Incident at Canadian Tire in B.C. under scrutiny for allegations of Indigenous bias
A study conducted by York University, titled "Indigenous Consumer Racial Profiling in Canada: A Neglected Human Rights Issue," has highlighted a concerning incident involving an Indigenous family at a Canadian Tire store in Coquitlam, British Columbia, in 2020. The study, co-authored by Dr. Les Jacobs, calls for corporations like Canadian Tire to address the issue and advance anti-racist practices.
During their visit to the store, Richard Wilson and his daughter Dawn felt racially profiled. Wilson was followed around the store, and at the till, a security guard asked to look through Wilson's bag. The situation escalated when an employee made a racist comment towards Dawn Wilson.
Dawn Wilson later claimed that the profiling continued when she complained to an employee at Canadian Tire. The incident will be heard by the BC Human Rights Tribunal in October.
The study underscores that consumer racial profiling is a pervasive and normalized human rights violation that threatens reconciliation efforts and requires official acknowledgement and targeted interventions designed in consultation with Indigenous communities.
The study recommends Indigenous-specific remedies such as healing ceremonies, cultural safety training, and systemic data collection reforms to address the harms of Indigenous consumer racial profiling (CRP) in Canada. It also emphasizes the urgent need for further human rights-based research and the importance of corporations participating in Indigenous-specific remedial measures when incidents occur in commercial settings.
Dr. Jacobs, the study's co-author, has highlighted that discrimination in retail environments is commonplace for Indigenous people. He suggests that Canadian Tire could work with researchers to understand the extent of the racial profiling issue. However, Canadian Tire did not respond to a request for comment about the alleged incident.
The study also addresses the issue as part of a broader struggle against systemic racism and colonial legacies, requiring socio-legal and public health approaches for comprehensive understanding and action. It also emphasizes the need to promote restorative justice and education, enhance legal consciousness and access to justice for Indigenous peoples who experience racial profiling, and recognise how it compounds systemic discrimination.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for corporations to take a proactive stance against racial profiling and work towards creating inclusive and safe environments for all customers. The BC Human Rights Tribunal hearing in October will be closely watched as it sheds light on this important issue.
- The financial sector should take a proactive stance in supporting retail industries to address and eradicate racial profiling incidents, as such instances can negatively impact their brand reputation and consumer trust.
- The health of Indigenous communities can be significantly impacted by pervasive consumer racial profiling in the retail industry, as it can lead to stress, anxiety, and a lack of trust in commercial settings, potentially affecting their overall well-being.
