A Saskatchewan man has accepted compensation after being racially profiled in a Canadian Tire store two years ago.
The Regina outlet, which is independently owned, also committed to giving its employees diversity training.
“The store formally acknowledges the hurt suffered by Mr. (Kamao) Cappo as a result of the incident and the force used against him,” said a joint public statement released by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC).
“Mr. Francois Brien, owner of the store, formally apologizes to Mr. Cappo for the incident.”
Cappo initially posted cellphone video of the July 26, 2017 dust-up on his Facebook page where it racked up thousands of views.
He said he and a friend were accused of stealing. After which he vowed never to shop in the store again.
Broker the settlement
The SHRC said it helped broker the settlement after receiving a complaint from Cappo, an Indigenous man.
Cappo said he was shopping for a chainsaw when the store manager confronted him and ordered him out of the store.
“When Mr. Cappo asked why he had to leave, an incident occurred which escalated and resulted in the store manager using physical force against Mr. Cappo,” the release said Wednesday.
Along with an undisclosed payout, the store recognizes it hurt all Indigenous people, the release added.
“The store recognizes that members of Indigenous communities in Regina have suffered and continue to suffer from incidents of actual and perceived racism,” the release said.
“As a result, the store has taken proactive steps to ensure that it can become an example for how to provide exceptional customer service to Indigenous customers.”
SHRC praised the result and said it showed others the way forward.
“Consensus outcomes like this are a prime example of how to correct problems of the past while improving relationships for the future,” it said.
“This is reconciliation in action. This is how we begin to understand each other and to grow – as a people and as a province.”
Cappo was devastated after justice officials declined to press criminal charges despite his video. The store’s surveillance footage was unavailable.
A two year journey to vindication from being ousted from a store for no reason other than skin color and not being the right”sort”.