Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Deputy PM Freeland responds to harassment incident in Alberta

Share

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has responded to an incident of verbal harassment in Alberta after video of the encounter was widely circulated on social media.

The video, which was shared on Twitter, shows a man and two women waiting at the lobby of Grande Prairie, Alta.'s city hall when Freeland and her staffers enter the building and approach the elevator.

"Chrystia!" the man yells.

"Yes!" Freeland responds.

What follows is a barrage of insults and swearing from the man, calling Freeland a "traitor" and a "f---ing b----" as she steps into the elevator.

"Get the f--- out of this province!" the man can be heard yelling, while another woman tells her, "You don't belong here."

Freeland responded to the incident Saturday.

"What happened yesterday was wrong," she said in . "Nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with threats and intimidation."

Freeland, who represents a downtown Toronto riding, was born in Peace River, Alta. and attended high school in Edmonton.

"I'm proud to be from Alberta," she said. "I'm going to keep coming back because Alberta is home."

A longer video of the incident, which appeared to be originally posted to TikTok, shows the man subsequently being escorted out of the building.

According to , Freeland had been in Grande Prairie on Friday meeting with local farmers and skilled tradespeople. She was at city hall to meet with the city’s mayor, Jackie Clayton.

Current and former politicians across various parties took to social media to show their support for Freeland and denounce the verbal harassment.

she was "disgusted by what my brilliant colleague @cafreeland faced yesterday," while she was "appalled by the threats and intimidation" directed at Freeland.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino also condemned the incident.

"This kind of behaviour needs to be called out and condemned by everyone, regardless of political affiliation,†.

Across the aisle, B.C. Conservative MP and said this type of behaviour "has no place here in Canada.†Conservative leadership candidate "dangerous behaviour" and "gross intimidation."

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also called the harassment "reprehensible."

"If you disagree with a politician, by all means exercise your right to protest. But screaming threatening language & physical intimidation cross the line," .

Heather McPhereson, an NDP MP from Edmonton, also , tweeting, "I don’t always agree on the decisions made by your government, but on behalf of the vast majority of Albertans who are kind, generous and decent, you are welcome here."

Aside from the Prime Minister, federal cabinet ministers typically aren't provided a security detail except in rare circumstances. Back in 2019, then-Environment Minister Catherine McKenna revealed she had to get a security detail after receiving repeated threats and vitriolic messages, both online and in person.

With files from The Canadian Press

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected