Image by CICK News

Extremist group "The Proud Boys" were included on the list of 12 known terrorists groups in Canada on Feb. 3, making them number 13 on the list.

According to Public Affairs Minister Bill Blair, the designation was made because “members of the group espouse misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, and/or white supremacist ideologies and associate with white supremacist groups."

This has sparked much debate about the underlying purpose for this designation and whether or not it addresses the issue of white supremacy groups in Canada, or simply sounds right. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Blair holding a lot of power in the decision. CSIS and Blair have exercised their power to label discreetly (without much public oversight) The Proud Boys "terrorists" but  questions remain on the oversight and public trial for similar organized groups in Canada.

Fears have been voiced about Black Lives Matter groups and Indigenous rights advocacy groups who are already marginalized in the court, law, and system of government in Canada as to whether or not their protests and actions could receive a similar designation.

CICK News spoke with Skeena-Bulkley Valley MPP Taylor Bachrach about what this means from his perspective, as a member of the provincial NDP, and for northern BC residents.

"There's an important conversation that we need to be having with young people about extremism", Bachrach said in regards to the Manitoba Proud Boys "rebranding" themselves since the Washington Capitol riots on Jan. 6 of this year.

"The more we allow these organizations to operate out in the open and recruit openly, the more we allow them to grow [...] some semblance of legitimacy. [The terrorist designation] is only one of the tools that we have as a society to combat hate but it's an important one and I welcome the news today," he added.

Listen to the full interview with Bachrach on CICK News and check out a clip from that interview below: