A swastika and KKK were found spray painted on this decorative rock at the Harwood Dock. Photo provided by Northumberland OPP.
By James Tubb
BELLEVILLE – Hamilton Township mayor Bill Cane was shocked to hear of the racist graffiti found at the Harwood dock on Sunday.
“This is not typical of our area,” said Cane.
The Northumberland OPP were notified Sunday that an unknown suspect or suspects had used black spray paint to deface a rock at the west side of the pier on Rice Lake with a swastika symbol and the letters “KKK,” the common acronym associated with the white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan.
“We live in a great county and I guess we have a few bad apples,” Cane said.
Cane said that once the OPP had finished taking photos for their investigation, the public works would do whatever it took to get rid of the graffiti.
“I really hope this is a one time random act and it doesn’t ruin all of the good we have going on here,” he said.
Hamilton Township had already increased the presence of police this summer to ensure the dock and water area remained safe. They had also hired private security to ensure that all social distancing measures were being followed.
Following this incident, Cane said the township would look into potentially getting cameras around the dock and also look at increasing patrols in the area. He also said he could see the community playing a role in the security of the area.
“I would not be surprised if the population would keep watch more now that this has happened,” he said.
(The location of the Harwood dock in Hamilton township)
For Faye McFarland, the graffiti was “repugnant and appalling.”
McFarland is the chair of the board of governors with the Citizens Council of Hamilton Township, a volunteer organization that provides a voice for the area’s population when it comes to city hall and decisions that impact the area.
“This is a hostile act. It’s not just vandalism, the symbols that were used portray hatred,” McFarland said.
She said she was surprised to hear that it happened in her community and stressed the message the symbols spread does not reflect the community.
“We do not typically see this in this area. We have graffiti, but not this type of message. It’s not what we stand for as a community,” she said.
The paint will eventually be washed away or covered up as the township tries to move past the racist graffiti, but McFarland says it will not be forgotten.
“It is not being shrugged off here. People here know each other, they care about each other. This is not what Hamilton township is,” she said.
The OPP investigation is still underway and the Northumberland OPP’s Hate Crimes Officer was notified of the incident.As the investigation continues, McFarland hopes that they can find whoever was responsible for this act so they can learn how hurtful their actions can be.
“If it was kids, they need to learn the history and hatred behind these symbols. They need to know what they did was wrong and is not acceptable in this community,” McFarland said.
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