KKK Halloween costumes symptom of growing far-right in Atlantic Canada, researcher says

A researcher studying the rise of extremism in Atlantic Canada warns Ku Klux Klan Halloween costumes are just one example of an insidious effort by far-right groups to normalize hateful attitudes.

Last month, four people donned white robes and pointed hoods at a Halloween party in North Sydney, N.S., prompting outrage and condemnation on social media, and an apology from the local firefighter's club that hosted the event.

David Hofmann, director of criminology at the University of New Brunswick, said regardless of the partygoers' intentions, the fact they thought it was acceptable to attend a public event dressed as members of a white supremacist group shows extremist values have entered the mainstream.

"Joke or not, they are essentially symptomatic of this larger effort to make these very, very dangerous behaviours seem normal," Hofmann said. "We should not brush it off as a joke."

Far-right extremism growing in Atlantic Canada

His research, gathered from news articles and public records, identified 29 far-right extremist groups active in Atlantic Canada between 2000 and 2019, and 148 people who expressed these ideologies or were involved in related activities.

Hofmann said there were a combined 75 incidents of far-right extremism — primarily property damage — in the region throughout 2018 and 2019. That's more than double the total number of incidents between 2000 and 2010.

Nova Scotia had the highest rate of incidents of far-right extremism followed by New Brunswick, according to the data.

While most incidents have been non-violent, Hofmann said he's concerned that could change. He worked with Public Safety Canada to record statistics on incidents that could lead to violence, like recruitment, rallies, hate speech and discrimination.

"We try very, very hard to differentiate between awful but lawful behaviour, and behaviours that are a threat to public safety," he said. 

Hofmann said most people might associate the KKK with the United States, but the white supremacist group has a significant history in the Maritimes. 

The Maritimes' history with the KKK

Allan Bartley, author of The Ku Klux Klan in Canada: A Century of Promoting Racism and Hate in the Peaceable Kingdom, said the organization has had a presence in the Maritimes for more than a century.

There were more than 10,000 card-carrying members across the country in the years following the First World War, with many in the Maritimes, Bartley said.

One of the first leaders of the KKK's Canadian branch, James Lord, served as a member of the New Brunswick Legislature for St. Stephen from 1925 to 1930.

The KKK has continued to try to get a footing in the region over the decades. In 1981, it attempted to open a Halifax chapter, but the group was met with protests.

As recently as 2017, members were found handing out recruitment pamphlets in Fredericton.

"I am struck by the persistence of the same kinds of narratives and political discourse that surrounded the Klan 100 years ago and that continues to persist today," said Bartley.

Concern far-right extremism will escalate

Hofmann said the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president in 2016 was a part of a growing, global far-right movement.

He said some of Trump's behaviour — notably when he referred to "very fine people" among the white nationalists and neo-Nazis protesting the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville — has had a direct impact across the border.

"What we saw here in Canada, and in the weeks after, was a wave of protests and demonstrations by the far right as they fed off this energy," Hofmann said. 

The data collected by Hofmann shows more than 60 per cent of the incidents of far-right extremism in Atlantic Canada since 2000 happened after 2016.

As people with extreme far-right ideologies in Canada become more comfortable expressing their beliefs, Hofmann said there's concern it will embolden some individuals to act violently.

"This is why we need to stand up and say dressing up like the KKK is not acceptable," he said.