LITTLE HARBOUR, N.S. — A Pictou County teenager was almost turned away from an event with Conservative leader Andrew Scheer because of the shirt she was wearing which said “Honour the Boat Habour Act” on one side and “A’se’k #31 January 2020” on the other.
“We went to the Little Harbor Community Center to see Andrew Scheer. We were there for about 10 minutes when a security guard came up to me and Selena,” said the teen's father Jerry Swallow.
His daughter was told she would have to remove the a'se'k shirt or leave the event.
“We decided to leave as we were leaving we asked what was wrong with the shirt,” Swallow said.
He said it was definitely not a case of the person mistaking the red colour as showing support for the Liberal Party.
“We told him what it was and what it meant, but he didn't care, said he didn't what any trouble there tonight.”
As they were leaving though, he said one of Scheer's people came out and apologized for what happened and invited them back in.
She was then able to meet and have her photo taken with Scheer.
“My daughter is a strong independent girl and I'm proud she went back in,” Swallow said.
In a Facebook post on Friday morning Conservative candidate George Canyon addressed the situation, saying that he was unaware of the security guard telling the teen to leave until after the fact.
"A short time later this unfortunate misunderstanding was remedied and she entered the event (while still wearing the t-shirt) and met Andrew Scheer," Canyon wrote. "We regret that an over zealous security person took this action, however, we are glad that she and her family were able to attend having the opportunity to meet the next Prime Minister, Andrew Scheer."
