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Former Neo-Nazi Leader No Longer Employed by the City of Hamilton

The City of Hamilton and Marc Lemire have "mutually agreed" to part ways following a VICE investigation.
Marc Lemire leaving the Hamilton IT department in 2019 and Lemire in 2011 at an event hosted by Paul Fromm
Marc Lemire leaving the Hamilton IT department in 2019 and Lemire in 2011 at an event hosted by Paul Fromm. Photo via Mack Lamoureux and Anti-Racist Canada

Marc Lemire, the former leader of the neo-Nazi group the Heritage Front, is no longer employed by the City of Hamilton.

Following two investigations into Lemire's workplace activities, the city and Lemire "mutually agreed" to end Lemire's employment in Hamilton's IT department. "The City made a decision that Mr. Lemire's off-duty activities and associations did not reflect the culture, values, and beliefs of the City," the City of Hamilton said in a news release.

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"There was however no evidence that Mr. Lemire inappropriately accessed, utilized or gathered any data, including City emails or private information, or that he inappropriately used any City equipment," the city said.

The announcement comes after a VICE investigation in May into the quiet long-term employment of Lemire by the city. Lemire was initially put on leave following publication of the story.

The VICE investigation found that Hamilton hired Lemire in 2005 as a network analyst. Lemire had been kept off many city documents and registries, leading to speculation that Hamilton kept his employment quiet.

Details regarding Lemire's departure—such as the size of any severance—are most likely to remain confidential, according to the CBC.

While Lemire has played off his involvement with Heritage Front as childish nonsense in emails sent to other outlets, court documents and Lemire's website show he was involved with white nationalist activism for at least a decade. Lemire has not responded to VICE's repeated requests for comment.

Lemire was first connected to the Heritage Front in the early 90s. Lemire, much like Don Black of Stormfront fame, also had set up web servers to help the white supremacist cause. One long-time anti-racist activist told VICE that because of Lemire's groundbreaking online work, Lemire was one of the most influential racists in Canadian history.

On top of his far-right activism, Lemire is well-known for a battle with the Human Rights Tribunal and has attempted to portray himself as a free speech warrior.

Richard Warman, the main complainant in Lemire's tribunal case, told VICE during the initial investigation that Lemire's attempts to whitewash his past are laughable. He referenced court documents that showed Lemire worked with Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, who was deported from Canada to Germany and was sentenced to five years in a German prison for his hate propaganda.

"[A justice] of the Federal Court found Marc Lemire was the last known leader of the violent neo-Nazi group the Heritage Front," Warman told VICE. "Any claim by Marc Lemire that he was 'on the periphery' of the neo-Nazi movement in Canada is delusional and revisionist history."

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