OTTAWA REPORT

Page 2

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has decided that the price of racial discrimination, in one recent rent case, is $2,600. That's how much it'll cost a motel owner in Sault Ste. Marie to settle a complaint. It seems that he made racist remarks

to a group of Native people staying at his motel and one of them complained.

That person was Gene Rheaume. He's a Metis and he just happens to be a member of the Human Rights Commission. He's also a former Member of Parliament and he's no slouch when it comes to speaking his mind and sticking up for his rights.

When I read about it, I couldn't help thinking about some other discrimination cases, cases I know something about.

Ten years ago, a Vancovuer landlord refused to rent an apartment to my wife. He admitted to the Human Rights Commission it was because she was an Indian. That cost him $300.

Three years ago, a friend of mine was refused service in an Ottawa lounge. She was told it was a company policy not to serve Indians. When she complained to the Human Rights Commission, the company offered to settle the matter by giving her a free lunch. Not surprisingly, she refused. The lounge went out of business after that so her complaint was never settled.

I also want to tell you about one of my own incidents. Even though I'll never be confused with Sitting Bull, I have been close enough to the beast of racism to smell the stench. One particular incident happened about 15 years ago in Burns Lake, a small logging town in central British Columbia.

It was my first trip there. I drove into town and headed straight for the Rainbow Motel. A man came to the office door, took one look at me, and said, "Sorry, no vacancy." He didn't look sorry.

I told him I had reserved a room. He told me, "Sorry, there must be some mistake." He still didn't seem very sorry and he moved to close the door.

"I told him the "Vacancy" sign was still on.. He looked at it, switched on the "No Vacancy" sign and closed the door without saying g word.

I ended up sleeping on the couch at the local Native Drop-In centre. The people there told me later that the Rainbow Motel was known for its hostile attitude to Indians.

For some reason I can't explain, I don't remember being very surprised or being very angry about the incident. I didn't do anything about it then because I felt there was little I could do. After all, in those days the Human Rights Commission didn't exist.

Since then, I've probably stayed in a hundred hotels and motels but I've never forgotten the Night At The Rainbow Motel. The funny thing is that it didn't hurt that much then to be the target of discrimination. What really hurts is the thought that I didn't put up a fight - even though there probably wasn't much I could do. Over the past 15 years my memories of that night have bothered me more and more so that I'm now more angry with myself that I am at the motel owner.

But something happened recently to change my feelings completely. I was reading some old newspaper clippings when I came across a headline which said, "Indian band now owns local motel." The article described how the Burns Lake Indian Band was now the proud owner of - you guessed it - the Rainbow Motel.

I wanted to know more so I called the band chief, John Charlie. He told me that motel was located out on the Burns Lake Indian Reserve. He said the motel had changed owners several times since I was there. The latest one, he said, was three years behind in his rent so the band forced him out and took over.

The motel is small - employs just four people. That may not sound like much, but it's made quite a difference when you consider that there are only 34 people in the band. John Charlie says the motel is getting lots of Indian business these days and he says it's making a lot of money for the band.

The news about the change of owners at the Rainbow Motel erased my anger. In fact, I smile now when I think about the place. Even though there's no connection between he band's takeover and what happened to me, I like to think that the complaint I should have made 15 years ago has finally been settled.

Considering what happened to my friend, to my wife and even Gene Rheaume, I also like to think that the Human Rights commission could not have done a better job. After all the human rights people can only do so much. Apologies don't cost anything at all and they are not always sincere. Financial penalties don't erase pain, anger or humiliation and they don't change racist attitudes.

In any event, I liked what eventually happened to the Rainbow Motel because a race of people who weren't welcome at one time now own the place. I've never been back to Burns Lake but it's good to know that if I ever do return, the town won't hold the same painful memories. And you can bet that the first place I'll go will be the Rainbow Motel.