Colwood Coun. Ian Ward has issued an apology after a photo surfaced online of him wearing blackface at a Halloween party in 2007.
"I am embarrassed about this 17-year-old photo and the hurtful stereotype that my naive and ignorant action conveys," Ward said in an emailed statement to Black Press Media.
"In the intervening years I have grown significantly as a person, and this episode does not reflect who I am today, and how I approach systemic racism and racial issues."
The photo, which was first reported by CTV Vancouver Island, and found on a personal online family blog, shows Ward with his hands and face painted black, his teeth coloured gold and him dressed in a wig, gold chain and a Washington Bullets basketball jersey.
Alongside the photo, the author of the post says they spent "45 minutes that morning turning Ian into a Black man with stage paint", after which they dropped him off at work. The post has since been deleted.
"While I can honestly say I had no malice or overt prejudice in my heart at that time, it is nonetheless hurtful to many, and I own my mistake," Ward said. "It is offensive and shameful, and I apologize to those who have been impacted directly or indirectly by this event.
"I have long believed in continuous improvement, and through formal work such as diversity, equity and inclusion workshops and informal learning and relationship building with friends in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) community, I have, and will continue to work to be a better person."
