This week, a reader sent us photos of more hate-filled graffiti in Winnipeg. Swastikas. Anti-Semitic slogans. Vile, hateful symbols sprayed on public spaces in broad daylight. This isn’t a one-off. It’s becoming routine. And it’s beyond unacceptable.
Where are the police? Where is the so-called progressive movement that claims to fight for equality? You’d think the woke activists—always ready with a bullhorn for every perceived slight—would be up in arms. But when Jewish people are targeted, when synagogues and Jewish schools are threatened, there’s silence. Crickets. Why?
We have a serious problem in this city. Recently, a Winnipeg man was charged with terrorism. His crimes included painting swastikas in Charleswood. That’s not just vandalism. It’s hate. It’s designed to intimidate an entire community. He wasn’t alone. There’s a growing trend of hate crimes across Canada, particularly anti-Semitic ones.
According to Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes rose by 72% between 2019 and 2021. Hate crimes targeting Jews represented the largest portion of religion-based incidents. In 2021 alone, Jewish Canadians were the victims of 487 police-reported hate crimes. That’s almost 10 per week. Yet, politicians and many advocacy groups remain silent.
Our own government doesn’t seem to have the stomach to call it out. The mayor? Quiet. The premier? Missing in action. Neither has made a meaningful statement about the rise of anti-Semitism in Winnipeg. I can only assume they are afraid to upset a vocal minority. Afraid to take a stand on what is right.
But here’s the hard truth: if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing. That’s not leadership. That’s weakness, plain and simple.
Our approach needs to change. These crimes are not random acts of vandalism. They are calculated attacks on our community and our values. And they need to be treated as such. Arrest these individuals and throw the book at them. Full stop.
We’re too soft on crime in this country, and hate crimes are no different. A spray-painted swastika is a symptom of a deeper problem—a growing tolerance for anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence. We’ve allowed it to fester. We’ve tiptoed around it in the name of tolerance and democracy. But when tolerance means turning a blind eye to hate, it becomes complicity.
The federal government recently announced $5 million in funding for the Muslim Association of Canada to combat Islamophobia. That’s fine. Any hate crime against anyone should be condemned and prevented. But where is the equal funding to combat anti-Semitism? Where is the program to protect Jewish communities and institutions? Where is the government partnership with Jewish organizations to ensure our synagogues, schools, and cultural centres are safe? If it exists, we haven’t heard about it.
Meanwhile, reports from B’nai Brith Canada show that anti-Semitic incidents hit an all-time high last year. In 2023, they recorded more than 3,400 anti-Semitic incidents across the country, a 23% increase from the year before. Manitoba wasn’t immune. Our own province saw a disturbing rise in harassment and vandalism targeting Jews. Yet our NDP activist government is silent. More interested in optics and focus groups than taking meaningful action.
And don’t get me wrong—this isn’t just a Jewish issue. Hate doesn’t stop with one group. When one community is targeted, it’s only a matter of time before others follow. We need to send a clear message: hate has no place here. Not in Winnipeg. Not in Manitoba. Not in Canada.
If our elected officials won’t lead, we have to. We need to demand action from our police. Increased patrols in vulnerable neighbourhoods. Serious investigations. Arrests and prosecution, not slaps on the wrist. Hate crimes are not just a byproduct of ignorance. They’re deliberate, and they should carry severe consequences.
We also need to rethink our priorities. We talk endlessly about reconciliation and inclusion, but where’s the balance? You can’t pick and choose which groups deserve protection and which are expendable. Democracy doesn’t work that way. Equality doesn’t work that way. If we’re serious about human rights, then we fight for everyone.
But right now, we’re not. And we’re paying the price for it.
I’m tired of seeing Canada’s values eroded in the name of appeasement. Tired of watching our leaders stand down when they should stand up. We are being made fools of, and it’s high time we did something about it.
We need strong leadership, not excuses. We need accountability, not apologies. And we need to take back our communities from those who would spread hate and division.
Let’s stop talking about what we should do and start doing it.