Yellowknife (Feb 08/06) - A visit to Centre Square Mall, Jan. 13, ended badly for a Cree woman from Hay River who says she was ejected from the mall because of her culture.

Vita Beaulieu has filed a complaint with the NWT Human Rights Commission, accusing mall security of treating her improperly because she is aboriginal. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

Vita Beaulieu, a 46-year-old grandmother, blames the security company in charge of keeping the peace in the shopping centre.

Beaulieu was on her way out of the mall, when she ran into one of her friends, and they started talking in the hallway.

Beaulieu said that was when a security guard approached the pair to tell them to "move along."

"They treated me like a second-class citizen," Beaulieu said.

She felt the guard was being rude, and prejudiced against them because of their race.

Beaulieu contacted the Human Rights Commission last week, and has an investigation in process.

While the Human Rights Commission could not comment on the case at hand, a spokesperson said the claim will be processed.

Therese Boullard is director of Human Rights in the Territories and said that anyone can make a claim if they feel violated.

The Human Rights Act states that if you have been denied a public service because of your race, age, or sexual orientation you can file a claim for investigation.

Boullard said that if the process goes through, and the Commission finds the accused guilty of violating the Human Rights Act, it can seek compensation for the accused's actions.

Henry Pintkowski, president of Twilite Security, which provides security at Centre Square said the company does "not condone racial profiling."

"We train our workers to treat everyone equally," said Pintkowski. "All we do is enforce the mall rules."

Pintkowski said that recently the enforcement in the mall was tightened, but that call came from higher up.

Jennifer Marchant, general manager of Centre Square Mall, insists that everyone is treated as equals in the mall. "It's unfortunate that people find it uncomfortable. We want to keep people moving."

Loitering is not permitted in the mall, Marchant said, and that anyone violating that rule will be asked to leave.

Marchant said the last racism complaint they received was from a young aboriginal man, who was known in the mall as a thief.

"He was a chronic shoplifter," said Marchant. "He claimed we were being racist, because we wouldn't let him steal from us."

She said that it is common for people to use racism as a defense in those situations.

In the end, Marchant stands with her point that the Centre Square Mall is not racist in practice, and does not condone racism by any staff.

Marchant added that people shouldn't overcrowd the mall; and that while three visits a day is valid, one visit that lasts six hours is not.