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Racist slur spray painted on garage and car in Collingwood

'I'm still hurt and a little bit scared,' said employee at group home that was targeted by racist graffiti
09-11-2019 CT graffiti
This image, which has been blurred, shows the racial slur spray painted on the garage door of a group home. Contributed photo

An employee at a Collingwood group home remains hurt and scared this morning after someone spray-painted a racist slur on the garage door where she works. 

Sonia Johnson, a black woman from Toronto who works in Collingwood, spent the night working at the group home. In the morning, around 7 a.m. a resident coming back from Tim Hortons noticed the graffiti on the garage door. 

"The word 'n*****' was spray-painted on the garage door and on my manager's car," said Johnson. 

Police have been called and are investigating, but Collingwood/The Blue Mountains OPP have not commented on the investigation yet. 

Johnson said her manager's car was parked about a block away. Her manager is white. 

She said she was very surprised something like this happened in Collingwood.

"I was very hurt. I cried," she said upon first discovering the graffiti. "The neighbours came over and apologized and hugged me and we cried together." 

She said the neighbours told her Collingwood was a diverse community and they were shocked to see the racist slur painted across the door. 

"I'm still hurt and a little bit scared because I don't know who did it," said Johnson, adding its the first time it's happened at the group home. "I thought it was a safe neighbourhood." 



Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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