Discrimination reports disturb human rights chairman

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The chairman of the Alberta Human Rights Commission found more widespread discrimination in Lethbridge than he anticipated after meeting with Native groups earlier this month.

Fil Fraser says he's alarmed about charges of discrimination aimed at a local real estate agency.

After holding two days of open discussions with Native and ethnic groups in the southern Alberta area, Fraser heard a number of complaints ranging from housing discrimination to racism in the job market.

He said he was surprised by the number of violations brought to his attention.

Fraser said he knew there were racial problems in southern Alberta because of the heavy publicity surrounding the Rolf Commission inquiry into accusations of racial discrimination by local RCMP against Native people.

"I knew there were problems down there. But we went there with open minds. We got an earful in Lethbridge," he said.

Fraser said the most disturbing complaint he heard was about a letter presented to him by a member of the Treaty 7 Housing Authority from a local real estate agent warning homeowners Natives were moving into their area.

The October letter, signed by Lethbridge REM/MAX Realtor Miles Godlonton, was addressed to homeowners in the vicinity of a house recently bought by the Treaty 7 development group.

Godlonton, an associate sales representative, told homeowners in that letter to call him if they feared their house would lose its value as a result of the sale.

"A change is taking place in your neighborhood...If you have considered making a move or would like to talk about real estate values in your neighborhood, please don't hesitate to call," the letter read.

Godlonton has since sent an letter to area homeowners apologizing for the initial correspondence.

But the operations manager of the Treaty 7 Housing Authority said she isn't satisfied.

Francis Weasel Fat said she has made a formal complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission and the Alberta Real Estate Board's ethics committee.

She said the development group, which owns 67 houses in Lethbridge and seven in Cardston, has had to deal with discrimination throughout its four year history "but nothing as blatant as this (the REM/MAX letter)."

In a telephone interview with Windspeaker, Godlonton denied his letter was aimed at Native people.

Homeowners who brought the letter to the Native development group interpreted it the wrong way, he said.

"I didn't realize people were going to raise such a ruckus," he said.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like it did. It's all in the eye of the beholder."

Fraser said the human rights commission won't get involved until the real estate board investigates first.

Fraser, who became chairman of the commission last May, will start meeting with minority groups in Lethbridge on a regular basis.

In the past, the Alberta human rights group would only hold meetings in Calgary and Edmonton.

Fraser said there are many important human rights issues that came up in the meetings he held in Lethbridge.

He was concerned with a report by local Native groups, brought to his attention, that Lethbridge businesses were refusing to hire Natives.

The study said only six per cent of local businesses were willing to hire Natives.

He said there was also complaints that the Lethbridge school system was not hiring qualified Native graduates for teaching positions.