BIPOC USHR unsurprised as P.E.I.'s number of hate crimes doubles

A rise in the number of hate crimes on P.E.I. is not at all surprising, local advocates say.

Nineteen cases of hate-motivated crimes were reported by police in 2021, data from Statistics Canada shows.

That's more than double the number of cases reported the year previous — eight cases were reported in 2020.

The increase means the rate of police-reported hate crimes on P.E.I. per 100,000 people is now the highest in the country. They represent 11.6 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 8.8 cases per 100,000 people for Canada as a whole.

Race and ethnicity were the motivating factors in 10 out of the 19 cases. Four were based on sexual orientation, three on religion, and two were for other reasons.

The P.E.I.-based not-for-profit organization, BIPOC USHR — which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour United for Strength, Home, Relationship — says the rise may be due to people being more educated about the sort of recourse they have if they experience a hate crime.

But community navigator Nouhad Mourad says that based on what the organization is hearing from the community, the figure is "significantly smaller" than the actual number of hate crimes happening on the Island.

"I'm not thinking that it's increased necessarily, but I think that that is the trend across Canada," she said. 

"People have become much more comfortable with attitudes and behaviours that are based in hate than in the past."

Mourad said it's difficult to say what the actual situation looks like because there is a lack of data about racially-motivated crimes.

But she added BIPOC USHR has heard more accounts of verbal or physical attacks since the pandemic began amid an increase in "racist rhetoric."

"I've heard of people walking down the street and getting things thrown at them ... having names called at them, racial slurs. So people haven't been safe even going to a grocery store or walking down the street," Mourad said.

"I've been involved in situations where people have tried going through IRAC [the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission] for things like people being quite predatory on newcomers.... I've seen them be very, very exploited and I've seen government agencies like IRAC not doing enough to challenge some of the things that are happening."

RCMP Const. Gavin Moore said police recognize the increase, and that it's important for Islanders who are witnesses or victims to any type of hate-motivated crime to speak up.