Meet the Barrie Anti-Racism Task Force

Cheryl Blondell-King

Esther Nkoli Enyolu

Haily MacDonald

Masa Sone

Brandon Wu

Our Mandate

The Barrie Anti-Racism Task Force is the bridge to promote a stronger, more positive understanding and representation of the city’s racialized peoples.

This will be done through actively working with, and holding accountable, police services, educational systems, health services, community groups, associations, municipal organizations, social services, businesses, labour, and government.

Our History

The Barrie Anti-Racism Task Force was created in June, 2020.
Barrie City Hall approved creation of the task force in a motion sponsored by the Barrie Police Service.
Dozens of applications were received from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. An independent panel, actively engaged in cultural and anti-racism efforts outside the Barrie area, reviewed the applications to determine the final composition of the task force.
Seven individuals were chosen to work actively with community partners and other groups, to facilitate a stronger understanding of the needs of Barrie’s racialized populations.

Cheryl Blondell-King

Cheryl Blondell-King has been involved in many volunteer organizations that deal with human rights, equity, and inclusion. She was a commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission for a number of years, and most recently sat on the Tropicana Community Services board. She is a champion of fairness and respect and enjoys giving back to her community.

Masa Sone

Masa Sone grew up in French Canada and completed her education in Toronto, settling in Barrie in 1977. Through years of working and raising a family here, she has witnessed a population growth from around 35,000 to over 135,000 people. As a result, Barrie is now home to many of varied ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. She strongly believes in making all feel safe in Barrie and encouraging them to live productive lives.

Brandon Wu

Brandon is currently employed in the education sector where he works as a subject matter expert in accessibility and human rights for one of the largest school boards in Ontario. Brandon is actively involved in developing and delivering human rights and accessibility learning, training, and professional development for staff and community members, and is himself committed to lifelong learning. Brandon hopes that his appointment to the Anti-Racism Task Force will help contribute to making the City of Barrie more accepting, accessible, and inclusive for all.