Peterborough has been hard hit by a campaign from an alt-right group to put up its promotional posters in public, one expert says.

"I believe posters went up in multiple cities over the holidays," wrote Evan Balgord, the executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, in an email on Tuesday. "To the best of my knowledge, however, only Peterborough has seen this kind of sustained postering since."

There have been three occasions since late December when the city woke up to find the hate group's posters in the city.

The latest occurrence was on Tuesday, when posters were spotted on lampposts along the Otonabee River Trail near the Silver Bean Cafe.

The posters are from ID Canada, an alt-right group. The first red-and-white posters posted in the city in late December were on electrical boxes and bus shelters downtown.

After citizens and public works crews took those down, 16 more posters were put up downtown on Jan. 10.

City police launched an investigation that day; on Tuesday, police spokesperson Lauren Gilchrist said that investigation is ongoing.

ID Canada is part of the alt-right, neo-Nazi movement that is anti-LGBTQ and anti-feminist, Balgord says - hence the posters seen near the Silver Bean on Tuesday that say "Defend the Family."

The group's website states they have nine chapters across Canada, but doesn't identify the cities where those chapters are located.

There are between 50 and 100 members across Canada, Balgord said, and he'd be surprised if there are more than a small number in Peterborough, he wrote, "maybe even just one or two individuals."

"Obviously the impact they have on the community is significant despite their small size," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Peterborough recently joined a national coalition of cities devoted to curbing racism.

In a ceremony at city hall on Dec. 10, Mayor Diane Therrien signed paperwork to have Peterborough join the Canadian Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities.

Anyone with any information about these posters can call city police at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca

joelle.kovach

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@peterboroughdaily.com