Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba’s minister and one of the first two First Nations women to serve in the province’s cabinet, says she and colleague Bernadette Smith will not be intimidated by recent attacks on their constituency offices.

Fontaine addressed the situation during a public funding announcement on Thursday, affirming their continued commitment to public service despite a series of fires and acts of vandalism targeting their offices in Winnipeg.

“We worked hard to be here. We continue to work hard for our responsibilities, for our departments, for our communities, for our relatives, and no amount of attacks will ever, ever push us out of this,” said Fontaine, met with applause.

Between August and September, Winnipeg police responded to four fires at Smith’s Point Douglas office. On September 30—the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—Fontaine’s St. Johns office was also vandalized and damaged by fire. Investigations are ongoing, led by the Winnipeg police major crimes unit.

The incidents were a focal point during the first question period of the fall sitting at the Manitoba Legislature on Wednesday, with MLAs from all parties condemning the attacks and political violence in general.

While police have not confirmed whether the incidents were random or targeted, Premier Wab Kinew said the pattern appears intentional and possibly rooted in gender-based violence and Indigenous-specific racism.

“These are the first two Indigenous women to publicly serve our province as cabinet ministers. I think it’s fair to say that these are intentional,” said Kinew in an interview on CBC Manitoba’s Information Radio.

He also noted that protests at political offices are common, but the use of fire represents a serious escalation. “My constituency office gets protested all the time. Nobody lit a match,” Kinew added.

Fontaine has recently faced backlash for reposting a social media post after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a U.S. conservative figure and ally of Donald Trump, who was described in the post as promoting hate and intolerance. However, there is no official link between that post and the attacks.

The Legislative Assembly Management Commission is now reviewing security protocols, with current MLA office budgets allowing for up to $4,400 in security-related expenses.

Despite the threats, both Fontaine and Smith remain resolute in their roles and are pushing forward with their public service.