ManitobaA macabre and disturbing display set up at a home in rural Manitoba that depicts municipal politicians being hanged by a noose has been taken down, but some officials and community members in the area continue to be concerned that it was ever set up in the first place. Display depicted municipal officials being hanged from a gallowsDave Baxter · CBC News · Posted: Nov 03, 2025 9:53 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesA display in the rural municipal of Taché that has been taken down showed several disturbing images, including a life-sized firefighter figure wearing a For Sale sign and a dollar sign necklace. (Abdellatif Izika/CBC)A macabre and disturbing display set up at a home in rural Manitoba that depicted municipal politicians being hanged by a noose has been taken down, but some officials and community members in the area continue to be concerned that it was ever set up in the first place. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Melanie Roussel confirmed in a Monday email the display, which was set up in a yard on Municipal Road 41E, in the community of Ste-Geneviève in the RM of Taché, has been removed by the homeowner.She added no charges against the homeowner are expected at this time. On Saturday, RM of Taché council held a meeting to discuss the display, which, before being removed, showed, among other disturbing imagery, five life-sized figures being hanged from what looked like a homemade gallows.Municipal officials in southern Manitoba expressed concern after a disturbing display popped up on a property depicting local politicians hanging in a gallows. The display has since been taken down. (Abdellatif Izika/CBC)Four of the five figures had municipal ward numbers painted on them, including wards two, four, five and six. Another figure hanging in the middle was seen wearing a crown and a dollar-sign necklace. The word “karma” was spelled in neon green across all five figures.Above the hanging figures the term “politics all trick no treats” was written. Another figure depicted a firefighter wearing a “For Sale” sign around its neck along with a dollar-sign necklace.RM of Taché Mayor Armand Poirier told CBC on Monday — before learning the display was removed — that he was very concerned about the emotional impact it would have on municipal officials and first responders in the area. “I personally am doing ok,” Poirier said. “I’m more concerned with the attacks made against our firefighters, and the other individuals on council.”He said at the Saturday meeting council discussed possible “legal options,” as well as the safety of politicians and municipal officials in the area. Poirier said council has not yet decided if they plan to take any further actions regarding the display, but will continue to have conversations about that possibility. Taché resident Pat Hallonquist said on Monday she had been growing concerned about threats being levelled at politicians, and is now more concerned after seeing the display in her community. “They are just public workers, and they just deserve to be able to do their job without fearing for their lives,” Hallonquist said. “It’s just crazy that people feel they can express themselves in those kinds of ways, and they should be held accountable for those actions.“Everybody has opinions, but they don’t need to express them like that.”Devin Rand, who lives in Taché, says despite the macabre nature of the display he does believe people have the right to express their opinions, even if they do it in a disturbing way.“People are welcome to have freedom of speech, so I wouldn’t say that they couldn’t do such things, but they probably want to tread lightly about their message in front of children,” Rand said. “But they are definitely entitled to their freedom of speech as far as I’m concerned.”Michael King, the deputy executive director at the Organization for the Prevention of Violence, said federal statistics show that in recent years there has been a spike in threats against politicians in Canada. Michael King, the deputy executive director at the Organization for the Prevention of Violence, said federal statistics show that in recent years there has been a spike in threats against politicians in Canada. (Axel Dansereau Macias/CBC)“Since at least 2019, there has been a very sharp increase of threats and actual violence against elected politicians, at least at the federal level, and there’s no reason to believe that’s not also occurring with provincial politicians and municipal politicians as well,” King said. “What we’ve seen at least in the last decade, is a sharp rise in distrust against all forms of authority, that can be medical authority, scientific authority, but it also extends to political authorities.” CBC reached out to the homeowner on Sunday, who declined to be interviewed.In a video posted to Youtube Saturday that appeared to be filmed on Friday, the homeowner speaks to two RCMP officers in front of his property as they inquire about the display.The two officers asked him to amend it to remove identifiers or take it down entirely. He told them it was a “limited display” for Halloween and he was a “peaceful sovereign,” but was frustrated with the municipality “charging invoices.”He explained there had been a fire on his property and the volunteer fire truck and crew had been deployed by the municipality, resulting in a $4,000 bill, something he had appealed to no avail.ABOUT THE AUTHORDave Baxter is an award-winning reporter and editor currently working for CBC Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he has also previously reported for the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press, as well as several rural Manitoba publications.With files from Axel Dansereau Macias and Gavin Axelrod
Disturbing display in rural Manitoba taken down, no charges expected
