Yeah, three times the national average, as in almost 1 thousandth of 1%. Really scary.
Shorter Raphael: I only like percentages as long as the prove something that I already believe.
Yeah, sorry. This one was almost too easy. I live in Calgary and I'm as left wing as you get. I'm going to have to side with Raphael on this one, and I'm as left-wing as you can get. I live here. I know the problem, but it's been blown out of proportion. This has just got a lot of press.
Additionally, I'm wondering why there is little being written on this interesting subject in terms of why there is a spike in racism in this city. Note how the nazis are recruiting people by subsidizing their rent. This sounds like the same old story of people with no economic future and no sense of community thanks to the policies of their nation latching on to the first community that will give them that sense of security.
It's not another overly simplistic and case of "those racist Albertans" again, I'm afraid.
Gotta go with Ryan
It's so easy for those from the east to try and caricature the west. There is a lot of immigration out here and there are a fair few folk changing the political scene because of it. Although not a representative level... yet.
I know Dawg runs a classy joint but I'd just like to say "fuck off" to those say "the west" when they mean "Alberta"(sorry, that's you harebell). Alberta is not "the west". Georgraphicaly, Alberta is closer to the centre of Canada than it is to Canada's westernmost extremity, and is entirely on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. Biologically, the Continental Divide is the most significant east/west division in the country. And population wise, more people live west of Alberta than live in Alberta.
So let's stop saying "The West" when we mean "Alberta".
Here are some suggestions: West-Central Flyover, Tarland, or KKKaninaskis.
Yeah ok thewest
And liberals are really fascists.
Go for it, redefine whatever you want to fit in with whatever you need to make your life complete you can include Jonah G as your role model too.
Way to use numbers selectively to make your point.. hate to lower the tone as well, but, you are a dick (oh and I'm not in the slightest bit sorry).
Ryan:
Additionally, I'm wondering why there is little being written on this interesting subject in terms of why there is a spike in racism in this city.
That was the underlying question I was hinting at in my annoyingly elliptical way. Perhaps we can tackle it without the language, if y'all get my meaning.
thewest:
It's a matter of geographical relativism. I live in Ottawa: my "west" begins in Nepean. For a resident of Victoria, "west" means Japan.
I'm genuinely curious about what makes Calgary relatively attractive to those folks. As opposed to, say, Redmonton.
I didn't mean to stir up the Western alienation feud.
I'm genuinely curious about what makes Calgary relatively attractive to those folks. As opposed to, say, Redmonton.
Well, I'm writing from said Redmonton, and although it is true that there are more lefties and centrists here than there are in Calgary, that doesn't mean that we don't have these kinds of problems, too. And Ryan is right about why. Furthermore, I agree with all of your commenters that this is blown out of proportion into a mediaworthy problem when it's actually just a tiny issue compared with all the other side effects of the oil boom. And it's those negative side effects of the boom that are the real issue.
For that matter, it's almost certainly not a matter of Calgary being "relatively attractive" to this group (as if they were flocking there in droves), it's that rapid growth makes for lots of winners and lots of losers, as well as a lot of things that don't quite work right anymore and are frustrating even to those of us who are not losers. That can screw up a society pretty decidedly.
You should come visit, I'll show you.
Overblown? No. This group is violently dangerous. Don't laugh them off. Keep a very close eye on their activities.
IP:
But Ryan didn't explain why. We have neo-Nazis latching on to the first community that will give them that sense of security.
Why does Calgary give them that sense of security? And not, say, Winnipeg? Or Halifax?
I didn't mean to stir up the Western alienation feud.
We never do, do we? Sigh.
I think Dr. Dawg is being socratic here. His point (wildly overblown) is akin to why Minutemen gravitate to Idaho and not Massachusetts. I don't think anyone would deny Calgary is the city most closely associated with radical libertarianism and some of those folks are so enjoying their ideological runaway train trip that they have been incautious enough to pick up social/political flotsam who think they like the sound of the call. It's a "no enemies to the right" issue and perfectly fair to raise, although Dr. Dawg is always ready to see four skinheads in a tavern as an immediate threat to civilization as we know it.
Now, Dr. Dawg, let's talk about some of the characters who gravitate to Beaches-Woodbine and Vancouver Centre.
"I'm genuinely curious about what makes Calgary relatively attractive to those folks. As opposed to, say, Redmonton."
Now Dawg you know the title of your post should have been:
Ontario: Hate Capital of Canada
BTW, you might want to drive a few hours west on the 401 to Kingston to get a feel for "what's happeing in Calgary".
Hate Crimes per 100,0000: Calgary 9.1, Kingston 8.5, Ottawa 6.6, London(ON) 5.9, Toronto 5.5
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary...ate-
crimes.html
Kingston is one tough place, all right. I lived there for a while. The presence of the penitentiary and P4W might have something to do with it. Crime of all kinds is high in that city.
But no one in Kingston is offering to pay the rent to attract skinheads.
My question remains.
"But no one in Kingston is offering to pay the rent to attract skinheads."
Quit right. I could be some of the Slater Street crew fishing to find out whom from Ontario is going to pack of and move to Calgary for the offer. 
Your question has been answered, Dawg. The skinheads are exploiting the oil boom. You can't exploit the oil boom in Kingston (or Toronto).
IP:
You don't seriously think these people work, do you?
Of course they don't.
If they did how could they complain about the foreigners taking their jobs?
Dawg,
Did you even read my first comment? The oil boom is affecting far more than just people's work lives. This is about skyrocketing rents, everyday things that no longer work right, and many more day-to-day problems. The skinheads are exploiting that. It's easy to do that in Alberta right now, for reasons that have nothing to do with the local culture.
Like I said, come on out, I'll give you a tour.
IP:
My apologies--I read "exploiting the oil boom" in the real "go West young man" sense. I completely misread your point.
I just might take you up on your offer one of these days. I've been to Calgary, but didn't see much of it.
Well, I can't show you Calgary, but trust me, Edmonton has a lot of the same problems. No end to rent increases (without rent controls you regularly see $1000 increases in monthly rent, and multiple increases in a year, leaving anyone on a fixed income completely in the dust), recognizably more homeless (and a huge number of them have jobs!), undereducated kids because "hey, they can just go work in the oil patch, right?", and many more such things. It's a situation that's overripe for exploitation by skinheads and plenty of other unsavoury characters.
They'll be here when the bubble bursts, too. And that'll be worse.
Edmonton! I meant Edmonton!
Good grief, what a day I'm having.
I know Edmonton, in fact, a lot better than Calgary, but I haven't been there for a decade.
IP,
I've been in Edmonton 3 weeks and have both experienced the lack of rent control (they increased our rent 3 digits "because we can" when I joined my partner out here), and the number of working homeless.
On why Calgary:
The neo-nazi movement is, thankfully, pretty much a loose, decentralised, mostly impotent movement. Much of their activity is reduced comparatively rare violent assaults and live or internet protests that probably do more to scare people away from them than much else. You can't practice what you preach and build a coherent rahowa-type movement like that. This might simply be an attempt to consolidate a higher concentration of freaks in an economically secure location with apparently more public sympathy for far-right political movements than other locales.
Hmm, I do also recall seeing something about a proposal in the their literature about a whites-only state straddling the southern Alberta-Montana border.
Boris,
You're in Edmonton? Drop me a line! Let's meet up!
They are burning crosses in Prince George as we speak!!
Ezra's in Calgary, right? Well there ya go!
Gosh md, that was so on topic.
dolt.
Hate capital indeed. I'm sorry, but I'm a Calgarian who is getting very tired of running into neo-nazis everywhere I go in this formerly great city. I go to Eau Claire and who's there eating frozen yogurt between heils? Nazis. I go to Chinook and who's there trying on cargo shorts over their swastika-adorned undies? Nazis. I go to the local car dealership and who's checking out the latest VW models? Fuel efficient Nazis. I go to the zoo and who's at the Wild Africa exhibit? Nazis, with their hitler youth kids. Nazis Nazis Nazis!
Kinsella rode this horse in a blog last year. I checked the articles about the twenty or so skinheads/neo-nazi types who marched (as per Kinsella's post) and found out that about ten times as many counter protesters turned out. Funny thing, Warren didn't mention that part.
Dr A-Racist-Behing-Every-Tree Dawg has found four anti-social juveniles illustrate the lively and 'still' proliferate problem of Nazi Racism that exists in Fasist Canada.
My god. Reports of hatred are three times the National average. A National average driven up and promoted by the political activist infested HRCs Industry, and even with this 'encouragement' to the paranoids, is still .001 percent of the population.
GAWD DAWG!
I kinda liked the subsidized rent angle. Never mind. From here on in, for the sake of national unity, there will be no more criticisms of the fair city of Calgary.
I'm from Vancouver. What characters that gravitate to Vancouver-Centre? Housing market speculators?
Summary of the Statistics Canada study (using 2006 data):
http://statcan.ca/Daily/English/...09/
d080609a.htm
From the summary:
"Differences in rates among cities could be partly a result of local police policies and practices. For instance, the existence of specialized hate crime units and training programs for officers in some police services may lead to increased reporting of hate-motivated crimes in some cities."
From the Calgary Policy Service web site (see: http://www.calgarypolice.ca/comm...ate_bias.html):
"The Calgary Police Service Cultural Resources Unit has launched an initiative to encourage people to report hate/bias crimes and incidents. The initiative includes a database, and a brochure and poster entitled: Report Hate/Bias Crime! The brochure also explains the difference between crimes and incidents.
The Service's communications officers - who field all non-emergency calls - have been trained in the new procedure of tracking hate/bias incidents, as well as crimes."
Is this CTV news story honest? Or, does differences in hate bias data depend on how well "trained in the new procedure" local PDs are? Maybe the story is just confirming stereotypes.
The picture in the CTV new story is part of this Flickr collection:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thi...57601665205708/
From the collection page:
"On August 25, 2007 there was a day of action against racism in Calgary. A collection of groups arranged two locations, first in Kensington, and the second by the Marlborough LRT station.
Unfortunately, and surprisingly to me, a group of neo-Nazis calling themselves the Aryan Guard showed up with up to about 10 people at both locals. There was some pushing and shoving in Kensington, before the police came, but fortunately, the anti-racist protesters didn't take the bate, and things were largely peaceful."
"About 10 people" is about 10 to many, of course. It is also missing from the story.
Whooee!
So, according to Happy Infidel, a higher crime rate merely indicates better police service. I could buy it if there wasn't such a huge difference between teh nat'l average and Calgfary. The StatsCan disclaimer says the differences could be partly due to better reporting policies. That also means that the higher rate could be partly due to more crimes.
10 skinhead racists is 10 too many.
JB
Actually 9 skinhead racists and one Muslim racist is too many.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crim...250206-
sun.html
What is it with these Ezrajugend?
"..the existence of specialized hate crime units and training programs.."
"...Police Service Cultural Resources Unit has launched an initiative to encourage people to report hate/bias crimes and incidents."
I hope you guys realize this is really gov't-gone-wild' shit. 'Encouraging' already whing inclined people to whine and bitch about their neighbors to the gov't.
This is really sick Socialist/Fasist shit. Stalin did this sort of thing. Hitler did this sort of thing. Encouraging neighbors to report on eash other to all powerful gov't. Next it will be children reporting on their parents, wife against husbands, mother against children. This is really sick and dangerous to democracy shit guys.
You got that right, Jim R.
Gay and Black pride are ok, but for poor ol whi bo--backt da bus, bo!
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