The Moose Jaw Residents Against Discrimination And Racism (MJ RADAR) group has confirmed the cancellation of their planned March 21 Anti-Racism Rally due to an “interplay of unfortunate circumstances”. 

MJ RADAR is a working group of Prairie Skies Integration Network, a Moose Jaw-based Local Immigration Partnership. 

The group held their inaugural ‘March Out Racism in Moose Jaw Rally’ on March 21, 2023 and had planned an expanded program for 2024, including a community conversation after the rally itself. 

March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

According to an official statement, the organizing committee found themselves unable to agree on how to assure a safe space for attendees and organizers: 

“(W)e regret to announce that our March 21 event intended to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will not be taking place as planned,” the statement reads. 

“Considerable effort and resources were invested in the planning of the event, but unfortunately, circumstances have necessitated its cancellation.  

“Reasons include committee disunity, an inability to achieve consensus for the first time in our 5-year history, and ultimately our committee & community’s psychological safety.” 

The statement assures readers that the decision was necessitated “(d)ue to an interplay of unfortunate circumstances” and “not made lightly”. 

In seperate interviews, MJ RADAR committee co-chairs Dalise Hector and Alana Rempel said this was not the end of the group. In fact, they said their intention is to rebuild the basic structure of the group and committee to plan future events that can “truly resonate” and pledged to “embrace change with confidence and optimism.” 

MJ RADAR has received support from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada and the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan.  

Along with many local businesses, community supporters of MJ RADAR include the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council, Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre, the City of Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw Police Service, Saskatchewan Health Authority, Moose Jaw Public Library, the Association communautaire fransaskoise Moose Jaw, and Zion United Church, which had dedicated a space for the Community Conversation.