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Racist message found at Michael Garron Hospital construction site

A racist message written in black ink was discovered in a washroom stall at a construction site at Michael Garron Hospital in East York, according to EllisDon, the company managing the site.

The message, which reads, "This site needs a N-word purge," was found late Thursday afternoon, according to EllisDon spokesperson Dustin Luchka.

Mohammed Hashim, a senior organizer with the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, posted a picture of the racist message to Twitter on Friday. Hashim, who is also a board member of Urban Reliance on Racial Relations, called on Michael Garron Hospital to do more about racist acts on their property.

The incident comes a week after two nooses were found at the same location at Michael Garron. Another two other nooses were found at the same location in June and July.

In total, there have been seven nooses discovered on four different construction sites in Toronto since June.

EllisDon says it this "despicable racist act" and is committed to catching the people responsible for it.

"Upon learning of this incident we immediately boarded up the area and removed the graffiti. We have initiated an investigation and have already begun to upgrade the security and surveillance on the site, both to catch these criminals and to ensure that every worker is safe from discrimination, hate and bigotry," the company said in a statement to CBC News.

The company says it will also be offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help identify the people involved in the racist acts.

"We will not stop until the perpetrators are found and permanently evicted from our industry," the statement continues.

In an email to CBC News, spokesperson for Michael Garron Hospital Hannah Ward said, "this hateful act is further demonstration that this problem is systemic in the construction industry."

EllisDon said it acknowledges that systemic racism in the construction industry is real and that it has initiated measures to eliminate it.

"This will take time and sustained effort by many people, but we have already begun, and we will succeed."