UPDATED AT 2 PM- A decision from the BC human rights tribunal has come down in favour of six employees of Spruce Hills Resort at 108 Mile.
The owner of the resort, Kin Wa Chan, has been ordered to pay the six employees collectively $173, 000 for discriminating against them because they are not Chinese. The employees either resigned or were terminated in 2016.
Among the many complaints against Chan were statements he made saying he wanted to replace Caucasian workers with Chinese employees to reduce labour costs, saying words to the effect that “Chinese workers are better and cheaper than white workers” and do not have to be paid holiday pay or overtime.
In a statement from Spruce Hills resort issued this afternoon, Chan says “We are aware of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal’s ruling. We are extremely disappointed in the judgement, and will be appealing this decision. Spruce Hill Resort and Spa prides itself on being nondiscriminatory, and we will continue to operate in a professional manner in the best interests of our staff and clientele. We are a business that does not hire people based on ethnicity or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves in being a place of work that is multicultural, and one of the pillars of this great community.”
Chan has owned the resort since 2015. The entire decision can be read here.