Manitobans key vehicles, harass U.S. military members, families stationed in Winnipeg during pandemic

A senior officer says a handful of American military members stationed in Manitoba are being harassed over their U.S. licence plates, mirroring similar stories of perceived outsidersconfronted by locals in other provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have beenat least two accounts of vehicles belonging to U.S. Armyand Air Force membersbeing keyed recently, said the commander for the 1st Air Forces Detachment 1, an American unit stationed in Winnipeg.

"We've also had dependents [of U.S. members] that have been out in local establishmentspeople have seen them exiting vehicles with a U.S. licence plate and they've been told to go home," said Lt.-Col. Brian Hardeman.

They've also had profanities shouted at them, he said.

Some of the incidents could have something to do with Manitobans seeing the plates and thinking the Americans are here as tourists, said Hardeman.

In fact, they're American forces members, who can do placements in Canada for two to four yearsas part of the North American Aerospace Defence Command, or NORAD agreement.

Similar accounts of shaming and confrontation have emerged in provinces across Canada in recent months.

In some cases, people with American licence plateswith entirely valid reasons for being here have been targeted.

In other cases, Canadians have targeted other Canadianseither because they have vehicles with U.S. plates, or were believed to be breaking travel restrictions because they have out-of-province plates.

One possible explanation for the hostility could betheoutbreak of COVID-19 in many regions south of the border.

Manitobahasn't had a new COVID-19 case in nine days, while states like Texas,Florida and California are seeing surges or even setting records for total daily cases right now.

Manitoba's neighbours to the south in Minnesota and North Dakota have also fared far worse than the province.

But the U.S.-Canada border remains closed to non-essential travel, and has been since March.

The base commander for the Canadian Armed Forces in Winnipeg said the harassment some of his U.S. colleagues are experiencing is un-Manitoban.

"To hear that some of our fellow Canadians fellow friendly Manitobans, as our plates say are taking matters into their own hands here, it's disappointing," said Col.Eric Charron, who is also commander of 17 Wing Winnipeg.

"It's not who we are. It's not who we project ourselves to be."

Charron said there aren't many American militarymembers in the city, but those who are here fill key positions.

"Without them here there's aspects of our operations that we could not conduct," he said.

"The same happens in the United States, where Canadian officers and Canadian non-commissioned members and their families move to areas like Colorado Springs, where NORAD headquarters [are] located and fill some of these key positions as well."

The American service members' vehicles may be identified bya decalon theirwindshields that showsa logo with astylized maple leaf, made to look like a jet,and the number 17, for 17 Wing.

Lt.-Col.Hardeman is from Massachusetts and spent three years stationed at CFB Cold Lake in Alberta prior to his current two-year postingin Winnipeg. His Canadian wife now has dual citizenship.

He said for the most part Manitobans have been welcoming to U.S. service members.

"Pretty much 99.9 per cent, they have opened arms with us," he said.

"We just want it to be known that even these isolated incidents that have happened to us recently does not change the picture we have, and that's [that] we are one family, U.S. and Canada, and we're all here to do the same mission."