Group under fire after KKK costumes make appearance at N.S. Halloween party

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — A volunteer fire department in Cape Breton is apologizing after a group attended a Halloween party at the local firefighters club over the weekend dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Deputy Fire Chief Wade Gouthro said in a Facebook post today that the fire department members in North Sydney, N.S., are “very sorry from the bottom of our hearts,” and he asked for the community’s forgiveness.

Pictures and videos shared on social media show four people wearing long white robes and pointed white hoods, with one carrying a large cross, inside what appears to be the North Sydney Firefighters Club.

A Halloween party at the local firefighters club over the weekend saw some attendees dress up as members of the Ku Klux Klan. (Credit: North Sydney Fire Fighters Club/Facebook)

The club’s executive apologized in a social media post on Sunday night, saying the people attended a Halloween costume party Saturday night, and they are not associated with the organization.

Fire Chief Lloyd MacIntosh says the people were admitted by volunteers working the door, and they were asked to remove their hoods.

He acknowledged that ultimately it was a mistake to let them in at all.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.