‘Racist’ incident at Vancouver hotel condemned by Indigenous friendship centre association

The British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) said one of their cultural advisors experienced “racist and disturbing” treatment at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Vancouver last month.

BCAAFC was hosting a membership meeting at the hotel for staff and youth from their 25 member friendship centres at the end of February when the alleged incident took place.

At a press conference, BCAAFC’s executive director, Leslie Varley, detailed the events “our beloved cultural advisor needed to use the restroom urgently,” she said.

“He saw the closest available restroom where our meetings had occurred (but) was refused access to the restroom by a Hyatt Regency employee.”

Varley continued, “Despite repeated pleas, after four requests, the cultural advisor could no longer control his need to use the toilet. This resulted in a public and humiliating incident.”

She said the cultural advisor noticed the hotel employee mocking and smirking at him after seeing his wet clothing.

0:59 Friendship centre association calls for change after alleged ‘racist incident’ at Hyatt Regency Vancouver

BCAAFC said that after talks with Hyatt Regency management, the hotel has not acknowledged this was “anti-Indigenous racism” and a “microcosm of the larger issue of systemic racism that so commonly targets Indigenous people.”

In response to a request for comment from Global News, Hyatt Regency general manager Patrick Gosselin said in an email:

“We conducted a thorough internal investigation and concluded that our colleague was following our overnight protocol to close restrooms in unused areas of the hotel.”

The statement continued, “Within approximately 20 seconds of first encountering the man, and as soon as our colleague learned that he was a guest who urgently needed to use the restroom, our colleague gave him immediate access.“

BCAAFC said they were dismissed by upper management and the cultural advisor received a “brief apology” and was told that the incident was a simple “misunderstanding.” The cultural advisor was offered a “breakfast voucher as compensation.”

The association is calling for mandatory anti-Indigenous racism training for all staff and a public apology.

The hotel said they have been in “open dialogue” with BCAAFC and that they take “reconciliation with Indigenous people very seriously.”

“Just last year, all hotel leaders completed the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation certification course through the Indigenous University of Canada and the course was made available to all hotel colleagues,” the statement concluded.

“Canadians are hardwired for anti-indigenous racism,” said Cal Albright, BCAAFC board member.

“Canadians have been groomed to believe stereotypes of Indigenous people. Racism has existed here for centuries and is a legacy of colonialism.”

Data published by Statistics Canada last year said experiences of discrimination have been more common among Indigenous people in recent years (33 per cent in 2019 compared to 23 per cent in 2014).

“The challenge for Indigenous people is that we don’t report a lot of these events and often we don’t report these events because we’re afraid to lose a service,” said Varley.

“And we also know that there’s a good chance we’re not going to be believed, just because we’re Indigenous.”

“What we experience from these hotels is that it is telling Indigenous people that we don’t belong in their space, even if we’re paying them. Indigenous people are treated with suspicion and we’re getting the message that we’re not worthy of dignity and respect.”

The Hyatt Regency Vancouver was supposed to host BCAAFC’s Gathering Our Voices Indigenous youth event at the end of this month, but the organization said it longer feels safe hosting Indigenous youth, their families and staff at the hotel.

Eleven days out from the event, the organization is scrambling to find additional space outside the Hyatt Regency.

“We don’t feel confident the Hyatt can give our youth the experience we are paying for and we are expecting,” said Varley.

Gathering Our Voices was expected to cost $2 million and now will likely be closer to $3 million, but BCAAFC said moving the event is worth it to ensure community members feel safe.

“It was really disappointing to have that experience, we all shed some tears,” said Varley. “And when I say that we shed tears, we should weep. We know we shed tears because we’ve all felt that humiliation before.

“I don’t think there’s an Indigenous person here in this province that hasn’t felt that kind of humiliation before.”