A community in northern Alberta is investigating whether one of its employees made a racist comment in a private group on Facebook.
A screen grab of a post in the Lac La Biche Neighbourhood Crime Watch group is making the rounds in the community, and describes a situation involving an Indigenous man walking through the poster’s yard first thing in the morning.
“Told hubby he was quadding by Amisk river and broke down. Real rough looking native guy wearing camo pants and a greenish brown jacket with a backpack,” the post reads.
“Wanted to use the phone. Didn’t let him in and told him to keep walking to the highway.”
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The first comment on the post reads “Think it’s time to buy a backhoe!”
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That post was allegedly made by a part-time employee of the county.
“We are doing an investigation, we’re getting our legal people involved,” said Lac La Biche Mayor Omar Moghrabi.
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“If you don’t have trust in the people that are doing all of your services, then who do you have trust in?”
The backhoe comment was followed by three more.
“Or pigs,” reads the next comment, which is followed by “I have the grinder!” from a third poster. “I got both,” reads another.
“They were saying, in my mind, some racist remarks,” Moghrabi added.
“I’m really embarrassed, and actually horrified that people would make those kinds of comments and give the thumbs-up.”
Global News reached out to the Beaver Lake Cree Nation through the Treaty Six Confederacy, but they were unavailable for comment.
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