Racist messages sent from Vancouver company shared on Instagram, prompting apology

Local company faces backlash for racist messages A Vancouver agency says another local company sent them text messages containing racial slurs.

Vancouver — A Vancouver agency spoke out on social media, saying it received racist messages from another local business.

Warner McDaniel Agency, a boutique sales agency, posted a series of photos on Instagram showing text messages using racial slurs. The company says it received those messages from Vancouver Candle Co.

"Racism is real and this is our story. Our business is woman-owned, and owned by a woman of colour. A proud black woman, born and raised in British Columbia," the company's post says.

"We chose to share our story not for sympathy. But to shed light on the reality that racism isn't an American problem limited to police brutality. It is here in our backyards, our inboxes and our business community."

Vancouver Candle Co. posted its own message on Instagram, saying two of those messages were in fact sent from its staff in 2017, and issued an apology.

"Recent social media posts have caused us to look inward and reflect on words and actions that have offended. We are sorry," Vancouver Candle Co.'s post says.

"We are far from perfect and have said some things in the past that we are not proud of. We apologize to Warner McDaniel and to all those that we have hurt."

Both posts have more than 1,000 comments on them, and some companies have said they'll be pulling the company's candles from their shelves.

Get Dressed, in North Vancouver, is one company that's announced it'll stop selling Vancouver Candle Co. products, "in light of the discriminatory comments."

"We condemn racism in all of its forms," the store said on Facebook.

In another post from Warner McDaniel Agency, shared on Monday, the company said it was "overwhelmed" by the number of messages it had received.

"Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that," the post says. "Let's lovingly make space for others to share their experiences because it does not end here."