Alberta A&W criticized after stopping customer from buying meal for Indigenous senior

AnAlberta A&W came under heavy criticism on social media this week after a customer said he was told it was the restaurant's policy not to let him buy a meal for anelderly, disabledIndigenous woman.

Nick Driedger saidhe was waiting in line to purchase breakfast at the Cardston A&W on Friday morning when he saw an older Indigenous couple trying to buy a meal for theelderly woman with a walker.

He said the cashier wouldn't let the couple buy the womana meal, and then she left the store.

Driedgerwent outsideto speak to the womanwho said she was hungry. Sohe went back inside and ordered an extra meal for her.

"At that point, the [cashier] picked up the phone and I thought I heard her say something to the effect of, 'hello, police,'" Driedger said.

"At which point I kind of interrupted her while she was on the phone and said, 'I'd rather you not call police.I just don't think that's necessary.I'm just buying someone a meal.'"

Driedger said the cashier then began arguing with him, first saying there was a store policy in regardto loitering, then saying there was a law against loitering, and finally saying it was the store manager's orders.

He eventually got his foodand brought someoutside to the woman. He said police then drove through the parking lot and a bystander approached the car and spoke to them for a few minutes, before the officers left.

• MORE CARDSTON NEWS |Cardston doctor under fire for alleged racist confrontation with Indigenous people
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Pregnant mom served cleaning solution instead of latte at southern Alberta McDonald's

RCMPStaff Sgt.JeremieLandry told CBC News that members from the Cardston detachment did not respond to the A&W. He saidit was possible another police force may have attended the call.

"It's a tremendously disheartening and frustrating situation," said Driedger.

Distraught over the incident, Driedger posted about it on social media, prompting a public outcry and a response from A&W.

"Thanks for everyone's concerns and questions about the incident at our restaurant in Cardston. We're reaching out to the woman who's experiencing hardships to see how we can provide assistance, and we are sorry the kind offer by guests to buy her breakfast was not honoured," the company wrote on Twitter.

"We are taking this incident very seriously and the franchisee is working with his staff to ensure they receive the training and support they need to do the right thing."

CBC News contactedthe Cardstonfranchise and A&W, andJose Belzil, business manager for A&W Canada, provided similar comments in an emailed statement, concluding:

"Consequently, we will be meeting with all of our employees to ensure they have the training and support they need to do the right thing. While this appears to be an isolated incident, we are taking it very seriously and will be examining our staff training program to ensure we do a better job at communicating our procedures and values."

Driedgersaid, "I mean it did surprise me I've seen now that A&W is replying and they're saying this wasn't racially motivated.I don't buy it.I'm skeptical of that line."

He said an A&W representative contacted him and said the woman was denied service because she had made a scene in the restaurant before.

"They used the word menacing to describe her," he said. "I don't think there was anything menacing about her. She was maybe five-feet tall, maybe 100 pounds, and I don't know about you but I've never felt threatened by someone in a walker before."

'Blatant racism,'says Indigenous activist

Shauna Fox is one of the founders of theNiitsitapiPeace Camp inCardston, a group trying to address racism and foster discussion between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the town.

Cardstonis about230 kilometres south of Calgary.

Members of the peace camp met outside the restaurant Saturday to call for education to stem racism in the community.

"There's been racism and discrimination throughout the years. It's often very subtle, and often it's blatant. The incident at A&Wthat's blatant racism," Fox said.

Fox said she and other protesters would like to educate the restaurant manager and staff "to help them to understand and hear some of those stories that our people have dealt with and are dealing with."

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |WestJet passenger says she was 'in shock' after gate agent outed her as transgender
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |'Heartbroken' family of Nigerian man who died at Calgary airport wants answers
• Readmorearticles byCBCCalgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgarynewsletterfor the day's news at a glance.