Racism in Ontario, which many believe is declining, is hanging in tenaciously, even finding new targets, and Ontario's Liberal government is not doing all it can to counter it.

No new statistics have been released to show whether racism is on the rise, but there are plenty of examples indicating it is alive and kicking. The most recent victims include Canadians of Chinese origin, who are noted for being hardworking and economically successful and envied by some for it.

A dozen incidents have been reported of Chinese sports fishermen threatened, punched, dumped in lakes and rivers and in two cases severely injured, and their cars and fishing gear damaged. The attacks are described in some areas by the racist term 'nippertipping' and there have been complaints Chinese over-fish, poach and litter, but these could not excuse violence.

AToronto councillor has got to the crux of what some resent about Chinese-Ontarians by saying, in debating whether stores should be permitted to open on traditional holidays, "these Oriental people work like dogs. They sleep beside their machines. They are slowly taking over." It sounded like he was airing a grudge.

The racism has included acts by public (including provincial) employees. Black and aboriginal guards at a Toronto jail have long complained of racial taunts by white guards and unidentified letter writers, and early this year staged a brief strike, but the problem still is unresolved.

The Ontario Provincial Police has claimed it has cleaned up racism in its force revealed by a public inquiry into the shooting death of a native protester at Ipperwash Provincial Park, when its officers described a demonstrator as a "great, big, fat f...ing Indian" and suggested giving the Indians a few cases of beer would quieten them.

But an inspector in the Barrie force has now been relieved of some duties, after sending an email that police conceded was racist.

A judge in Toronto also dismissed charges, including one of assaulting police, after finding two officers went after and detained the accused merely because he is black.

A human rights tribunal found a Peel Region police officer threatened to charge a woman with shoplifting and called her a "f...ing foreigner" because she is black and ordered the force to pay her compensation and train officers to avoid racist acts.

Legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, lauded in many countries when he died, had described earlier how young men repeatedly drove past his home in Mississauga shouting racial insults and how he endured racism in the southern United States decades ago, but never expected it here.

A radio reporter interviewing outside a cityowned arena in Toronto was told to move her car and called a "f...ing nigger" by a parking attendant. Its management apologized, grudgingly enough to suggest it might have ignored her complaint if she hadn't gone to the media.

A white school trustee wrote to a newspaper complaining many immigrants do not understand Canadian values, bring violence, collect money to fund violence in their former countries and take jobs from Canadians, a disturbingly twisted view.

Racism has come close, inadvertently, to Progressive Conservative leader John Tory and Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. Tory apologized after a student official in his party's club at Ryerson University sent an unauthorized e-mail attacking a black student and headed "KKK - White Power."

A provincial official sent an e-mail terming a black applicant for a job a "ghetto dude." The applicant found out and McGuinty phoned him to apologize.

To mark International Day For The Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Citizenship Minister Michael Chan said the province fosters accepting diversity and anyone who sees discrimination should speak out (not exactly sounding the alarm) and no media reported. A speech by a premier explaining what's going on won't eradicate racism, but would let people know there's a problem.