Screen grab from Facebook comments made in 2010 by Lorrie Steeves, wife of Winnipeg, Manitoba, mayoral candidate Gord Steeves. Image from Darlene J / Twitter

The wife of Winnipeg, Manitoba, mayoral candidate Gord Steeves apologized for making comments about "drunken Natives" on Facebook back in 2010.

Lorrie Steeves said she was "really tired of getting harrassed by the drunken native guys" in the skywalk system in downtown Winnipeg. She accused Native people of being on "welfare" using some rather coarse language.

The comments were unearthed by Twitter user Darlene J. They surfaced on the same day Gord Steeves said he would put more money into law enforcement to remove "inebriated" people from downtown streets.

"It's reflective of an attitude among some people from some of the privileged areas of the city that venture downtown and see some of the things they don't want to see," Derek Nepinak, the grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, whose offices are in downtown Winnipeg, told CBC News. "I think it's problematic being that it comes from the wife of one of our candidates for mayor."

Lorrie Steeves initially told CBC News the comments were a "family" matter. But she later issued a statement of apology.

"I feel terrible about these comments I am terribly sorry and apologize," she said in the statement. "I do not clear my Facebook posts or status updates with my husband."

The comments quickly reverberated through political and media circles. Winnipeg Free Press reporter Bartley Kives said he was going to rank Gord Reeves as the top candidate in his mayoral race column tomorrow.

"That column has been scrapped," he said on Twitter.

Get the Story:
Gord Steeves' wife under fire for 'drunken native' Facebook post (CBC 8/8)
Facebook post from 2010 comes back to haunt Steeves campaign (CTV 8/8)
Steeves' wife complains about harassment by 'drunken native guys' in Facebook post (The Winnipeg Free Press 8/8)
Wife of mayoral candidate apologizes for “drunken natives” comments (Global News 8/8)