority of council felt that it was too important to wait until the first meeting in the new year," she wrote.

According to McGee, during a council meeting in December following the CBC story, the mayor again denied systemic racism existed in Arnprior. 

"At that meeting, council was unprepared and frankly, surprised that despite hours and hours of research, this was his conclusion," McGee said. "Mostly, I'm sorry that I didn't use my voice at the [Dec. 14] meeting when the mayor failed to apologize."

Arnprior resident Sophie Smith-Doré, who tuned into the special meeting, said the mayor's apology is long overdue.

"The problem here is that he's stuck on something that isn't even up for debate. Systemic racism isn't an opinion," Smith-Doré said.

"I want everybody to remember that the mayor is elected to represent all of his community members," Smith-Doré said. "The fact that he put his foot down tells me, and I hope it tells everyone else, that Arnprior has outgrown this mayor and these small-minded views."

• Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of CBC's Racism in the Ottawa Valley series

Council also passed a motion on Dec. 23 to ask town staff to look into diversity training for all council and staff, holding a roundtable with local residents to hear about their experiences with racism, and to undertake a review of all town policies to make sure there are no discriminatory practices.

McGee said council will hear from delegates from the BIPOC community during an upcoming meeting on Jan. 11.

CBC has requested an interview with the mayor for this story and is waiting to hear back.