A brewery in Canada has let go one of its owners, who seemed to question the controversial narrative surrounding unmarked graves of Indigenous children.
John Adair, after engaging in various jobs like fighting forest fires and planting trees, decided to take a leap by co-founding a brewery in Sooke, British Columbia. However, it appears the real challenge wasn’t the business itself but working alongside individuals ready to discard him for the sake of political correctness.
The Sooke Brewing Company announced on Thursday that Adair was terminated “effective immediately,” stating that his “views and actions do not reflect the values of Sooke Brewing Company, its ownership, or its staff.”
It seemed Adair made an error in judgment, as reports indicated he wore a shirt to work that read, “Show me the evidence.”
Now, while that slogan might not raise eyebrows for many, the brewery’s management took offense, claiming it was particularly inappropriate given the timing of its display.
Since 2021, Canada has observed the “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” on September 30, a holiday established by legislation from a former Liberal minister. Its purpose is to acknowledge so-called “survivors” of the national residential school system.
The residential schools, in many instances run by religious organizations, stemmed from a government initiative in the late 1800s aimed at providing education to Indigenous children. Unfortunately, the intent was often to assimilate them into broader Canadian society.
Around 150,000 children are estimated to have attended these schools over the last century.
The origins of “Orange Shirt Day” trace back to a revelation from the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation concerning the discovery of children’s remains near a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Despite the lack of substantial evidence supporting these claims, the revelation had profound consequences, leading to:
- Widespread arson and vandalism targeting churches.
- Toppling of statues of historical figures.
- Cancellation of Canada Day celebrations across the nation.
- Extortion efforts against Catholic dioceses.
- National flags being lowered in memory of the missing children.
- Expressions of grief from then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others.
In parliamentary discourse, a resolution gained unanimous support demanding government recognition of the events in residential schools as genocide. While many children are believed to have died during their time in these institutions, diseases like tuberculosis accounted for a significant portion of those fatalities, impacting all populations.
In the years following the First Nation’s announcement, millions in federal funding have gone toward uncovering these supposed graves, yet not a single body has been verified.
Despite this, public sentiment continues to push for a sort of self-reproach regarding the nation’s past, while activists seek the government’s assistance to penalize those who express doubts about the unmarked graves narrative or the notion of “genocide.”
Leah Gazan, part of the New Democratic Party, even proposed a bill that would amend Canada’s Criminal Code to penalize individuals who deny or diminish the significance of the residential school system, labeling such actions as hate crimes.
A photo of Adair in the controversial T-shirt spread quickly across social media platforms, triggering backlash and efforts to damage the brewery’s reputation through online reviews.
In one of several statements made by the brewery, it emphasized that it does not endorse the message on Adair’s T-shirt and reaffirms its commitment to recognizing the day’s significance. The company expressed a commitment to respectful relations with local Indigenous communities and promised to reach out to leadership for better understanding.
In response to this event, Adair indicated he was seeking legal advice before making any further comments.
