What began as hurtful actions against Dawn Wilson and her Indigenous father in a Coquitlam Canadian Tire store more than six years ago ended on Tuesday evening with a washing ceremony at a hall in east Vancouver. The ceremony, a traditional act of restorative justice practiced by the Heiltsuk tribe in Bella Bella, B.C., was part of a settlement between the Wilsons, Canadian Tire, and Blackbird Security after Richard Wilson was singled out for a search of his backpack in the store.
A Path to Healing
“It’s a great education and a way to show people how we use our traditional ways to heal hurts and move past conflict,” said Dawn after she and her father were brushed with cedar boughs and robed—she in a traditional blanket and he in a vest. The ceremony concluded with the Wilsons leading family members and elders in a circle dance to drumming. Representatives from Canadian Tire and Blackbird Security offered apologies.
“They were genuinely saying sorry, and that meant a great deal to me,” said Dawn. “I really don’t think I fully had put this behind me before tonight. It was really beautiful.”
The Incident
In January 2020, while standing in line to purchase $600 worth of merchandise at the Coquitlam store, a security guard searched Richard’s backpack, which contained his wallet. They were shopping while waiting for new tires to be installed on their car—an $800 repair job. Dawn said when she complained to a store employee, he responded with racist remarks, repeating a stereotype about Indigenous people. She cried when they returned to the car. The situation worsened when they were offered a $50 gift card after escalating the complaint to corporate management.
Resolution and Commitment
The corporate office did not immediately relay the complaint to the Coquitlam store, and by the time it did, the employee no longer worked there. The Wilsons filed a complaint with the human rights tribunal about two years ago, which was recently settled for an undisclosed amount of money. Both the retail chain and the security company promised to educate staff to prevent racial profiling and other discrimination.
“To Richard and Dawn, I would like to open by saying we are deeply sorry for what happened,” said James Prescott, senior regional manager for Canadian Tire. “It is deeply regrettable … and we apologize.” He pledged to share what he learned with other stores “to make sure this never happens to anyone again.”
