THREAD: CBC's @AngelaSterritt is doing an interview with BMO's Cameron Fowler to talk about the new Indigenous advisory council at the bank. This comes after an Indigenous man and his 12-year-old granddaughter were handcuffed at one of the bank's branches in Vancouver.
@AngelaSterritt The Bank of Montreal has repeatedly declined interview requests from CBC News. This was the first interview with CBC, and comes after the bank has formed this new council cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
@AngelaSterritt BMO apologized immediately for the incident, as did the Vancouver Police Department. But the bank's CEO wrote in a statement issued today: 'People are disappointed and angry with us, and I don't blame them.' The full statement: 
@AngelaSterritt "This is a mess from start to finish... and we are responsible for the overreaction that happened," said Fowler when asked how did this happen.
@AngelaSterritt Angela has asked a few times now: why couldn't Maxwell Johnson's ID be validated?
He brought with him a government-issued Indian Status cards, his birth certificate and the granddaughter's medical card.
"Those are sufficient but we couldn't validate it," said Fowler.
He brought with him a government-issued Indian Status cards, his birth certificate and the granddaughter's medical card.
"Those are sufficient but we couldn't validate it," said Fowler.
@AngelaSterritt Fowler won't divulge the number of employees involved in this incident or what level of seniority they had.
Instead, he says there has been an intervention here where we are escalating the education modules that our senior leadership teams and frontline teams will take."
Instead, he says there has been an intervention here where we are escalating the education modules that our senior leadership teams and frontline teams will take."
@AngelaSterritt Fowler won't say what reprimand, if any, the employee(s) have faced.
"This starts with me and the decisions I take and the training that I put forward for my entire team."
He adds that team has been "dealt with" and that is about correction.
"This starts with me and the decisions I take and the training that I put forward for my entire team."
He adds that team has been "dealt with" and that is about correction.
@AngelaSterritt Angela asks, police were told they were dealing with 2 South Asian individuals. Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter are Indigenous. How did the bank made that determination.
Fowler: That's not consistent with what we've heard internally.
Fowler: That's not consistent with what we've heard internally.
@AngelaSterritt Fowler acknowledges it took the bank a while to make a public statement.
He says the bank has been taking action, specifically apologizing to Maxwell Johnson.
He says the bank has been taking action, specifically apologizing to Maxwell Johnson.
@AngelaSterritt That wraps up the interview.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner will consider any policies, procedures or training from the police department or the Vancouver Police Board that may be a factor in officers handcuffing the girl and her grandfather.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner will consider any policies, procedures or training from the police department or the Vancouver Police Board that may be a factor in officers handcuffing the girl and her grandfather.
Here's our updated story: cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
