Skip to content

Criminal complaints filed over local online postings

Local citizen gives statements to RCMP and CSIS about local blog posts
000000-rcmp car-MG
file photo

A local furor over alleged online hate speech is now on the radar of federal law enforcement agencies.

A Sault Ste. Marie resident advises SooToday that he went to the RCMP detachment at 22 Bay St. on Thursday and lodged criminal complaints against two individuals.

The complainant, who is not being identified by SooToday for reasons of personal security, said his statements related to hate speech and alleged threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

He says he was assured that his information would be forwarded immediately to Ottawa for verification and evaluation.

In addition to giving statements to local RCMP, the man told us he provided information to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

Const. Dan Chevalier of the RCMP's regional detachment in Sault Ste. Marie confirmed that a statement was received Thursday but said he was unable to disclose the contents.

CSIS did not respond in time to be included in this article.

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network, an independent, non-profit group that monitors and counters hate groups, is reported to be also considering filing a criminal complaint over local online postings.

In January, media outlets in Edmonton reported Facebook was reviewing posts made by members of its Yellow Vests Canada group, expressing a desire for or in some cases encouraging  Trudeau's death.

"The RCMP is aware of the comments made on Facebook,” an RCMP staff sergeant told Global News. “We take all threats made against the prime minister very seriously.”

Steve Penney, a University of Alberta law professor, told the StarMetro Edmonton at the time that a fine line exists in Canadian law between wishing misfortune on an individual and making a direct threat.

“When it’s... done online in the form of memes or Facebook groups, then it may be more difficult to prove that the threat was intended to be taken seriously or literally as opposed to a failed attempt at humour or political expression,” Penney said.

Also on Thursday, Canada's top public servant expressed concern about the deteriorating tone of political discourse as a federal election approaches.

Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick told the House of Commons justice committee he worries someone will be assassinated.

"I worry about the rising tide of incitements to violence when people use terms like 'treason' and 'traitor' in open discourse. Those are the words that lead to assassination," Wernick said. "I'm worried that somebody's going to be shot in this country this year during the political campaign."

Last weekend, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network published an article about local businessman David Selvers on its website.

The article described how Selvers uses a blog and Facebook posts to crudely attack liberal politicians, women, blacks, Muslims and LGBTQ+ persons.

Selvers, a local Yellow Vest organizer, has implied repeatedly that liberal politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be tried for treason and executed.

"We refuse to be sold and subjugated by the United Nations," read a posting on Selvers' blog last November.

"All of this could be fixed tomorrow if someone in the military wakes up and removes Trudeau and his filthy Liberal Party from Ottawa."

"Drag him out into the street and publicly hang him for treason, and those closest to him... or we'll have a civil war on our hands the likes of which has never been seen on the North America continent," read Selvers' blog.

Selvers' phone line abruptly went silent Thursday when SooToday asked to interview him for this article.

A post on his blog earlier this week insisted that comments made there are neither hateful nor malicious.

"As someone who has spent 28 years in a Third World Caribbean country and who supports a Third World family of African descent, I find it disgustingly laughable that I am being labeled a racist etc etc etc."

"I am not against anybody wanting to do anything that they want to do just so long as their actions are not imposed upon me especially through legislation," the post read.

Algoma Steel, Sault College, and Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano have all denounced Selvers' postings this week.

"I had discussions with staff about whether the city had any kind of contractual relationship with Millennium Crane," Provenzano said.

"I am advised by staff that Millennium Crane is not on our qualified contractors list. I am told we have not contracted it during my mayoralty and we would not contract with it until it is qualified onto the list."

A Millennium crane was recently involved in installing the new GFL Memorial Gardens sign, but the mayor said taxpayers didn't foot the bill.

"With specific respect to the Memorial Gardens, the city did not have any involvement in either making the new Memorial Gardens sign or erecting it," Provenzano said.

"When we tendered the naming rights, the party who received the naming rights was responsible for the signage, including installation costs of the sign."

"That party contracted another party who, I am advised, contracted Millennium to erect the steel frame that the GFL sign is affixed to. In the end, no public funds or tax dollars were paid to Millennium or any party that then paid those funds to Millennium. That was a private sector contract," the mayor said.

"The city does not or will not work with any party who espouses hate or hateful views. Those views are not reflective of who we are or what we aspire to be as a community."

Editor's note: Comments on the above article have been disabled after repeated inappropriate posts. Please read our Terms of Service before commenting in any comment section of SooToday.com.


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.



David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
Read more