Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

[Cultcha]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'"><span style="font-size: 14pt">Costumes cause uproar at Campbellford Legion Halloween party</span></span>

<span style="font-style: italic">CAMPBELLFORD -- A man dressed in a white Ku Klux Klan robe and hood made a shocking appearance at a Campbellford Legion Halloween party. </span>

<span style="font-style: italic">November 02, 2010</span>
CAMPBELLFORD -- A man dressed in a white Ku Klux Klan robe and hood made a shocking appearance at a Campbellford Legion Halloween party.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Along with a Confederate flag on the back of his white costume, he was with another man in blackface who was led by a noose wrapped around his neck.</span>

Mark Andrade, owner of Rubbs Restaurant in Campbellford, went to the Legion at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 and witnessed it all.

Mr. Andrade, who is black, said he couldn't believe what he saw and was absolutely disgusted.

&quot;I got there just as they were having a costume parade to determine the best costume prize,&quot; said Mr. Andrade. &quot;I was enjoying a beer off to the side and I glanced up and I couldn't believe it.&quot;

According to Mr. Andrade, <span style="font-weight: bold">the two men were awarded the top prize for best costume. </span>The local Legion has since issued an apology regarding the incident.

&quot;I was immediately disgusted and [censored] off that this was being encouraged, especially by the Legion,&quot; said Mr. Andrade. &quot;The Legion is a place of respect, I mean you can't even wear a hat in there and here they (the Legion) are endorsing this kind of behaviour. Everyone else watched and didn't say a word. It was very revolting.&quot;

Mr. Andrade did not say anything to the two men, nor confront them -- he just left. He added he had no idea who the two men were.

A resident of Campbellford for 12 years, Mr. Andrade said he has never experienced anything like this.

<span style="font-weight: bold">&quot;I felt alone for the first time in 12 years here,&quot; said Mr. Andrade. &quot;I am trying to run a business and raise a family here and I never thought I would experience anything like this here (in Campbellford). It really hurt that this was being looked at as okay.&quot;</span>

Joy Herrington, president of the Campbellford Legion, wasn't at the party, but has spoken to Mr. Andrade. Since a statement has been issued, Legion officials said they wouldn't be commenting further.

&quot;When she called me I was ready to go off,&quot; Mr. Andrade. &quot;But I listened. She told me she was just as disgusted and she would be holding a meeting.&quot;

The meeting would be to discuss the issue with Legion members who were present at the party. Ms. Herrington also issued a formal apology.

&quot;As president of Branch 103 Campbellford, of the Royal Canadian Legion, I humbly apologize to all those offended by the events that took place at our Halloween Party,&quot; said Ms. Herrington in the statement. &quot;The events in no way reflect the views of the Royal Canadian Legion, or its members. Those responsible have been spoken to.&quot;

However, Mr. Andrade said the apology is not enough.

&quot;I won't be going in there (the Legion) ever again,&quot; said Mr. Andrade. &quot;I don't even know why these men were allowed into the party. The Legion is a place of respect, and being so close to Remembrance Day, it says this kind of behaviour is accepted. It's disgusting.&quot;
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[Nanook]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

O M G. I'm gonna sick.

[Gen]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

What kind of organization is the legion? Union, some kind of social club etc

[jah_yout]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

he's feeding into it...

if i was the black guy i would have walked up to him and asked him about his getup...

halloween is the chance for people to act out their deeply hidden latent desires &amp; fantasies;

hopefully i would not have gotten violent depending on his response

[Cultcha]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What kind of organization is the legion? Union, some kind of social club etc </div></div>

In Canada the legion is an organization that supports our military veterans.

[SistahD]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

Disgusting on the part of the participants - and embarrassing to think that an organization such as 'the Legion' condoned and rewarded the behaviour.

Last year, during the United Way campaign... which runs from late Sept to end of November, fundraising for charitable organizations... our workplace held many activities including pizza night with costumes and prizes (which I don't participate in). One rep from my workgroup dressed as a witch - only problem was, she was an ugly white woman before dressing up, then she added 'blackface' , warts and a black afro, extra padding etc... all of which to me was quite offensive and I made sure she and organizers knew my feelings - in addition to the fact that she is a white woman whom had adopted a young black child from Dom Rep (he is now a teenager) - and this is how she represented to him.

[Suesumba]

winning holloween costume - urk!!!!




this was the winning costume at a campbellford holloween party. fun. fun. fun.

[Suesumba]

Re: winning holloween costume - urk!!!!



double damm - must have been the rage this year. this one was phoned in.

[Suesumba]

Re: winning holloween costume - urk!!!!

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. — The presence of a man dressed in a white Ku Klux Klan robe and hood at a Campbellford Legion Halloween party Saturday night set off a tide of outrage that has reached the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command.

The man in the KKK costume, who also had a Confederate flag attached to his back, was with another man, his features darkened in full blackface. The second man wore a red and black checkered shirt and jeans and had string tied to his arm. The guest in the KKK costume led the man in blackface around by the string, said Rubbs Restaurant owner Mark Andrade, who went to the Campbellford Legion at about 11:30 p.m. to have a drink.

Andrade, who is black, said he was shocked.

“It was disgusting, I just couldn’t believe it,” he said.

Andrade said he went to the bar and ordered a drink, then watched as the guests paraded by in costume. It was then he saw the men in the KKK and blackface costumes. Andrade was immediately overwhelmed with anger.

“I was probably the only black guy in the place. I just put my beer down and left. I was [censored] off and shocked that this was a legion event.”


Andrade said the sight of the racist costumes was shocking because it’s an experience he’s never had in Campbellford, which is located northeast of Toronto.

“I’ve been here for 12 years and I’ve never had an issue, never had a problem,” he said.

Hundreds in the community have expressed disgust about the costumes, said John Graham, owner of Church Key Brewers and The Stinking Rose Pub.

“It was pretty distasteful; definitely not something you should see in 2010,” he said.

Graham, who wasn’t at the party, said the issue was brought to his attention by customers who told him the two men had won the costume prize.

But Blair Crowley, the man in the costume, insisted Tuesday he isn’t prejudiced and meant no harm. But in retrospect, he admitted it may have been a bad choice.

“It wasn’t meant to be anything racist. I’m not prejudiced. It was a Halloween costume, it was a joke,” said Crowley, adding that his best friend is black.

“I apologize if I offended anybody.”

Crowley said that some people must have found it humorous because he and his friend were given a prize at the party. And he feels it’s being blown out of proportion.

“That stuff (slavery) has been gone for years and years and years. I don’t see why the reaction is the way it is. That’s so past tense. It’s a piece of history from long ago,” he said.

“I’m sure it was probably in bad taste after the fact. But there was no disrespect by it. People need to worry about something other than that.”

Branch 103 president Joy Herrington, who wasn’t at the party, couldn’t confirm that Crowley and his friend, who aren’t members of the branch, were awarded first prize in the contest. She has received hundreds of calls since Saturday night and has talked to both the Legion Ontario and Dominion commands. She issued an official apology Tuesday morning.

“As president of Branch 103 Campbellford, of the Royal Canadian Legion, I humbly apologize to all those offended by the events that took place at our Halloween Party...The events in no way reflect the views of the Royal Canadian Legion, or its members. Those responsible have been spoken to.”

Andrade said he is satisfied Herrington is personally appalled by what happened. However, he doesn’t plan to set foot in the legion again. He wants to know why the two men were allowed into the party.

“They should have been shown the door, and that’s not what happened. So on some level it was acceptable, and that’s not acceptable.”





wow

[Wahalla]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

now my two sences isnt Halloween suppose to be scary is there anything more scary or in bad taste than that except a black guy in 9th Cavlery uniform at a Chirichua ceromony honouring Goyaale ?????

[Nunya]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kotch_Foot_Milo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
However, Mr. Andrade said the apology is not enough.

&quot;I won't be going in there (the Legion) ever again,&quot; said Mr. Andrade. &quot;I don't even know why these men were allowed into the party.
</div></div>

They were prolly legionnaires.

[RichD]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What kind of organization is the legion? Union, some kind of social club etc </div></div>

http://legion.ca/About/background_e.cfm

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jah_yout</div><div class="ubbcode-body">he's feeding into it...

if i was the black guy i would have walked up to him and asked him about his getup...

halloween is the chance for people to act out their deeply hidden latent desires &amp; fantasies;

hopefully i would not have gotten violent depending on his response </div></div>
How about a fantasy of an immitation AK47 pointing at a person with a mask of your favourite diety??

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">now my two sences isnt Halloween suppose to be scary is there anything more scary or in bad taste than that except a black guy in 9th Cavlery uniform at a Chirichua ceromony honouring Goyaale ????? </div></div>yes having s immitation machine Guy. Complete with sound effects And blanks firing point blank at you is scarier, but They font allow That either.

[RichD]

Re: Welcome to My Little Part of Canada

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr.Dudd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
How about a fantasy of an immitation AK47 pointing at a person with a mask of your favourite diety?? </div></div> how dat one go? any pictures?