Kitsilano Community Centre accused of racial profiling in B.C. Ombudsperson complaint

Alistair Browne lives 10 minutes away from the Kitsilano Community Centre.

Lately, though, he's had to exercise somewhere else.

"I don't feel safe in the community centre anymore," said Browne, 55. "The way I've been treated, it's appalling."

Browne says he was a member of the facility for nearly two decades, but stopped going after allegedly experiencing anti-Black racism and being racially profiled by staff. He says complaints to upper management, including the mayor's office, failed to rectify the behaviour.

He also claims that community centre staff filed several reports about incidents involving him, but never asked for his side of the story.

Browne and his wife, Michelle Brezinski, who used to work part-time for the community centre, have since filed a complaint with the B.C. Ombudsperson alleging staff's behaviour violated the City of Vancouver's code of conduct.

"It really upset me," said Browne. "It brought up memories of me growing up as a youth in London, England, and as an adult [in Vancouver] too.

"Being stopped by the police constantly. What are you doing here? Why are you here? Have you got any weapons on you?"

Conflicting stories

Browne says the problems at the community centre started in May 2016.

He claims he was exercising at the gym when he overheard a heated argument between Brezinski, who was working, and a patron.

The couple claims that Browne interjected, telling the man to "stop bullying" his wife, before another staff member arrived to escort the patron out.

Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request, however, paint a different picture.

A report forwarded to WorkSafeBC from community centre staff alleges Browne "continued to shout at the patron and clench his fists," even following "the patron aggressively towards the door."

The couple insists this is untrue, noting that nobody from the community centre contacted Browne to hear his account of the incident. In fact, the couple says they only learned about the report two years after it was filed.

"He was never invited to participate in the investigation," said Brezinski, 56.

"He was never given fairness, [or] transparency or any kind of respect. They just went ahead and did this behind his back."

The Vancouver Park Board would not comment due to the ongoing investigation, but tells CBC it is committed to anti-racism efforts and takes allegations of racial profiling seriously.

Accused of inappropriately staring

Browne alleges he was racially profiled again just a few months later, when a Kitsilano Community Centre supervisor called and accused him of inappropriately staring at a female member.

Browne denies the allegation, and says he asked for more information, such as the date and time of the alleged incident.

He says the supervisor refused to provide any further details, but insisted Browne was at fault.

In an email to the park board, Browne called the accusation "defamatory," explaining it could ruin his career as a professional soccer coach.

Asked to wait outside

Fed up, Browne began attending a different gym, but says he would meet Brezinski at the community centre if she worked late.

One night in November 2017, Browne says he again attempted to intervene in an argument between Brezinski and a patron.

City of Vancouver Corporate Security investigated the matter, though once again, Browne was not interviewed.

The report, obtained via Freedom of Information, deemed the male patron to be "bullying and intimidating" and "engaging in comments ... not justifiable even in consideration of Ms. Brezinski's actions." 

Despite the findings, the couple says park board staff continued to suggest Browne was to blame.

In an email, a park board supervisor indicated he had seen the Corporate Security report.

He also asked Browne to wait for Brezinski "someplace other than the fitness centre" and that Browne "not enter the fitness centre unless he chooses to be a paying participant."

Call for fair treatment

A spokesperson for the B.C. Ombudsperson refused to comment on the couple's complaint, citing privacy reasons.

The watchdog group is tasked with fielding complaints from the public about government services and programs, and making recommendations. It has no enforcement power, but can issue public reports to the B.C. legislature.

Brezinski says she stopped working at the community centre in January 2018 because of how her husband was being treated.

Browne, meanwhile, says he wants an apology and wants the alleged falsehoods about him to be removed from files and reports. He would also like city staff to receive training about racial profiling.

"This is my home," he said. "I just want to be treated fairly, the same as everyone else."