Leaving an unsigned letter that spews hate and threatens a St. Albert family is a cowardly act, and one that cannot be tolerated.
“We don’t like your kind around here, we lock our doors at night when there was no need to do that before you moved in,” reads a letter, found Monday in a Grandin Woods Estates condo mailbox.
The letter from Katrina Anderson’s neighbours, complaining about children riding a scooter on driveways and playing basketball and football on the street, also said, “Move out or things will escalate. Would not want to see the kids getting hurt. This isn’t a reserve. Go back to the reserve where Indians belong.”
It’s an appalling demonstration of ignorance, and adding to the horrific nature of the letter is the fact Anderson's 12-year-old daughter was the one who discovered it. There is no place anywhere, let alone in St. Albert, for this kind of hatred.
The despicable document raised the hackles of St. Albertans Wednesday as a photo spread quickly on social media. But it also spurred an outpouring of support for the family of five who Anderson described as “amazing.”
The woman, with tears in her eyes, made the comment while watching a group of about 50 family, friends and strangers gather in front of her condo Wednesday evening to send a strong message that this vile behaviour is unacceptable.
Kristin Kalmbach, who organized the gathering within hours of viewing the letter online, is outraged at the act of intolerance that has left Anderson fearing for the safety of her children.
“My heart, as a mom, a woman, as a part of this community, I was horrified to think about what she's been going through ... This is not my community. This is not my St. Albert. I don’t want them to live in fear of one bad apple. Right? Or maybe two,” said Kalmbach, who had not had previous contact with Anderson.
“I want (the family) to know that there are people that care and I want the originator who wrote that (letter) to understand that this is not OK ... This is a hate crime. It goes far beyond just being rude to your neighbour whose kid is noisy.”
That sentiment was echoed by others who turned out Wednesday to express their concerns and support to Anderson, who said she plans to move out of the condo complex to protect her family.
The hateful letter certainly puts a black stain on the neighbourhood in which the family has lived for 18 months. And the letter, the subject of an RCMP investigation, likely won’t be forgotten any time soon, particularly given how quickly it went viral. Within hours of its circulation, Alberta’s premier even weighed in on the issue.
“The attack on this family is beyond upsetting. As I’ve said before, there’s no place for racism in Alberta,” Premier Rachel Notley tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
Despite ongoing efforts to eradicate racism in this province, this latest example of intolerant behaviour shows there’s much more work to do. But St. Albertans can take solace in knowing there are residents like Kalmbach who aren’t afraid to take a stand and quickly condemn acts of hate. They are exemplary citizens. This city needs more of them.
