EllisDon, and Toronto hospital denounce suspected hate crime at worksite

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Redevelopment rendering aerial view looking south east (Michael Garron Hospital)

Ontario Construction News staff writer

EllisDon president and CEO Geoff Smith was “appalled and outraged at the hateful and racist actions” at a Toronto jobsite last week.

The incident happened earlier this month at the Michael Garron Hospital jobsite last week where paraphernalia was found at the beginning of the workday by two subtrade workers.

Employees called police after finding a two nooses at the site on Coxwell Avenue, north of Danforth Avenue, on June 10.

They told police that the nooses were not there when they left work the day before.

The construction site, which will be a new patient-care centre at Michael Garron, is secured by an entry code and is monitored by 24-hour surveillance video.

“To say we are shocked and disgusted would be an understatement,” Smith said in the statement. “This will not be tolerated, not now, not ever.”

A hospital spokesperson denounced the possible hate crime and called the incident “despicable.”

Sarah Downey, hospital president and CEO thanked EllisDon employees for their quick action notifying police.

“We are doing everything we can to support EllisDon and Toronto Police in their investigation,” Downey said on Toronto.com.

EllisDon is working with Toronto Police, “with every resource we can muster”, to identify the guilty individual or individuals and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent,

“We have worked extremely hard to ensure a culture and environment that allows people to work free of discrimination and intolerance,” Smith said.

“Obviously there is more work to be done; and I know I speak for the entire industry when I say that we do not intend to rest until this kind of behavior is eradicated entirely.”

Toronto Police are treating the incident as a possible hate crime.

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