Halloween party for Canadian firefighters allows for KKK costumes at the North Sydney Firefighters Club

A Halloween party organized by Canadian firefighters sparked outrage when a group of four people were dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan because the racist costume consisted of white robes and pointy hats.

On Oct. 26, video shows, masked partygoers entered the North Sydney Firefighters Club in North Sydney, Nova Scotia for holiday celebrations, with one of them holding a makeshift cross. obtained by CBC News.

Fire Chief Lloyd MacIntosh said unidentified non-members were allowed into the hall by volunteers working the door and were allowed to remain after the cross was confiscated and were told to remove their hoods, Global news reported.

“A mistake was made,” MacIntosh said. “They were allowed to come in even though they weren’t supposed to.”

The firefighters’ club issued a similar response when urged by outraged social media users over the blatantly racist outfits.

“We made a mistake!” said the North Sydney FireFighters Club post on Facebook Sunday evening.

“We apologize to anyone in our community who has been offended or hurt by our lack of action. These four individuals are not affiliated with our organization in any way, shape or form,” the post reads. “We promise to be better in the future.”

Tia Upshaw, CEO and founder of Black Women in Excellence, was stunned when she saw robed party girls showing up at a fire station in 2024.

“Ku Klux Klan, KKK, I don’t care where you come from, everyone knows what they stand for, who they were and what it means to black people,” she told the outlet.

Some users were not thrilled with the response from the club that hosted the event, calling it a “pathetic apology.”

“This is not a mistake, this is blatant racism. They should never have been allowed in. An apology is meaningless if there is no action behind it,” one comment reads.

“What they did was hurtful to people and… many would consider it hateful,” Jason MacLean told the outlet. “It was indeed – and people here should not be ashamed – it was a racist act.”

MacLean, whose father worked for the North Sydney Fire Department, urged members to take part in “anti-racism” training.

North Sydney Deputy Fire Chief Wade Gouthro said the “situation” was not what the fire service represented and decided to speak out after he was contacted and sent messages throughout the day.

“I read your comments and honestly, I was very reluctant to post because I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire, so to speak,” – Gouthro said on Facebook. “I can tell you that. Members for North Sydney and I are sincerely sorry and ask for your forgiveness.

“We would certainly never intentionally harm or offend anyone, regardless of race, color, orientation or religion. We spend all of our time trying to do the right thing for the community and we are here to do what we can for everyone,” he added.

Gouthro, who was working the night of the event and was not present – but has attended the annual meeting for the past 29 years – claims he did not make excuses for the unidentified people.

“When we host Halloween dances, you never know what you’re going to see when you walk through the door. Most of the time we think it’s a costume without thinking about the bigger picture or the past it represents,” he said.

Cape Breton Regional Police are investigating the incident to determine whether any crime occurred at the party.