Haldimand County is looking to modify its hall rental policies after an alleged Canadian alt-right wing extremist group held a gathering Wednesday night at the Jarvis Lions Community Center.
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“The county will be actively investigating ways to prevent this from happening again,” county spokesperson Kyra Hayes said.
After community members at an adjacent park noticed people wearing Diagolon logo T-shirts and looked up information about the far-right organization, Jarvis residents and others began posting concerns on Facebook.
“We looked up who they were while our kids were playing ball,” said one resident.
Another said they “closed up the snack bar out of an abundance of deposit.”
Both the county and a member of the management board of the community center responded publicly on Thursday.
“The county and the Jarvis Lions Community Center regret this occurred and would not have permitted the rental if the group affiliation or intentions had been disclosed,” stated a news release from Haldimand.
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Ian Cooper, who sits on the board that manages the facility, said the group was “misled” about the purpose and nature of the event by someone who booked the hall and signed the contract.
“It was booked as a ‘family and friends get-together’ and we had no reason to believe it was anything different,” Cooper wrote on Facebook.
Both the management team and the county are now investigating what recourse could be available to prevent or respond to such bookings in the future.
“Haldimand County does not condone hate or racism,” said Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley.
“We want to reassure our community that these types of events are not in keeping with our values of inclusion, equity and diversity.”
Bentley said the county wants to ensure all residents and county visitors feel safe.
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“Groups such as Diagolon, who allegedly promote violence and racism, are not welcome in the Haldimand community,” Bentley added.
Cathy Case, the county’s top administrator, pointed out people can circumvent county policies and procedures if they are “providing false information” on rental applications.
“County staff and volunteers will continue to work together to try to prevent this from occurring in Haldimand and will involve law enforcement as necessary,” Case said.
Online, some of those supporting the meeting mocked people who worried about Diagolon being in Jarvis, saying the event was a comedy show.
“Laughter, food, coffee, hugs — does the venue prohibit this?” asked someone with the profile of Melissa McKee on Facebook.
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Most Canadians first saw the Diagolon movement during the 2022 convoy blockades. In the US, the Bureau of Counterterrorism called the group a “far-right extremist group”
It has chapters throughout Canada and members have been recorded making numerous racist comments or advocating violence, especially against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The group advertised a summer tour that would stop at multiple large Canadian cities but has faced increasing difficulty in booking venues.
Last month, the Hamilton Center for Civic Inclusion, the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Center and the Disability Justice Network of Ontario all urged the city to refuse to rent to Diagolon after the group said it intended to meet there.
Last week, the mayor of Langley, BC, said his community would be reviewing how to ensure groups can’t book halls in the future after a Diagolon meeting at the local Lions hall.
Regarding the Jarvis meeting, people on Twitter/X began warning about the meeting just hours before it began.
“It happened,” responded one poster. “We aren’t going anywhere. You’re never going to stop us.”
“Another successful event,” said another person. “Sorry goblins.”
@EXPSGamble
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