CANADA
Business Vancouver
By Bob Mackin | Dec. 6, 2016
Six Northern British Columbia First Nations members are accusing the federal government and RCMP of racial and ethnic discrimination for bungling their allegations of abuse against Vancouver corporate director John Furlong.
Maurice Joseph, Emma Williams, Dorothy Williams, Richard Perry, Ann Tom and Cathy Woodgate filed a complaint Monday (December 5) with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
“Although the government failed to acknowledge, let alone investigate, our concerns regarding alleged abuse by John Furlong, it has favoured Furlong in ways that have silenced and re-traumatized us,” said the complaint by the ex-Furlong students. “Neither the Public Safety Ministry nor the RCMP provided a service to remedy this situation.
“Instead they treated us in an adverse and differential manner. The denial of a service, and treatment in an adverse and differential manner are both prohibited under the Canadian Human Rights Code.”
The six say they are disappointed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who came to power promising a new relationship with aboriginals, never responded to their November 2015 open letter that sought Furlong’s removal from the chairmanship of Own the Podium, the federally funded organization that supports medal-contending Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Instead, they say the government supported Furlong to become chair last July of a Canadian Olympic Committee task force formed to help Calgary explore a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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