A racial profiling complaint from the Heiltsuk Nation involving Canadian Tire and a security company has been settled and will include a traditional washing ceremony in Vancouver.
The respondents, Canadian Tire Corporation, Coquitlam’s Canadian Tire Store 608, and Blackbird Security, will be taking part in a traditional Heiltsuk washing ceremony in Vancouver at the Croatian Cultural Centre Tuesday, (May 19). A washing ceremony is meant to be an uplifting and reciprocal form of restorative justice that acknowledges harm and allows participants to move forward in a good way, notes a release ahead of the ceremony.
It will include a feast and traditional dancing, as well as the brushing off of Dawn and Richard Wilson as a form of cleansing and protection to remove negative energy and release the memory of the bad experience.
The ceremony stems from the 2020 racial profiling incident when the Wilsons, a father and daughter, were waiting for new tires to be installed at a Coquitlam Canadian Tire.
It was at the store that Richard Wilson was racially profiled while the two were waiting to have work done onDawn’s vehicle. The two were paying for items when a security guard approached them at the checkout and publicly searched Richard’s backpack.
Richard then attempted to tell a Canadian Tire employee about what happened, but the employee responded with racist remarks.
The Wilsons filed a complaint with Canadian Tire Corporation. However, the company didn’t promptly forward the complaint onto the Coquitlam store and the employee was no longer working at the store by the time it was received.
The settlement says the Wilsons felt unheard and insulted by the delay and the offer of a gift card.
“After this happened to me and my dad, I started noticing how many other Indigenous People were reporting racism while shopping,” Dawn Wilson said.
“It made me realize that standing up and holding people and businesses accountable was the only way we were going to be able to make changes.”
Through the settlement, the respondents have agreed to confidential monetary compensation. Dawn Wilson will be donating a portion of the settlement to the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs to commission a study into the problem of Indigenous consumer racial profiling in Canada. They have also agreed to various policy measures and reforms related to anti-discrimination.
Heiltsuk Nation Chief Marilyn Slett said Tuesday is a healing opportunity for everyone involved and is an example of reconciliation in action.
“We commend Canadian Tire and Blackbird Security for showing leadership and accountability by making important policy changes and participating in a traditional washing ceremony.”
Paul Droulis, the associate dealer for the Coquitlam store, said participating in the washing ceremony is “an important opportunity to show respect, acknowledge the path forward, and support meaningful reconciliation through action and understanding.”
“We recognize the experience shared by Dawn, and Richard Wilson had a real impact, and we are committed to listening, learning, and continuing to strengthen how customers are welcomed and treated in my store.”
This case is the third human rights complaint brought forward by the Heiltsuk Nation and settled against a major corporation in recent years.
Most recently, Sharif Bhamji settled with TD Bank in 2025 after an incident in 2022 where he tried to open an account using his Heiltsuk First Nation Indian status card, and ended up not only being refused service, but having the police called to his house.
And in 2022, Maxwell Johnson and Heiltsuk Tribal Council settled with BMO after he and his 12-year-old granddaughter were handcuffed in 2019 after trying to open a bank account.
Johnson and Heiltsuk Nation also settled with the Vancouver Police Department, but the arresting officers backed out of a scheduled washing ceremony. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, in January 2026, appointed Wally Oppal as adjudicator to conduct a full review of the evidence and disciplinary measures imposed on the two officers.
That review is ongoing.
– With files from Mark Page