Saskatoon hotel: Dione Graham and Bonnie Fraher claims discrimination

A Saskatoon couple is preparing to file a human rights complaint on Monday following an alleged incident of discrimination at a local hotel this week.

The couple, Dione Graham and Bonnie Fraher, booked a room at the Comfort Inn through Expedia but say they were turned away by the hotel’s manager when they arrived.

The two are gay, and Graham is Metis. The pair are worried their sexual orientation or Graham’s race played a part in the refusal.

“When Dione said, ‘Yeah, the room is under my girlfriend’s name,’ things changed dramatically,” Fraher said.

The couple claims the manager initially told them the hotel doesn’t rent rooms to Saskatoon residents. But when they pressed him on the policy, they say he told them the hotel doesn’t rent rooms “to your kind.”

“She was like, ‘What kind of policy is this?’ And he said, ‘Not to rent to your kind.’ Those were his exact words: ‘Not to rent to your kind,’” said Fraher. “So whether that is racially based or on our sexual orientation, I would like to know the reason why he was so rude.”

Graham called the hotel’s head office. She claims the company sent a letter back, apologizing and offering a gift certificate — which wasn’t a strong enough response, according to Graham.

“No mention as to hotel policy. No mention to what further actions they were going to take. It sounded like they were almost trying to buy us off — just, ‘Here’s a $125 gift certificate. Now go away,’” Graham said.

The couple plans to file a human rights complaint.

Agencies/Canadajournal