Maxwell Johnson, of the Heilchuk Nation, signed the “significant” settlement agreement with his granddaughter at a news conference Wednesday, saying their “three-year fight for justice” ended with police admitting discrimination. “My family and I are very pleased with the outcome of this settlement,” Johnson said after the signing. “One of the things I see all the time is my granddaughter standing in that street crying while being handcuffed. I don’t think any parent or grandparent should ever see that in their life,” she added. “We still have our ups and downs with what happened to us, but signing this agreement is a big step forward.” Johnson filed the human rights complaint against the Vancouver Police Board after he and his granddaughter were handcuffed on the street outside the bank on December 20, 2019. Johnson, then 56, had tried to open a bank account for his granddaughter, then 12, at the BMO branch on Burrard Street. Staff called 911 after reviewing the couple’s identification, which included government-issued identification cards. “I’m still healing from that day. I want to tell everyone that Indigenous people experience discrimination, including kids like me… that the feeling of not being welcome can stay with us for the rest of our lives,” said Torianne , now 15, making a rare public statement. “I also want to tell everyone, especially Indigenous children, to be strong and speak up when faced with discrimination. I hope my grandfather and I have helped you feel that you can speak up and be heard when you’re facing injustice.” WATCHES | Maxwell Johnson’s granddaughter speaks after the settlement:
Maxwell Johnson’s granddaughter speaks out after human rights settlement
Maxwell Johnson’s granddaughter, Tori-Anne, makes a statement after she and her grandfather settled their human rights complaint against the Vancouver Police Department for their illegal detention in 2019.
Police Board confirms officers were discriminated against
As part of the settlement Wednesday, the Vancouver Police Board formally admitted officers discriminated against Johnson and his granddaughter based on their Indigenous identities. The terms also say the police board will pay undisclosed damages to the Johnson family “for injury to dignity” and $100,000 to the Heiltsuk First Nation’s restorative justice department. The latter will fund a year of community programming to support young women at risk, including young women suffering from post-traumatic stress. The council should also create a post for an Indigenous anti-racism officer, who will deal with Indigenous-related complaints. Maxwell Johnson, right, and his granddaughter, Torianne, center, during a press conference in Vancouver on Wednesday. (Ben Nelms/CBC) The department apologized for the incident. The two officers involved were suspended following a disciplinary decision that they had committed misconduct by exposing the man and girl to “unnecessary trauma and fear” and “a serious perception of unfairness in their treatment by the police”. The police board said it recognizes the importance of the settlement. “We are committed to taking positive and collaborative steps forward to strengthen VPD Board-Indigenous relations and to honoring the terms of the settlement agreement in a manner that honors the principles of truth and reconciliation while building trust and confidence in the VPD and the oversight role of the VPD Board of Directors,” it said in a statement released Wednesday. “It is our sincere goal to create a more meaningful relationship with Indigenous communities, and we believe the terms of this settlement will go a long way toward advancing that goal.” Johnson and his granddaughter were trying to open her first bank account at the Burrard Street BMO branch in December 2019 when an employee called 911. She was using a government-issued status card and a BC Health Card, sufficient ID to open an account at any Canadian bank, according to the federal government. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Phone transcripts revealed that a BMO branch manager called 911 because she thought Johnson and his granddaughter were displaying fake IDs. The manager said she was also concerned about a large sum of money Johnson had in his account – funds he and all other members of Heilchuk received from the federal government as part of an Aboriginal rights settlement package. The agreement was signed Wednesday at Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Center for Dialogue, a conference center with a mission to “facilitate transformative conversations and create real impact for society’s most pressing challenges.” Union of Indian Chiefs legal counsel Mary Ellen Terpel-Lafond said the settlement was a “historic” agreement of provincial and national significance. The original human rights complaint was also called BMO, which was settled with the family in May. Johnson closed his bank accounts that month. WATCHES | Surveillance footage of Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter being handcuffed:
VPD officers handcuff Heiltsuk man and 12-year-old granddaughter outside bank
Maxwell Johnson and his 12-year-old granddaughter are handcuffed by Vancouver police officers on a busy street outside a BMO branch in Vancouver after the couple tried to open their first bank account using government-approved Indian Status cards.
