Act of kindness earns woman $287 fine, ban from Edmonton mall

Updated March 8, 2016.

Management at Kingsway Mall have reviewed video and audio recording from the personal cameras worn by the security guards following an incident on Sunday that has garnered outrage from the Indigenous community.

Marlene Willier, a foster mother for 28 years and role model in the First Nations community, was apprehended by security for violating a 24-hour trespassing ban, fined $278 and banned from the mall for a further six months. The action was taken after Willier bought a man “who looked down and out” a meal at the food court.

“We did take (the incident) very seriously and followed up with Ms. Willier a few times … and we have reviewed the security footage,” said Jelena Bojic, marketing director at Kingsway Mall.

The footage indicated that security did not approach Willier, but approached the man, who had a trespass order against him. Willier questioned the security guards, who then decided to ban Willier from the mall for 24 hours “to allow for the situation to calm down,” said Bojic. She added it was made clear to Willier and the man that they were banned from the mall, the parking lot, as well as Moxie’s, Boston Pizza and Sobeys, which although not attached to the mall, are part of the property. The two returned to the mall, stationed themselves by the doors to the Bay, and were then apprehended by security. Edmonton Police Service was called.

Cheryl Sheppard, spokesperson for EPS, confirms that police responded to a call at 3:45 p.m. from Kingsway Mall and trespassing tickets for $287 each were issued to two individuals.

“Cameras don’t lie,” said Willier, but admitted she is confused by the relating of the events in that manner.

“My only crime was trying to help somebody,” she said, adding that what has unfolded has left her traumatized. “I was crying (when I was apprehended) and I couldn’t even wipe the tears from my eyes because my hands were handcuffed behind me and those security guards were just laughing and talking and being so rude.”

“When we reviewed the footage, our security guards were very professional and treated them with dignity and respect,” said Bojic.

For the past few months, Willier has made her way to the mall to help people with a “few dollars” and buying meals for people down on their luck.

“Being that I’m a foster parent, I’m in a helping profession, me and my husband make good money, I go there and I’m drawn to certain people because I’m in the helping profession,” she said. “Everybody has a story. You can’t judge a person by the way they look.”

This desire to help people is how the incident began on Sunday. Willier met the man outside of Kingsway Mall, heard his story, and offered to buy him a meal.

Bojic says the man was aware that he was not allowed in the mall. However, he accompanied

Willier to the food court where she purchased food for both of them.

Willier, who has “followed my culture for 28 years and that means clean and sober,” says she only wanted to help someone, who, in this case happened to be white. Willier says she believes the colour of her skin played a role in what happened to her.

“It was so horrible,” she said. Willier points out that she and her husband, Irvin Willier, are role models in the First Nations community. “What happened was so disgraceful and it was just those security guards and nobody else.”

In October 2014, Elder and outreach worker Gary Moostoos was banned for six months from City Centre Mall, in Edmonton, when security approached him while he was eating at the food court. City Centre Mall is also operated by Oxford Properties Group. Mall management later issued an apology.