The Yukon Human Rights Board of Adjudication has found the owner of a now-closed Riverdale daycare discriminated against two former employees who claim they were sexually harassed while working for her.
Willow Lacosse and Jessica Dyck worked at Childhood Discoveries Preschool in the winter of 2011. During that time, their supervisor, Mike Gustus, made many sexually inappropriate comments, they allege. This made them feel uncomfortable. They both stopped working at the daycare in January 2012. They claim they were fired.
Shortly after, they filed a human rights complaint against the owner of the daycare, Christina Hassard. The Yukon Human Rights Act says employers are responsible for the discriminatory action of their employees, unless it can be shown they didn’t know about the behaviour or that they tried to stop it from happening.
A hearing was held into the complaints in March. In a ruling issued late last week, the board found that Hassard did not take steps to prevent the harassment or rectify the situation.
The board will release reasons for its decision and ordered remedies by June 17. In statements filed in March, the Yukon Human Rights Commission recommended each woman be paid $5,000 for injury to their “dignity, feelings and self-respect.” The commission also recommended they be compensated for wages lost while they looked for new jobs.(Meagan Gillmore)
Climbers rescued in Kluane National Park
Two international climbers are safe after being rescued by Parks Canada staff in Kluane National Park early Sunday morning.
The two men, one from New Zealand and one from England, were descending Mount Eaton on May 15 when bad weather forced them to stop.
They called Parks Canada staff, but staff had to wait until visibility was good enough for them to be rescued, said Anne Morin, field unit superintendent for Parks Canada in Yukon.
“There was nothing we could do while they were stuck in a cloud,” said Dion Parker, the helicopter pilot who made the rescue. The TransNorth pilot received his Parks Canada certification just days before the climbers made their first call to Parks Canada.
“We went in at the first sign of good weather,” said Morin, noting that conditions in the St. Elias mountain range changes quickly.
The climbers were in regular cellphone contact with Parks Canada staff while they were waiting to be rescued, said Morin.
The men were in “good spirits,” but were malnourished and dehydrated, said Morin. One of them also had frostbite. They were both taken to the nursing station in Haines Junction before returning to Alaska.
They “worked very well with us,” said Parker. The climbers had made a snow cave for shelter, he said.
“We’re really happy with our response,” said Morin. “Because for us, safety of visitors is paramount.”
There is only one serious incident like this every two years, she said.
(Meagan Gillmore)
British Columbia trio charged after drug bust
Three men from Vernon, B.C., have been charged with possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking after a search at a downtown Whitehorse hotel Friday night. Whitehorse RCMP received a search warrant after a drug investigation. Police found 60 grams of cocaine and Canadian and American cash in a hotel room.
The three men have been arrested and remain in custody. They will appear in territorial court later this month. One is also facing charges of breaking court orders to keep the peace and not use illegal drugs.
(Meagan Gillmore)