A group known for their anti-refugee and anti-immigration attitudes in Europe has formed local chapters in Saskatchewan.
The Soldiers of Odin formed in Finland in 2015 after a wave of migrants entered the country fleeing war-torn countries in the Middle East.
But in Regina, the group insists they’re not based on hate.
“Basically, it's just a group of concerned citizens who want people to start taking pride in their community,” Derek Niedermayer, the Regina Chapter Leader of Soldiers of Odin, said.
The group has done neighborhood patrols, along with organizing fundraisers and community clean-ups. Niedermayer said the group doesn’t harbor any anti-refugee attitudes.
"We don't care where you're from or anything, we love that we're taking people in and helping out that’s what Canada is all about and we've always been about that. We're just concerned that it's properly vetted and losing some of the things that make Canada,” he said.
But not everyone sees it that way. The Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism has raised issue with their origins.
“They know the history of that group, where it came from and who started it,” Bob Hughes, an advocate with the coalition, said, “White supremacists: That’s who started it and that’s what it’s about.”
There are currently about 10 Soldiers of Odin members in Regina, with more scattered across the province.
