Richmond, Canada: Kash Heed, a veteran law enforcement officer and former British Columbia public safety minister, has expressed shock over what he describes as racism targeting him during his campaign for mayor of Richmond, a city in Canada.
Heed, 70, has spent decades living and working in British Columbia. He became the first person of Indian origin to lead a police department in North America when he took charge of the West Vancouver police force in 2007. His policing career spanned nearly 40 years before he entered provincial politics and became British Columbia’s Solicitor General and minister of public safety.
Heed was elected as a Richmond city councillor in 2022 and is now contesting the mayoral election scheduled for Saturday. Despite his long association with the city, he said he had encountered a level of racial hostility during the campaign that he had never experienced before.
“We’ve all faced racism, but I’ve lived in Richmond for 60 years, and I’ve never experienced racism like I’ve experienced now,” Heed said.
According to Heed, several posts circulating on Chinese-language social media and platforms such as X and Facebook have targeted candidates on the basis of their ethnicity. One post shared with Hindustan Times claimed that around 60% of Richmond’s voters were of Chinese descent and urged people to support candidates of Chinese or mixed Chinese heritage, including those with Chinese spouses.
Another poster reportedly declared that its author would “definitely not vote for India’s street vendors”.
Heed said such messages were encouraging voters to make decisions based on ethnic identity rather than candidates’ experience and qualifications. He expressed concern that the mayoral contest was becoming divisive and damaging the city’s multicultural character.
“Instead of voting for a proven, experienced person, we are seeing the ugly side of trying to divide Richmond based on ethnicity,” he said.
Richmond has a diverse population, with residents of Chinese origin forming a significant part of the community. Heed said he remained hopeful that voters would reject attempts to divide the city along ethnic lines.
Although he acknowledged that the outcome of the election was difficult to predict, he said his campaign would continue to focus on its message and remain steadfast despite the alleged racial targeting.
Heed described the situation as disappointing, saying the mayoral race had reached a “sad place”.
The allegations have brought renewed attention to the role of race and identity in local election campaigns, particularly in multicultural communities where candidates seek support from voters with diverse backgrounds.
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