New groups calls for an end to racism within Halifax Transit

A new group in Halifax is targeting racism on public transit.

Dalhousie Professor Isaac Saney is among those who has helped create the group, called Racism-Free Transit in Halifax.

The movement began after an incident in October, where Saney says he was verbally attacked on a bus by two white passengers.

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According to Saney, he was waiting at a bus stop with his daughter in a stroller. There was a South Asian family waiting as well, who also had a stroller. Saney says when the bus rolled up, it knelt down so they could get the strollers onto the bus and that’s when things started.

“A younger larger white male who was in his late-teens, early-twenties barged ahead of me,” said Saney. “He pushed the stroller slightly and said to me, ‘In Canada don’t you know there’s priorities of who can board this bus?'”

From there, Saney says things escalated further. The white male and another person began making anti-immigrant comments and other racist remarks.

Saney says he was lucky because bystanders spoke up and the bus driver ended up kicking the two off the bus. But it didn’t stop there.

“When they left the bus and were pounding on the windows and doors they said, ‘Wait until we get you guys off the bus,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When they left the bus and were pounding on the windows and doors they said, 'Wait until we get you guys off the bus," he said.

Saney says his stop was next and the pair that were kicked off had already run ahead to the next stop, but he says he was fortunate that a lady on the bus saw what was happening and got off with him. Both called police and the lady waited for police to arrive.

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The officer took statements but Saney says he was nonchalant about the incident. Saney says only after he contacted a friend within the department did things progress.

“Eventually, a new officer was put on to the case itself. This police officer reviewed the video evidence, interviewed the woman, interviewed the bus driver and took a lengthy statement from me,” he said. “He came to the conclusion there was a basis for filing charges of uttering threats and perhaps a hate crime.”

But Saney says the problem is much bigger than what happened to him.

“There’s a pattern of events, a pattern of incidents that have happened in Nova Scotia and in Halifax and on Halifax Transit,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's a pattern of events, a pattern of incidents that have happened in Nova Scotia and in Halifax and on Halifax Transit," he said.

It’s something former transit driver Tonya Paris agrees with. She says in her experience driving, racist incidents would happen on her bus three to four times a week.

“It’s a lot more common than people think,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a lot more common than people think," she said.

Rosa Poirier-McKiggan is also part of the group and says she was threatened  by a white male passenger when she defended a passenger of colour from his attacks. She says a man got on the bus and addressed a mother with a stroller.

“He said something along the lines of, ‘Effing Filipino, go home,” said Poirier McKiggan. “Other than his swearing, the bus was radio silent until I addressed him.”

Poirier-McKiggan says after the incident, she reported it to Halifax Transit and called police.

“They felt there were no grounds for their involvement because there were no verbal threats of violence,” she said, adding that as far as she knows, nothing came of the investigation by Halifax Transit.

Currently, Halifax Regional Police does not have statistics specific to Metro Transit available but spokesperson Const. John MacLeod says officers take reports very seriously.

“When an incident is reported to our officers, they fully investigate the matter. As with all investigations, the evidence determines whether a criminal offence has occurred,” he said in an email.

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But the group feels differently and are now collecting more data to back up all their claims.

“Our next immediate step is to compile as many stories as possible,” said Connor Smithers-Mapp. “While at the same time encouraging HRP and Halifax Transit to release statistics if they have them around racist instances and if they don’t, compile those kind of stats.”

From there, they are hoping to work directly with the municipality and Halifax Regional Police to enact real change.

“Some tangible and concrete steps taken that’s reflected in policy and procedure that people can rely on,” said Smithers-Mapp.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Some tangible and concrete steps taken that's reflected in policy and procedure that people can rely on," said Smithers-Mapp.

Ultimately the group is calling for six things:

• A comprehensive anti-racism campaign by Halifax-Transit with public participation
• A policy of zero-tolerance for racism on transit vehicles by passengers and employees
• An inquiry into incidents of racism by the municipal auditor-general
• Make anti-racism part of the Moving Forward Together plan and Transit Passenger Code of Conduct
• Statistics on racial incidents on transit
• A complete investigation and response by Halifax Transit to all complaints of racism on transit

Global News has reached out to the municipality for a comment.