Participark to Timmins City Hall for noon hour anti-discrimination march

What was billed as a Black Lives Matter march in Timmins at noon hour Wednesday took on the wider theme of discrimination based on skin colour.

Organizer Kendrick Jeremiah is indigenous.

“My family has experienced racism. I have experienced racism in this community,” Jeremiah says. “Just because we’re small doesn’t mean it’s (racism) not here.”

Vanessa Génier is Jeremiah’s mother. Her family doesn’t exhibit classic indigenous appearances.

She mentions a common occurrence when her family is shopping.

“When we go to the till, we’re treated fine,” she recounts.  “And then oftentimes when you show them that you have a status card, their demeanour changes.  You just get a look as like ‘Oh. Okay’.”

As many as 100  people participated in the noon hour walk from Mountjoy Participark to city hall.