A Vernon-Monashee candidate in the provincial election is saddened but determined after one of her campaign signs was vandalized with crass and racist graffiti, Friday morning.
BC NDP candidate Harwinder Sandhu received calls that her sign at the corner of 27th Avenue and 43rd Street in Vernon had been defaced with a swastika, the 鈥楥-word鈥� and scribblings over an image of her face.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to wrap my head around it,鈥� Sandhu said by phone, shortly after she, her husband and members of her campaign team replaced the sign.
鈥淚t just baffles me. I was questioning, standing and looking at the sign, what made these people think that I鈥檓 less Canadian than they are?鈥�
It鈥檚 not the first time the Vernon registered nurse has faced racism, inside or outside of politics.
鈥淢y signs are being knocked down from Lumby to Vernon and the other (candidates鈥�) signs are standing,鈥� she said, adding her team was heading out to deal with signs knocked down across from Marshall Fields when she got the call about the hateful graffiti.
Kyle Delfing, fellow Vernon-Monashee candidate for the BC Conservatives, denounced the vandalization of Sandhu鈥檚 sign in an email Friday.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 appreciate the hate that comes with elections and feel we must all stick together to stop it in its tracks,鈥� he said.
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Sandhu said she鈥檚 used to being the subject of racial slurs from the occasional patient at the hospital and draws strength from the colleagues who stand by her.
鈥淭he reassuring part is that my coworkers often feel more offended 鈥� I am too, but you get used to it, you just kind of move along,鈥� she said.
She wishes the culprit would have reached out to her directly rather than scrawling hate.
鈥淚 wish they could come and talk to me so I could tell them how much gratitude I hold in my heart for Canadians and Canada because I am a proud Canadian. I have so much to be grateful towards Canada and towards the Okanagan and the people.鈥�
Sandhu received many kind messages from supporters who saw the sign before it was taken down. This is giving her the strength to resolve to represent not only people of colour but all Canadians, she said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what helps us to move forward, and again, this type of behaviour I鈥檝e been through enough in my lifetime. If it doesn鈥檛 break you it makes you stronger.鈥�
Sandhu said it鈥檚 far more common to see hateful messages written on online spaces than physical ones. Having run for the NDP Party in the 2019 election, she said she鈥檚 saved screenshots of racist messages she received during that campaign and uses them as motivation.
鈥淚t inspires me to go forward. It鈥檚 sad and it鈥檚 hurtful, but then it鈥檚 how you channel your energy in the right direction and positive manner.鈥�
Ravi Kahlon, BC NDP candidate for Delta North, responded to the incident on Twitter.
鈥淚鈥檝e been to Vernon many times and I know this doesn鈥檛 reflect the ppl in that community but it鈥檚 an example of things people of colour have to face when they run,鈥� his Tweet reads.
I鈥檝e been to many times and I know this doesn鈥檛 reflect the ppl In that community but it鈥檚 an example of things people of colour have to face when they run. Stay strong and positive We are with you 鉁婐煆�
鈥� Ravi Kahlon (@KahlonRav)
