Downtown Ambassadors accused of discrimination against homeless

By Katie Mercer,
The Province
July 8, 2009

Vancouver's Downtown Ambassadors program will have to defend itself against a complaint that it discriminates against the homeless.

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed bids from the city and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to have the complaint by Pivot Legal Society and the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users thrown out.

Laura Track, staff lawyer for Pivot, said the ambassadors are "displacing people who are homeless" by not allowing them to sit, sleep or panhandle on sidewalks.

Noting the pending Olympics, Track said she thinks it's important that security guards and law enforcement operating in Vancouver "know what is and isn't OK when they're dealing with people who use the streets to sit and panhandle." Pivot and VANDU have complained that the program discriminates against the homeless.

The complaint is also seeking compensation of $20 — to a maximum of $1,000 — for each homeless person who has been discriminated against.

Charles Gauthier, spokes-man for the business association, said the complaint is an unfounded "malicious cause of action. If we were effective with what Pivot accuses us of, there would be no panhandling in the city," Gauthier said.

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See also B.C. Human Rights Tribunal rejects efforts to dismiss complaint against homeless (Vancouver Sun)