Pembroke Mayor responds to racially motivated actions towards local senior

Pembroke Mayor Mike Lemay says he is incredibly disheartened, saddened and angered after reading the story of racially motivated verbal and physical assault on a local resident.

Lemay says the City of Pembroke has made a commitment to be a welcoming community for all and continues to work on policies and practices to ensure the voices of people of colour are heard and are included in the work we do.

The Pembroke Mayor strongly condemns the actions of the individuals involved and adds their conduct is detrimental to the city we are working to create. He’s encouraging anyone who may have information to reach out to the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP.

Lemay says racism has no place in our society, but is unfortunately prevalent across the world. The Mayor says he’s spoken with the family involved and plans to arrange a meeting to discuss their experiences.

The Mayor of Pembroke closes by saying this incident demonstrates the need for us to work harder to promote welcoming values and show our residents that acceptance of all is the only way forward.

The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP is investigating a serious assault and harassment incident.

On the evening of August 20th, officers responded to a report that an elderly woman had been hit in the head with a rock in the Isabella Street and Rotary Park area in Pembroke. The victim was treated in hospital and later released.

The investigation has revealed that the assault was part of ongoing harassment. A group of young people had been committing vandalism to the victim’s home and yelling racial comments.

The four individuals are described as 15-17 years of age. At the time of the assault they were wearing shorts and baseball caps. One was wearing a red shirt. They travel on bicycles.

Investigators would like to hear from anyone in the Isabella Street area, who has home surveillance video, specifically from August 20 and 22.

Anyone who can assist this investigation should contact the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers Pembroke/Renfrew County at 1-800-222- 8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. All tips are anonymous and you will not have to attend court. Visit the www.valleytips.ca.