Paula Longboat had fallen behind on the leasing payments for her van. She received a letter from the leasing company that contained the following:
“I didn’t want to lease you a vehicle, but when you promised repeatedly to pay me on time, I let you have the van. Now this is how you show your gratitude, by lying, cheating and stealing from me. Typical Indian.”
The HRLSC represented Ms. Longboat at her hearing.
The Tribunal found that:
“the message underlying the respondents’ comment was that Aboriginal people lie, cheat and steal; and
“The remark evokes the notion that people of Aboriginal ancestry are untrustworthy and not legitimate members of Canadian society because they perpetrate fraud in order to get what they want.”
The Tribunal ordered:
- $15,000 financial compensation for the discrimination.
To read the full decision, visit CanLII