MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday June 15/21 | For Immediate Release Two Centre Wellington activists and a local sign business are inviting individuals, families and businesses in Centre Wellington to show their support for an inclusive community by posting “Hate has no home here” signs in their window or on their lawn.
“We saw this design on the internet over the weekend and thought it was really powerful,” reflected Curt Hammond, Elora resident and one of the campaign organizers. “A few of us talked about how we could print a few and put them up around the community. We quickly realized this is something we needed to invite everyone in Centre Wellington to participate in. Each of us has to play a role in pushing back against racism. Putting a sign on our lawn or in our window is a small and important step to talking about how we build a more inclusive community.”
The signs read “Hate has no home here” and includes hands of different skin colours holding icons from different inclusivity movements. They include the Pride Rainbow, Every Child Matters, icons representing diverse faiths, accessibility icons and Black Lives Matter imagery. The poster was shared by a design firm in Oakville and was posted online over the weekend for use across Canada.
“There is no room in our community for hatred,” said Diane Ballantyne, another campaign organizer. “We cannot let what we have seen in London, in Indigenous communities and right here in Wellington County go unchecked or unchallenged. We know that it takes a community to stand up against hate and we hope these signs are a way for families and businesses to show their support for an inclusive and welcoming Centre Wellington.”
“Our team is really proud to be helping print and distribute these messages against hate,” commented Jeff Katerberg owner of Alpha Graphics and Signs located in downtown Fergus. “I love this design and know the power that signs have and hope this initiative gets us talking about what we can do to ensure we are a welcoming community.”
The colourful and durable signs are perfect for inside or outdoor use and come with a lawn stake for people to post in their yard. They are available for only $10 and can be picked up starting on June 25/21. To help manage production, people are asked to visit FourSimpleWords.ca/NoHate to pre-order a sign. Pick-up and payment details will be sent to everyone who does.
