Canadian Tire
New Expert Report Reveals Harms of Indigenous Consumer Racial Profiling in Canada; Report Submitted as Evidence in Canadian Tire Human Rights Complaint
Effects of racial profiling and need for Indigenous-specific remedies will be focus of BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint hearing against Canadian Tire, Oct. 27 – 31, 2025.
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 14, 2025 – The Heiltsuk Nation is releasing an expert report today on Indigenous Consumer Racial Profiling (CRP), as part of filings for a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint against Canadian Tire that will be heard in Vancouver, Oct. 27th – 31st.
Authored by two of Canada’s leading human rights experts, Dr. Lorne Foster of York University and Dr. Les Jacobs of Ontario Tech University, Indigenous Consumer Racial Profiling in Canada: A Neglected Human Rights Issue identifies individual and collective harms of Indigenous CRP in Canada, and makes recommendations for Indigenous-specific remedies such as healing ceremonies, cultural safety training, and systemic data collection reforms, as well as noting the urgent need for further human rights-based study in the area.
The full report can be downloaded here. An executive summary is available here.
“Consumer racial profiling against Indigenous peoples in Canada is a critically important human rights issue that exacerbates intergenerational trauma and undermines reconciliation efforts,” said Drs. Foster and Jacobs. “Corporations like Canadian Tire must advance anti-racist practices in commercial settings and participate in Indigenous-specific remedies such as healing ceremonies when racist incidents do occur, if they are to meet their obligations under the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
The report has been filed with the BC Human Rights Tribunal for an upcoming hearing of a complaint against Canadian Tire Corporation, Pagalis Sales Ltd. doing business as Canadian Tire Store 608, and Blackbird Security Inc. for incidents of alleged racial profiling and racism experienced by Heiltsuk members, Richard and Dawn Wilson, at a store in Coquitlam while shopping on January 17, 2020.
“We thank Drs. Foster and Jacobs for identifying the harms of consumer racial profiling that Indigenous people experience every day, but rarely report,” said Marilyn Slett, Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation. “As a Nation that strongly defends the individual and collective human rights of our members, we will hold Canadian Tire and Blackbird Security to account. Ultimately, we hope they will participate in a healing ceremony with our Nation as a form of positive and culturally appropriate restorative justice so that we can turn things around and make them right again.”
BMO executives took part in a Heiltsuk healing ceremony, known as a washing ceremony, in the Big House in Bella Bella in 2020, following an incident that made headlines when Heiltsuk members Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter were arrested and detained by VPD constables after a bank employee doubted the validity of their status cards and called 911. After the washing ceremony, Mr. Johnson, a renowned Heiltsuk artist, gifted a painting to BMO and visited the bank to meet with their staff to talk about his artwork.
Interview footage and b-roll of Richard and Dawn Wilson at Canadian Tire and spending time in their community garden is available for use by media here.
To arrange interviews:
Marilyn Slett (available 8:30am – 10:00am PST and any time after 1:00pm)
Chief Councillor
Heiltsuk Nation
250-957-7721
Dr. Lesley Jacobs (available between 6:30am PST and 11:00am, and any time after 12:00 PST)
416-908-3502
Dr. Lorne Foster (available any time after 8:00am PST)
416-573-4966
Ruben Tillman
Counsel for Heiltsuk and Richard and Dawn Wilson
604-908-0415
Andrew Frank
HTC Communications
604-367-2112
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BC Human Rights Complaint Against Canadian Tire Reveals Racist Treatment of Indigenous Customers; Chief Says “Trust Has Been Broken”
Complaint and request for additional disclosure seek systemic change at the company, which recently boasted about its Newsweek ranking as “the most trustworthy Canadian retailer.”
COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA (October 1, 2024) – Richard and Dawn Wilson, father and daughter, are going public today with a BC Human Rights Commission complaint they have filed against Canadian Tire Corporation and Blackbird Security Inc., for incidents of racial profiling and racism they experienced at a store in Coquitlam while shopping, and that were recorded by the store’s security cameras.
The active complaint includes a request for additional disclosure of security footage to shed additional light on what happened. Video of Richard and Dawn sharing their story has been posted to the Heiltsuk Nation’s YouTube channel.
“It was really hard to see my dad racially profiled at Canadian Tire,” said Dawn Wilson, CEO of an Indigenous marine search and rescue organization. “It was uncomfortable, it was shameful, and it was just wrong. I wish I had stood up for him right when it happened. Unfortunately, it took four different times of reaching out to Canadian Tire after the fact, before someone even acknowledged what had happened, and we have been waiting for a resolution ever since.”
Richard and Dawn live in Port Moody and are members of the Heiltsuk First Nation. On January 17, 2020, they purchased new tires for installation at the Canadian Tire store at 1200 Sequin Drive in Coquitlam and shopped in-store while they waited. At the checkout, a security guard, employed by Blackbird Security, asked to search Richard’s backpack, despite other customers freely entering and exiting the store while also wearing backpacks – an embarrassing and demeaning experience.
When picking up her car, Dawn explained to one of the mechanics what had happened. The mechanic then proceeded to share a racist story about how his dad taught him the “difference between a Native and an ‘Indian’” which caused Dawn to cry, and another Canadian Tire employee to apologize for what had happened, shortly afterwards.
Resolution of the complaint is long overdue, as Dawn and Richard, who originally represented themselves, had to overcome various procedural hurdles. It was only recently that lawyers for the Heiltsuk Nation got involved, and Canadian Tire has since been unwilling to meaningfully engage in resolution efforts.
“Trust has been broken,” said Marilyn Slett, elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation. “Canadian Tire had no reason to search Richard’s backpack, except that he looked Indigenous. The racist ‘lesson’ that was shared with Dawn was disgusting and shows just how much work Canadian Tire must do before it can earn back the trust of Indigenous customers and people of colour. Truth and reconciliation require they admit what happened and ensure it never happens again.”
In its 2023 ESG report, the company claims a commitment to, “…building and sustaining a relationship with Indigenous peoples based on respect, dignity, trust and cooperation”, as well as a commitment to, “…acknowledging the truth and advancing reconciliation” (p. 4).
The Heiltsuk Nation takes incidents of racism and discrimination against its members very seriously. This is the third complaint filed in recent years against a major corporation by a member of the nation for human rights discrimination, with Maxwell Johnson and Sharif Bhamji filing complaints for separate episodes of racial profiling and human rights violations.
The nation has also launched a social media campaign to empower Indigenous people, and communities of colour, to fight racism in Canada (www.strongascedar.ca).
Interview footage and b-roll of Richard and Dawn Wilson at Canadian Tire and spending time in their community garden is available here.
To arrange interviews:
Marilyn Slett
Chief Councillor
Heiltsuk Nation
250-957-7721
Ruben Tillman
Counsel for Heiltsuk and Richard and Dawn Wilson
604-908-0415