A 50-year-old Peterborough man with a history of hate-motivated behaviour is facing several charges in connection with online threats directed at local residents.
Peterborough police say two of the charges against Kevin Goudreau are the first laid by the service under new federal hate crime laws.
Meanwhile, police have received reports about anti-immigration posters appearing around Peterborough but say the posters do not currently meet the threshold for a hate crime. The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has also notified its members that the posters appearing downtown were not authorized and will be removed.
As for the charges against Goudreau, police were made aware in early August of a series of online threats made towards several Peterborough residents.
Following an investigation, officers with the police service’s major crime unit obtained a warrant to search a Peterborough residence. Officers executed the warrant on Thursday (August 13) and arrested Goudreau.
He has been charged with two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm motivated by hatred, two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and five counts of failing to comply with a probation order.
According to police, Goudreau is currently bound by three probation orders requiring him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. The orders also prohibit him from posting information about two of the alleged victims. Police determined that two of the online posts were motivated by hatred.
Goudreau was scheduled to make another court appearance on Tuesday (August 18). None of the charges has been proven in court.
Goudreau, who has identified himself as a white nationalist and has posted images of himself displaying Nazi symbols, has a history of hate-motivated behaviour in Peterborough.
In 2022, Peterborough police charged Goudreau with uttering threats, criminal harassment, and failing to comply with a probation order after an incident involving a lesbian couple who lived in the same apartment building. Police classified that incident as a hate-bias crime because of the nature of the comments allegedly made.
In 2017, Goudreau organized an anti-immigration rally in Peterborough. The City of Peterborough initially issued him a permit to hold the rally but later withdrew it after he failed to provide the required documentation.
The planned rally prompted hundreds of residents to participate in Solidarity Weekend, a series of events celebrating diversity and inclusion and opposing racism and white supremacy. A handful of people attended the anti-immigration rally, although Goudreau did not appear.
In a separate statement, Peterborough police said they have recently received reports of posters from the Dominion Society of Canada appearing near Douro Street and the Rotary Trail.
Police said the posters outline the group’s position on immigration, including what it calls “remigration.” While police have recorded reports about the posters and understand they are controversial, they say the presence of the posters does not rise to the level of being a hate crime. Police have not indicated there is any connection between Goudreau and the posters.
Police chief Stuart Betts said the service remains interested in receiving reports about hate- or bias-motivated incidents, even when they do not meet the threshold for criminal charges.
“There is no room for hate in our community at any time,” Betts said. “The number one goal of the Peterborough Police Service is public safety, and the service is committed to this goal.”
“In this instance, what we are seeing does not rise to the level of criminality. There are currently laws within the criminal code that can assist and lead to charges. As the community has seen, most recently last week when a Peterborough resident (Goudreau) was arrested and charged for online comments, when grounds for charges exist, the Peterborough Police Service will apply them.”
The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area has also emailed its members after posters associated with the Dominion Society appeared in and around the downtown.
“The Peterborough DBIA does not support anti-immigration groups or messaging that promotes exclusion or intolerance,” executive director Nour Mazloum wrote in the email shared with kawarthaNOW. “Our downtown is a place for everyone, and we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community where people of all backgrounds, including newcomers and immigrants, feel welcome, safe, and supported.”
According to Mazloum, the posters were not authorized by either the DBIA or the city and, as is the case with all unauthorized posters in public spaces, they will take the necessary steps to remove them.
The DBIA is advising members who encounter people seeking to post or distribute materials near their businesses to use their discretion, prioritize their safety, and contact the DBIA for help finding appropriate resources.
“We also want to emphasize that this is not about limiting legitimate discussion or differing viewpoints,” Mazloum wrote. “Our concern is with unauthorized posting and with messaging that conflicts with the inclusive and welcoming downtown community we are committed to building.”
Residents can report hate- or bias-motivated incidents through the online reporting portal at www.peterboroughpolice.ca/online-reporting-portal.
