An advisory council of Indigenous leaders from across the country will be established in the wake of the controversial arrests at a BMO branch in downtown Vancouver.
On Dec. 20, Maxwell Johnson went to the BMO branch to open a bank account for his 12-year-old granddaughter when bank staff called the police on suspicion of fraud.
Police promptly arrested Johnson and his granddaughter, placing both of them in handcuffs.
BMO Financial Group says it is now establishing the Indigenous committee to help provide senior leadership across the country with more education on the history of Indigenous Peoples.
— BMO (@BMO) January 10, 2020
“People are disappointed and angry with us, and I don’t blame them,” said CEO Darryl White.
“I recognize apologies alone are not enough. The buck stops with me. I know we have to do better and we will do better. Creating this council is an important step.”
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner in BC has also requested information from the Vancouver Police Department to determine if the actions of officers amount to misconduct.
That investigation is being conducted by the Delta Police Department.
With files from the Canadian Press.
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