Former Liberal leader takes stand against hate

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This article was published 04/07/2024 (456 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nine months after leaving provincial politics, Dougald Lamont has a new role of encouraging Manitobans to unite against hate.

Lamont, 55, is a member of the board of United Against Hate Canada, a non-partisan non-profit started earlier this year by Marvin Rotrand, a former Montreal city councillor and former national director at B’nai Brith Canada.

“Marvin saw a need to bring people in Canada together, given everything we’ve gone through,” said Lamont, citing the polarization brought on by the pandemic and, more recently, by the war between Israel and Hamas.

“He looked around and didn’t see anyone talking about peace and ways to bring people together. All he saw was escalation and de-humanization.”

The goal of the new organization is to combat antisemitism, promote cross-cultural communication and highlight the contributions of racial and religious minorities in Canada.

In his new and unpaid role, the former leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party will promote the non-profit in Manitoba and beyond to Saskatchewan and Alberta. This will include reaching out to faith groups to find ways to promote dialogue that recognizes “our common humanity.”

He acknowledged the task is challenging, considering the tension brought about by the war in the Middle East. “People are afraid and in pain,” Lamont said. “We are so caught up in our anguish, that maybe we’ve forgotten how to make peace … we need to get together and talk and build trust again.”

For Lamont, that means finding ways to talk despite differences of opinion. “I hope I can make a contribution to peace, to help us ask ourselves who we are as neighbours and Canadians.”

It also means finding ways to counter some of the hateful things being shared on social media.

“I’m shocked by what some people are saying. They are just pouring fuel on the fire.”

While the conflict in Gaza will occupy time and attention, Lamont also wants to find ways to bring people together to address other challenges in Canada — things like poverty and reconciliation.

“We need to find ways to look after each other,” he said. “So many injustices have piled up. We need a great reset to return people to a place of safety and security.”

For Lamont, the new role is also a way to return to public life after losing his seat in St. Boniface in the fall election and resigning as leader of the Liberals.

“It was a self-imposed time out,” he said of the time spent quietly recuperating after six years as an MLA and leader. “I was beyond burned out.”

In addition to being part of United Against Hate, Lamont has taken a job as editor of Manitoba Inc., a magazine focused on the province’s business community. He also offers his services as a communications consultant.

He’s also been involved in the production of an Anishinaabemowin-language version of Star Wars: A New Hope, which came about after he pitched the idea to Lucasfilm in 2021 as a way to support reconciliation.

The movie, which is set to première Aug. 8 at the Centennial Concert Hall, will also be available on Disney+ and APTN.

faith@freepress.mb.ca