Orillia Youth Charged Following Investigation into Antisemitic Flyer Distribution
- ALCCA Staff
- Jun 23
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
A 15-year-old from Orillia has been charged following an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation into the distribution of antisemitic flyers throughout the City of Orillia.
The charges stem from an investigation that began on May 17, 2026, after reports that hate-motivated flyers had been distributed in an Orillia neighbourhood. At the time, local reporting raised concerns after an OPP officer was quoted as stating that the materials, while derogatory and profane toward the Jewish community, did not meet the criminal definition of hate speech.
Following discussions between ALCCA Chair Mark Sandler and senior OPP officers, the matter was referred for a full investigation as a potential hate crime. The OPP subsequently issued a corrective press release confirming that an active investigation had been opened into the hate-motivated dissemination of materials and that the OPP Hate/Extremism Unit had been engaged. The Orillia OPP Major Crime Unit was assigned to work under its direction.
Police later reported a second occurrence involving the distribution of similar hate-motivated flyers on June 13, 2026.
The investigation culminated in the early morning hours of June 21, 2026, when Orillia OPP officers responded to a report of a suspicious person in the Barrie Road and Walker Avenue area of Orillia. The individual was described as wearing all black clothing and placing flyers on vehicles while attempting to enter them. Officers quickly located the suspect.
As a result of the investigation into all three occurrences, the youth has been charged with:
Mischief
Public Incitement of Hatred
Fail to Comply with Sentence
Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose
The accused remains in custody pending a bail hearing. The OPP has confirmed that the Orillia OPP Major Crime Unit and the OPP Hate Crime Unit are continuing to assist with the investigation.
Because the accused is a young person, police have not released the individual's name pursuant to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
ALCCA welcomes the OPP’s earlier decision to treat this matter as a serious hate crime, culminating in charges that include public incitement of hatred against the Jewish community. We will continue to report on this case as it progresses.
Editor's Note: We have chosen not to repost or circulate the antisemitic materials involved in this investigation in order to avoid further disseminating hateful content targeting the Jewish community.
-30-