Canada, Often Seen As Being More Tolerant Than Its Neighbours To The South, Needs To Work On Its Treatment Of Athletes Of Colour

Last Saturday at a minor league hockey game in Saint-Jerome, just north of Montreal, defenceman Jonathan Diaby of the Jonquiere Marquis of the Lique Nord-Americane de Hockey, went to the penalty box during the first period (against the Saint-Jerome Petroliers du Nord), he was taunted with insults by a fan. The guy showed Diaby, who is black, photos of baboons on his phone. Security didn't remove him nor did they remove the fans who were insulting and harassing his family in the stands. Diaby received a penalty later in the game but rather than go to the box again he and his family left.

Unfortunately this is hardly an isolated incident in Canada and not even the only one in the last year. In May, a team of First Nation youths and their families were called "a gang of savages" while attending a tournament in Quebec City. In 2014, P.K. Subban, who was playing for the Montreal Canadiens, had racial slurs hurled at him during a playoff game against the Bruins.

Upon hearing about a teenage hockey player in the Detroit area who was dealing with racism on the ice, Subban sent him a video of encouragement.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/fans-hurl-racist-insults-at-quebec-minor-league-hockey-player-harass-family-1.4314032?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3Actvnews%3Apost&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5c7619611adf640001b90576&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2mRbLC1YEf_yAIabOlR1TxDG70kyg8miawuUooHUkmhSiWj3qVHVwECMQ