FALL RIVER: Some residents that received an unsolicited eight-page flyer full of anti-Chinese sentiments are not one bit impressed at having it in their mailboxes.
Among those residents in the Fall River/Windsor Junction and Wellington area to receive The Epoch Times was Jay Cameron. He said it was clear as soon as he took the mailer out of the box, that it was full of anti-Chinese opinion.
“The whole eight-page flyer contained stories contrived only to fuel anti Chinese governmental slants,” said Cameron. “I was caught by immediate surprise that a crown corporation like Canada Post would take on the culpability of delivering a slander filled propaganda piece like this is to my mailbox.
“I was even more taken back when it was confirmed that the people behind the paper were an anti Chinese government party group based out of the United States.”
The Epoch Times has polarized people over its content and is under fire for advancing a conspiracy theory about the origin of the coronavirus and putting it straight into people’s mailboxes without their permission.
In the paper, it explores the idea that the virus that causes COVID-19 was created as a biological weapon, arguing it should be called “the CCP virus,” referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
Besides the locals, those in Oakville, Etobicoke, Markham, and Toronto, Ont. all reported getting copies of a special edition of The Epoch Times, as did residents in North Vancouver and Kelowna, B.C., and Winnipeg, Mb., according to CBC.
Cameron said he strongly disagrees with being put in the position of assuming possession over such a rag.
“If that had been handed to me on the street or a knock on my door, I’d have rejected it out right,” said Cameron. “Why would Canada Post force foreign created propaganda against other foreign governments onto me? I won’t stand for this again. It will go right back in the mail slot.
Some of those who received it in western Canada told CBC that it seemed to allude to conspiracy theories that COVID19 was manufactured in the lab. They knew that was not true.
Cindy Gu, the publisher of The Epoch Times, said in an email to CBC News that the publication had been delivering copies to “specific neighbourhoods.”
“The Epoch Times has recently been ‘sampling’ copies of a special edition on Beijing’s coverup that led to a global pandemic in select areas because we consider that information to be important to Canadians. We regard this sampling as an act of good citizenship,” she wrote.
“This is a standard way of raising brand awareness and recruiting new subscribers.”
In an email to CBC News, Canada Post said they were legally required to deliver it.
“We understand the reaction to this publication,” the statement said. “However, as Canada’s postal system, we are legally required to deliver it. The content is the sole responsibility of the publisher.
“Anyone concerned with its contents should contact the publisher, file a complaint against the publication through the appropriate institutions or place the item in the recycling box.”
Some residents were going to do more than put it in the recycling box.
“Burn it,” said Paula Brachvogel in a post. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Rich Allen said when he got the flyer, he knew what he was doing with it.
“It went straight into the recycling,” Allen said in a Facebook comment.
Karin Brimicombe of Fletchers Lake said she knew what she would do with the flyer if it was in her mailbox.
“It would have gone right in the box for my friends firepit (when its allowed again, without being read),” she said.
Rob MacCormick said he got it at his Windsor Junction home.
“It made me sick to my stomach,” he said. “It’s nothing but Xenophobic trash.”
