Survey raises racism concerns in Sioux Lookout

The Sioux Lookout businesswoman who started a survey asking for “our town back” says she is not racist.
“Everybody is so quick to jump on the bandwagon and call me racist,” said Nancy Roy, owner of Roy Lane. “But really, it has nothing to do with that; it has everything to do with making our community clean, safe, welcoming and a celebration of a 100 years.”
But a spokesperson with the Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee (SLARC) said the petition put out by Roy touched a nerve because of the underlying racism in the community.
“When something explicit happens, it causes a lot of tension to be brewed up,” said Brent Wesley, co-chair of SLARC. “Aboriginal people are sensitive to racism, because of the history and what we face on a daily basis, so when something happens that might not be well thought-out, or well crafted, people are going to interpret that the way they want to.”
Since Roy put out her survey, there has been a lot of concern expressed throughout Sioux Lookout that the survey unfairly lumped all First Nations people in with the specific incidents she cited.
But Roy said her goal with the survey was to bring up the issues with police and town council.
“It was basically a cry for help,” Roy said. “We have issues that need to be addressed and I would think the leaders would welcome some suggestions from the people that signed the (survey) sheet.”
Roy said she has donated coffee and applejacks to First Nation hockey tournaments, trained and employed First Nation students in her coffee shop and donated a park bench in honour of former Independent First Nations Alliance director Grace Teskey.
“It’s not about racism at all,” Roy said. “It is about coming together to say this is not acceptable.”
Roy said about 70 people have signed the survey up to April 27.
The survey included a number of issues Roy was concerned about, including a recent stabbing on Front Street, an intoxicated person lying between two businesses, a break and enter at Roy Lane Suites and needles and blood on the streets.
“I don’t care if they are red, yellow, green, blue,” Roy said. “My thing is everybody has a right to live in a peaceful and happy community. I don’t get it the way this has turned into a racism item here in our community. It has nothing to do with that.”
Wesley said people need to take a look at where the problems Roy brought up are derived from, such as the 60s scoop and residential school issues.
“We’re inviting people to offer their solutions and ideas, and share their concerns,” Wesley said. “We’re going to take all those ideas and establish a community plan to look at the wider issues, about racism in general. There are a lot of things that have happened in the community besides (the survey), and there are some people who are upset by it, who have taken offence to it.”
Wesley said the community needs to deal with the safety issue, but also with the issue of racism.
“We share this community and we live in this community, together,” Wesley said. “We have to engage in respectful dialogue.”