EDMONTON - St. Albert’s fire chief is apologizing and has been suspended from work without pay for two weeks after photos emerged of him in a blackface costume from 2016.

“I apologize if I hurt anybody with my actions. That was never the intent,” said Bernd Gretzinger. "I'm devastated."

Images obtained by CTV News show Gretzinger dressed as musician Lenny Kravitz at a private costume party three years ago.

Gretzinger says those at the party were dressed as celebrities, and that he went as Kravitz because the rocker is his favourite musician.

“I idolize him. My life is music.”

He says no one at the party said anything to him about his costume or suggested it was in poor taste.

"Not a word, nothing."

He says the images were posted to his personal Facebook page and that he took them down last year. He also says he posted an apology for the images earlier this month.

The person who provided the photos to CTV News said firefighters were upset at the images but Gretzinger says that's not the case and that his September apology was well-received.

"The feedback I'm getting from my co-workers, the firefighters, has been tremendous."

CITY RESPONSE

The City of St. Albert says the images were taken when Gretzinger was off duty and that he was not representing the city at the event.

"These actions were racially insensitive and not consistent with the culture of the City of St. Albert," said Kevin Scoble, the city's chief administrative officer, in a written release.

Scoble says the city won't publicly discuss any consequences Gretzinger will face.

"The employee has taken accountability for the mistake and is working to make amends."

Gretzinger was hired as the city’s fire chief in January. He says he doesn't take issue with the suspension.

"They've made their decision and I'm okay with it."

Blackface refers to when someone paints or alters their appearance to resemble someone with a different skin tone.

Its origins are rooted in early 19th-century American minstrel performances where white performers would paint their faces black and lips white as a caricature of black people, one considered to be offensive and demeaning.

Earlier this month, three images and one video surfaced of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in brownface and blackface makeup taken between sometime in the 1990s and 2001.

With files from Nicole Weisberg