’We were shocked’: Leduc family receives racist letter

Laine Mitchell CTV Edmonton

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A Leduc family is standing their ground after they found a racist letter telling them to move out of the neighbourhood.

“I read the letter and I was shocked, I didn’t know what to think,” said 13-year-old Jimmy Assiniboine.” I didn’t know people still did this.”

Assiniboine says his family is used to being harassed, with an incident of their lawn being ripped apart by a vehicle or suspecting their own car had once been tampered with.

Those incidents weren’t verified by police, however the most recent incident is being investigated after a hateful letter was left on the family’s doorstep on New Year’s Day.

“We were just all shocked, we didn't know what to do,” said Assiniboine. “Like it was Leduc, I didn't know that people still did this, my mom was actually in a residential school and I thought they were done with that.”

The typed letter says in part: “We see you in your house and you portray an Indian lifestyle. This is not accepted here,” along with “This will not stop until you are gone. Move out. Move out.”

The letter bears a striking resemblance to one another Indigenous family in St. Albert received last fall.

In the wake of the letter, Assiniboine says Leduc has been kind with the Deputy Mayor even weighing in on the incident.

“This letter does not represent the spirit of our community, which is one of diversity and inclusion,” said Bill Hamilton, Deputy Mayor of Leduc. "It is important to us that this family feels accepted and supported in our community."

Assiniboine says he nor his family isn’t going anywhere, and won’t give in to the letter’s demands.

“We need to stay here, or we’ll show them that we’re easy to push out.”

With files from Jeremy Thompson