Anti-racism virtual event to be held Tuesday after hate crime at Michael Garron Hospital work site

Erin Horrocks-Pope June 26, 2020

On June 10, site workers found two nooses hanging from construction equipment at Michael Garron Hospital.

The construction site is inaccessible to the public and the nooses were "strategically placed" leading investigators to believe that this act was racially motivated.

A week after this event went public, two Toronto East MPPs wrote to Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, EllisDon President Geoff Smith and Michael Garron Hospital President Sara Downy demanding more action against racism.

“Can you imagine having to go to work with your well-being threatened by a person or people that are so hate-filled that they feel entitled to make such a visual statement?” the MPP’s letter read.

The incident has been condemned by the hospital, EllisDon, elected officials and the community.

On June 17, Toronto Police Services confirmed that the Hate Crime Unit had been contacted for an official investigation which will be assisted by the hospital and EllisDon.

“This type of behaviour and intolerance will never be permitted on an EllisDon jobsite or office,” a June 12 EllisDon statement read. “These actions are not a joke. They are ignorant, and will come with harsh consequences which we will fully support.”

Beaches-East York MPP Rima Berns-McGown and Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns have arranged a public virtual event to be held Tuesday June 30 to address on-going racism in the city’s East End.

“We believe that the public needs to know that elected officials, police, health care leaders and industry leaders support vigorous action to stamp out racism and hate crimes,” Berns-McGown and Tabuns wrote.

Michael Garron Hospital is now welcoming art in solidarity against racism to fill parts of the construction fence where the incident occurred starting this weekend.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and police at this time are asking for the public’s help to gather any information about the hate crime.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 55 Division at 416-808-5500 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 or online at https://www.222tips.com