The municipality of West Perth says it’s in the process of removing Mitchell Hawks logos from the Mitchell & District Arena and Community Centre.
A published report says the move follows a notice from the Ontario Human Rights Commission about the need to change Indigenous-themed logos and imagery.
The Stratford Beacon Herald says dozens of municipalities in Ontario have received similar notices concerning branding and franchises.
The Herald says action taken by the province’s Human Rights Commission is seen as part of an initiative to make organizations address names and imaging that critics say may be considered racially insensitive.
According to the OHRC notice the Hawks PJHL franchise has 4 years to address the issue at the team level.
The team’s executive tells the Herald the plan is to keep the Hawks name which the club has had since inception in the mid 1960s.
The franchise says it hopes to get the community involved in a contest to create a new logo. Additionally the team has delayed ordering new hockey jerseys for the coming season.
The logo of the Junior ‘C’ Mitchell Hawks.
