No Hate in Huron marks one-year anniversary with celebratory march, event
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
A year ago, the No Hate in Huron (NHIH) group was founded in response to the growing perception that Goderich is a town that houses a small group of white supremacists that may be growing increasingly emboldened to bring their extreme views into the public eye. It all began with an inflammatory sign posted on the side of Highway 21.
No matter what side of the discourse you’re on, the “White Lives Matter” sign tends to worsen the days of the people entering Goderich. It makes the angry a little angrier and the sad a little sadder, at the very moment that, historically, was the moment on the drive when the singular beauty of scenic Goderich began to really take over.
Hate has its own magnetism - a sort of relentless pull that distorts the natural harmony of things. Even a thing so trifling as one misguided man’s hand-painted sign by the side of the highway ends up having an outsized impact. Every day, it sits like a stone, emanating an angry message that seeks to seep into the very landscape of Canada’s prettiest town. In one way or another, it draws people in - both those in favour and those opposed to the sign bristle at the sight of it - ‘White Lives Matter’ is the sort of bald-faced, rhetorical moebius strip that makes everybody feel like fighting, mostly because it can wind itself up into all sorts of twisted linguistic arguments that gets people’s hackles up, mostly because its unnecessary specificity is intentionally inflammatory.
Patrick Corvyn is one of the many locals who disagrees with the white nationalist sentiments swirling around Goderich - enough so that he co-founded NHIH as a counter-movement. On Monday, Aug. 4, The Citizen caught up with the activist for a quick interview at the group’s annual gathering, which was headquartered this year at the Goderich Kinsmen Centre. Corvyn began by explaining the significance of this year’s event, which included a march down to the track of nearby Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GDCI). “One year ago, a group of neo-Nazis gathered on that track,” he explained to The Citizen. “Today, we walked to the GDCI track as a group and did one loop around the track, to reclaim the space, in the name of the community, in the name of peace, in the name of solidarity. Today was very symbolic - it was a very moving, very beautiful moment.”
Rev. Alex Jebson of the Blyth and Brussels United Churches spoke at the event, as did Rev. Rohan Pushparajan from Lakeshore United Church. Local vocal diva, Jenna Smith, kicked off the march with a rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”.
Included in the day’s procession was a banner based on NHIH’s reciprocal sign, which reads “Be kind, respect everyone, love one another,” which was originally posted outside Lakeshore United Church. Over the past year, the original sign has been hosted at private residences, at GDCI, and out by Highway 21.
Corvyn feels that, in terms of its mission, NHIH is looking for the bare minimum. “We have such a simple message - we oppose hate, we are in favour of peace, and somehow, not everybody can get on board with that… over the last year, we have been calling on local elected leaders to do the simplest thing imaginable - to explicitly and unequivocally denounce neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideologies,” he pointed out. “And I’m very sad to say that not a single elected official in Huron County has managed to do so.”
After working up a righteous sweat on the track, the crusading crew headed back to a hearty lunch catered by The Curry Co., a delicious meal that was supplemented by sumptuous sandwiches donated by Steve and Mary’s on the Square. Healthy drinks were donated by The Den, and Eat Local Huron was also on site to support the event.
NHIH has two more hate-free events planned for Goderich this summer, both of which will be taking place at the Huron County Museum: on Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m., Buddhist nun Gen Kelsang Kunden will be leading a public talk consisting of guided meditation and contemplative teachings on practical applications for solving everyday problems. Tickets are $15.
On Sept. 20, there will be two screenings of a new documentary by Noam Gonick - Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance. The screenings will be accompanied by a drag performance by Ricco Rodriguez, who is featured in the film.
While Corvyn would prefer that there be no reason for NHIH to exist, he’s happy to keep fighting the good fight. “It has been enlightening. It has been inspiring. It has been a joy,” he told The Citizen. “We have accomplished so much, and I’m so proud of all we’ve done.”
And that’s the thing - the magnetism of hate is a heavy thing - it tends to immobilize under its own weight, unable to escape the past. But hope has its own unique magnetism - one that’s more akin to the kind that birds use to find each other and flock together. The kind with feathers.