Canad Inns fires HSC location employee after post-surgery patient, mother evicted

A Canad Inns employee who was filmed kicking a 16-year-old boy and his mother out of their hotel room in Winnipeg has been fired, a spokesperson said Thursday.

Director of communications and marketing Amanda Gomes confirmed the employee is no longer with the company.

“We acknowledge that the interaction does not reflect the standards of professionalism, care, or respect that Canad Inns expects from any member of our team. This interaction should not have happened, and we take this matter very seriously,” Gomes said in an emailed statement.

On Tuesday afternoon Nicholas Robinson and his mother, Jodie, were evicted from their hotel room at the Canad Inns’ Health Sciences Centre location. Nicholas was recovering from knee surgery the previous Friday. The family lives in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and was staying at the hotel through accommodations provided by Indigenous Services Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

He had to have his stay extended for a followup appointment and Jodie was in the process of getting approved for the extension when the hotel employee and security showed up to their room telling them to leave.

The man was heard yelling and using expletives in the video, filmed by Nicholas and later shared widely on social media. The employee is heard telling at least one security guard to throw the family’s luggage outside.

On Wednesday Gomes said the hotel was investigating the incident. On Thursday the spokeswoman said the actions “did not follow our established policies or procedures.”

“The manner in which this interaction was handled is not consistent with the values of our organization or the experience we strive to provide to every guest,” she said.

The hotel issued a formal apology to the family and is conducting additional training with staff to “ensure situations involving guests are handled appropriately and in accordance with our standards,” Gomes said.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca