Poundmaker’s Lodge calls off boycott after shared ceremony

February 16, 2016

Poundmaker’s Lodge has called off a boycott on TD Canada Trust.

The decision to step back from the call made by executive director Brad Cardinal that Poundmaker’s supporters “take (their) valuable business elsewhere,” followed a ceremony held Feb. 10.

“We have met with the RCMP and TD Canada Trust who approached us with cultural protocol of tobacco …. We met in ceremony where we had an opportunity to come to an understanding and move forward. We came out of ceremony with a commitment from all to work together to continue building stronger relationships,” said a statement released by Poundmaker’s Lodge on Friday.

Poundmaker’s will also no longer be filing a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

The statement comes a week after an incident at the TD Canada Trust branch on St. Albert Trail, in St. Albert, when the bank manager and a customer called the RCMP for a perceived threat of a bank robbery. The customer had overheard discussion in the parking lot about the bank’s alarms and notified the bank. The RCMP attended the scene, had a brief discussion with people in a van operated by Poundmaker’s Lodge, and said the incident was no more than a misunderstanding.

But Cardinal and Poundmaker’s board didn’t see the incident that way and said the action taken by the bank was “racially motivated.”

Not so, said Alicia Johnston, with TD Canada Trust corporate communications, who held that the people overheard talking were wearing hoodies and their race could not be identified. She said that bank personnel responded as they had been trained.

Cpl. Sharon Franks, with the RCMP K-Division, said none of the reports or notes she received on the incident referenced race or racial profiling.

Two days after Cardinal called for the boycott, clients and staff with Poundmaker’s Lodge, the RCMP, and TD Canada Trust moved forward on resolving the issue.

“We came together with the shared objective of reconciliation in a culturally meaningful way, understanding and a commitment to continue dialogue to enhance positive relationships. I was touched by the emotions expressed by all, and look forward to formalizing an action plan that continues to build upon this first step,” said Inspector Honey Dwyer, officer in charge of Aboriginal Policing Services for the Alberta RCMP, in a statement.

 “The ceremony involved a lot of listening, respect, understanding and a commitment by all participants to move forward together in a positive way,” said Lisa Colangelo, vice president - Edmonton, TD Canada Trust, in a statement. “I believe we can learn and grow from this experience, towards strengthening our relationships with the Indigenous communities we serve."

Colangelo attended with other TD colleagues.

“We feel that by utilizing our cultural approach, we believe we achieved a positive result which will further enhance healthy relationships with mainstream institutions,” said Cardinal, in a statement.