Police investigation ongoing after nooses found on Toronto hospital construction site

A Toronto Police Service investigation remains underway after a possible hate crime last week at the site of a major hospital redevelopment project on Toronto’s east end.

According to EllisDon, the general contractor for the work at Michael Garron Hospital, two subtrade workers found two nooses at the start of the workday June 10. The company said it was confident they were “strategically placed” and the act was racially motivated.

Police were called to the site and opened an investigation. The Hate Crime Unit was also contacted.

EllisDon said it was shocked and disgusted by the act.

“I am appalled and outraged at the hateful and racist actions that took place at one of our construction sites,” Geoff Smith, president and CEO of EllisDon, said in a statement. “This will not be tolerated, not now, not ever. We will work with Toronto Police Services, with every resource we can muster, to identify the guilty individual or individuals and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent, and never allowed to participate in our industry again.”

Smith added that the company has worked extremely hard to create a work environment free of discrimination. “Obviously there is more work to be done; and I know I speak for the entire industry when I say that we do not intend to rest until this kind of behaviour is eradicated entirely,” he said.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing as of June 17 and that both EllisDon and the hospital are assisting with the investigation.