Advertisement
U.S. markets open in 5 hours 21 minutes
  • S&P Futures

    5,207.25
    -7.50 (-0.14%)
     
  • Dow Futures

    39,218.00
    -5.00 (-0.01%)
     
  • Nasdaq Futures

    18,176.50
    -55.00 (-0.30%)
     
  • Russell 2000 Futures

    2,046.30
    -3.50 (-0.17%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    82.45
    -0.27 (-0.33%)
     
  • Gold

    2,158.70
    -5.60 (-0.26%)
     
  • Silver

    25.16
    -0.10 (-0.42%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0855
    -0.0021 (-0.20%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.3400
    0.0000 (0.00%)
     
  • Vix

    14.51
    +0.18 (+1.26%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2698
    -0.0030 (-0.24%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    150.3670
    +1.2690 (+0.85%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    64,321.36
    -3,692.41 (-5.43%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,722.55
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    40,003.60
    +263.20 (+0.66%)
     

'Move out or things will escalate': Indigenous Canadian family finds racist, threatening letter in mailbox

Katrina Anderson shows the terrifyingly racist letter in which a neighbor threatens her family. (Photo: Twitter/@GlobalEdmonton)
Katrina Anderson shows the terrifyingly racist letter in which a neighbor threatens her family. (Photo: Twitter/@GlobalEdmonton)

Katrina Anderson, a mom of three in Alberta, Canada, is “in shock” after her 12-year-old daughter discovered a hateful, racist letter that was hand-delivered to the family’s mailbox by someone in their condo community. The girl called her in tears.

Now Anderson — who is a member of the Pasqua First Nation in Saskatchewan — and her husband are moving from the place they’ve called home for 18 months because they no longer feel safe, according to Global News. “We want to move out of here,” Anderson told Global News, shrugging. “I don’t want things to escalate. I don’t want something happening to my kids. I don’t want to take that chance.”

Anderson posted the anonymous letter in its entirety on Facebook, where she added, “Coward couldn’t even write their name.” The letter was addressed to “the very unwanted and hated neighbours of Unit 117.” In it, Anderson’s preteen children are called “extremely thoughtless and rude,” and blasted for making noise while they “constantly” rollerblade, ride scooters, and play football and basketball on the property — what Anderson calls “kids being kids.” (She said she’s heard complaints through the condo board but that her children have always “respected those complaints.”)

But then the letter gets even scarier. “We don’t like your kind around here,” the letter says. “We lock our doors at night when there was no need to do that before you moved in … Move out or things will escalate. We would not want to see the kids getting hurt. This isn’t a reserve. Go back to the reserve where Indians belong!”

The author states in no uncertain terms that complaints have been made to the condo board and will continue to until the family is gone. It’s signed, “Your friendly Phase II Neighbours.”

Anderson tells CTV News,I’ve experienced racism, but nothing like this. This isn’t happening on the playground. It’s not happening out in public. This is in our mailbox. This is our house.” As to why the family is giving in to the threats so readily, the mom says, “My daughter, my kids, don’t feel safe here. They don’t want to play outside. I’ve been driving my kids to and from school. They don’t feel safe. They don’t even feel safe walking to the corner to catch the bus anymore.”

Anderson is even revisiting an incident that happened a month ago when someone threw a rock through her window. She told Global News she doesn’t know if the that was related to the later, but she fears it could be.

But the community has quickly risen to the family’s defense, including Cathy Heron, the mayor of the Andersons’ town of St. Albert. In a phone interview with CTV, she decried the racist note, saying, “Your first reaction is horror, and ‘This is a black cloud over St. Albert,’ but read all the responses [to the Facebook post]. They’re all supportive.”

Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta, tweeted her support of the family and condemned the racist incident, saying, “there’s no place for racism in Alberta.” She mentioned that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the case after the condo board suggested Anderson report the letter.

Neighbors are showing their support, too. One wrote on Facebook, “I have lived in our community for 6 yrs. I am disgusted… I want a name and house number of the house who complained.” Neighbors in Grandin, though, decided to extend a grand gesture of support — they threw the family a block party that they called “a flash mob of kindness.”

“I know this is not what St. Albert is. I know this is not what the Grandin neighborhood is, and I don’t want the horrible words of one to outweigh the love of our whole community,” said Kristin Kalmbach.

Choked up, Anderson told Global News reporters, “I’m really touched, actually. Seeing everybody … I’m touched.”

Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to Anderson for further comment and to see whether her family still plans to move, and will update this post when she responds.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

Advertisement