RCMP investigating report of racist election banner near Steinbach, Man.

RCMP investigating report of racist election banner near Steinbach, Man.

City council candidate says he feels targeted by messaging

RCMP in Steinbach are investigating reports of an image circulating online depicting a racist election sign hanging from a highway overpass.

CBC News has not verified the authenticity of the image. A spokesperson for Manitoba RCMP said officers did not see the sign themselves and don't know who removed the sign from the Highway 12 overpass above the Trans-Canada Highway, just north of Ste. Anne.

The photo circulating online is of a sign that said "Steinbach votes white not brown" in reference to the upcoming municipal election later this month, and contained the name of a white nationalist group.

Mitesh Kumar, who is running for a seat on city council, said he feels targeted by the banner's messaging, and the fact it seems to have come from a white nationalist group adds to his safety concerns.

"I'm concerned about my family, and I live here with our son, as well," he said.

When Kumar chose Canada as his home 20 years ago, he never imagined he would see something like this, he said. He said he hasn't generally been exposed to racism directed toward him since then.

CBC News has not verified the authenticity of the photo, and RCMP officers did not see the sign themselves. CBC has blurred a part of the image showing the name of a white nationalist group. (DreaGC/Reddit)

"I don't believe that banner represents Steinbach," he said. "In general, I have not observed that [racism]. People are friendly here."

Kumar said the Oct. 28 election should be decided on the issues concerning residents in Steinbach, not the colour of someone's skin.

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"I think Steinbach is going to vote based on the issues, which I'm taking [to] almost every door since [the] last three months, and those are the issues of the community," he said.

"So, the main concern which I see in that sign is more about coming from a sort of an organized group."

Justin Fiacconi is a journalist with CBC Manitoba, where he has worked since July 2025. A former Joan Donaldson and Peter Gzowski scholar, he has worked in two different investigative units at CBC. He graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, with master's degrees in journalism, and international affairs, specializing in conflict studies. His primary journalistic interest is the intersection between geopolitics and sports. He can be reached at justin.fiacconi@cbc.ca.