Racist comments prompt City of Edmonton to delete youth fellowship post
City extended mental health support to affected interns; police aware of the incident.
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A Facebook post from the City of Edmonton promoting its civic youth fellowship final showcase was deleted after racist comments flooded the thread.
Nour Salhi, a fellow working in Ward Paspaeew Councillor Michael Janz's office, said she wasn't surprised by the hateful rhetoric. "The unfortunate reality for a lot of us is it's something we've encountered before," she said. "It was very much something that we saw coming when you see the pattern in the rhetoric that is coming up to the referendum questions that are front and centre in our face."
Salhi linked the comments to the broader political environment surrounding Alberta's October 19 referendum on separation. "A lot of us, when we saw those questions pop up, it was this kind of behaviour we expected to see more and more of. It emboldens this kind of ideology."
Edmonton police have been made aware. The city extended mental health supports to any interns affected by the incident.
Mayor Andrew Knack called the comments "abhorrent" and said those who posted them should leave the city. "That very, very small percentage of just terrible people need to find something better to do with their lives," he said. "This is not the city for them."
A spokesperson for the premier's office said the comments were "unacceptable," emphasizing that everyone deserves to feel safe regardless of background, faith, or identity. The city plans to celebrate the 20 youth who completed the four-year fellowship across Edmonton's workforce at a showcase in July.
