MARATHON — A “colourful” remark in recent municipal budget discussions referred to politics and not race, says the mayor of this town on Lake Superior’s north shore.
During a draft budget meeting on Monday, someone could be heard saying Marathon is “just the wrong colour” to obtain water infrastructure funding from the province.
Mayor Rick Dumas immediately jumped in to say “I wouldn’t say that. We’re just not successful. How’s that?”
The “wrong colour” comment sparked a heated reaction on social media, with people calling it racist and “disgusting.”
The Town of Marathon issued a statement Friday morning to say the comment was misinterpreted.
“The remark was intended to refer to the political challenges municipalities can face when seeking external funding, specifically in relation to political ‘colours,’ and was not meant to reference Indigenous identity or any cultural group,” said the statement, signed by Dumas.
“We recognize that the wording could be misunderstood and we sincerely apologize,” the statement concluded.
Dumas told Newswatch the remark, made by a town staff member, was in reference to not having a government MPP.
Marathon is in Thunder Bay–Superior North, an electoral district represented by the NDP’s Lise Vaugeois. Dumas was the riding’s PC candidate in last year’s provincial election.
The staff member was talking about how “sometimes when you’re not in the right political colour area, you don’t get traction with government because your MPP doesn’t represent you properly,” Dumas said in an interview.
“That’s what the discussion was about.”
Duncan Michano, chief of nearby Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Pic River First Nation), declined comment.
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg has put up $1 million towards the Active Living Centre that the town wants to build.
Another First Nation in the area, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, has pledged $500,000 for the proposed multipurpose facility.
