The Garden City Refugee

Virtue Signaling Enforcement

November 12, 2026

Yesterday, I visited Hamilton once again. I took the GO bus, disembarked at Confederation, then walked to Barton Street, where I caught an HSR bus. Rather than go all the way to the Hamilton GO Center, I got off the bus early and went to Jackson Square, hoping for an open washroom. But I was too early. The mall was open, but the washrooms weren’t. I had hoped to use the one inside the farmer’s market. But that too wasn’t open. So I left via the north entrance, alongside the also-closed library.

But after opening the outside door, a security guard stationed there stopped me.

“Guess what?” he shouted. “Tim Hortons has poppies. Get one and put one on. It’s Remembrance Day.”

I wasn’t wearing a poppy. Say whatever you will. Most often, I don’t. It’s not that I don’t support the veterans. Rather, in light of the current state of affairs in this country, I wonder why they bothered fighting. They must wonder the same thing. They fought and died on foreign soil to protect us from tyranny, only to get it anyway. And likely half of those with poppies on are the ones still supporting the same Liberals which have turned this country into a cross between a Chinese protectorate and the second coming of the Soviet Union. But I digress.

I could have gotten into it with him. But instead, I said nothing and kept going. Nonetheless, the encounter stuck in my craw. Not because the guy didn’t have the right to his feelings. But rather, that he would stop me and risk a confrontation over something so comparatively trivial given the sad state of affairs at Jackson Square. Once a thriving and vibrant mall, it has become a ghost town. The biggest tenant is “Leasing Opportunity.” When the washrooms are open, a security guard is posted outside. You have to show ID just to get into the library. The adjacent City Center Mall has long since closed its doors. The Salvation Army across the street has become a magnet for riffraff. Things have gotten so bad that Hamilton Police are setting up an office inside the mall. To say the least, the last thing I expected when going through there was to get hassled by a security guard about not wearing a poppy. They’re trained to defuse situations, not incite them.

Which is exactly what I said when I got home and reported the incident. And to their credit, they responded quickly and in the right way:

Please accept our sincere apologies for this interaction.

We have spoken directly with the security guard involved, who acknowledged the interaction as you described it. We addressed the importance of maintaining professionalism at all times and keeping personal views and comments to oneself, particularly when interacting with members of the public. We made it clear that this type of interaction was inappropriate and not reflective of the standard of conduct we expect from our security team.

The guard was receptive to the discussion and expressed genuine regret and apologized for his actions.

We appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention, as it allows us to address concerns directly with our team. Once again, we apologize for your experience and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.

I couldn’t have expected a better response. Apology accepted.