Shoppers Drug Mart review: Discrimination against disability, not following proper covid mask policies

**PETAWAWA SHOPPER'S DRUGMART**
The rudest, most unprofessional, unlawful service I have EVER received!

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All staff at this store need to be retrained on the policy and process of mask mandates and exceptions.

I entered the store today to quickly pick something up on my way home from work this evening at around 7:20pm. I cannot wear a mask due to medical reasons. I'm used to the skeptical looks at this point of the pandemic and usually let it slide as most people are ignorant of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms right to commerce. As well as the Human Right to not be harassed or discriminated against for medical reasons. I make my shopping as quick as possible, I stay 6 feet away from every other person, I only touch what I am purchasing and I check myself out to avoid any unnecessary contact and to respect my fellow human being.

Upon entering, I had another customer come in the door behind me, less then 6 feet in my presence and told me I should be wearing a mask. I told her I couldn't wear one for medical reasons and to mind her business. It should be noted that we had a provincial lockdown commence today specifically stating restrictions on store capacity and there was no employee at the entry doors counting to ensure they do not exceed capacity mandates. I went down the aisle and grabbed what I needed and was making my way to the front of the store to cash out when I was cut off at the end of the aisle by your employee Tristan. He put his hand up to stop me and told me "You need to wear a mask", I told him "I can't wear one for medical reasons", he then said "Well you need to leave the store then", I told him he should relearn the law and that I should not be being told to leave based on the fact I was not wearing a mask. He then said "Jesus Fn Christ" loud enough for me (the paying customer) to hear (on Easter weekend of all days!), I turned around very frustrated at this point and told him "Seriously, you're at work and you're talking to a customer like that? Where's the manager?" He told me "There is no manager tonight", so I asked who was the senior staff on duty, he pointed out a gentleman at the front cash and told me he was on the phone (he was not). I said I would wait to speak to him. I waited for the senior staff member to turn to me and he asked me to wear a mask, again I repeated that I could not wear one for medical reasons and he said "Okay". I then told him "See, that's how that conversation is supposed to go. Your staff member Tristan here seems to think he can harass and unlawfully eject me from the store for not wearing one and to top it off he was swearing at me which is extremely unprofessional". The senior staff gentleman then said he would "deal with it".

During the time I was speaking to the senior staff member. Tristan took it upon himself to tell every customer now waiting in line that I was difficult, that I "wasn't worth it" and I had 5 customers then verbally harassing me while I'm just trying to pay and get out. It felt like a mob situation was happening around me. Like the employee Tristan was recruiting customers to gang up on me. I had 2 of them swear at me and tell me to get the F out if I don't like how I'm being treated. At NO POINT did the senior staff member take control of the situation appropriately or professionally, he did not speak to Tristan, he did not speak to the customers, he let all of this happen less than 4 feet away from him and I. It increased my anxiety so high I could feel myself shaking the entire time I was there. I had to sit in my car in the parking lot for 15 minutes before I had calmed my heart rate to be able to drive away.

This is extremely unprofessional behaviour and should not be acceptable in the state of affairs that we are in today. I have a right to commerce and livelihood as a Canadian Citizen and the Human Rights Code protects me against harassment due to medical discrimination.

I am ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED with the unprofessional and abusive treatment I experienced today and will be addressing this issue with the owner, and Head Office on Monday when they reopen.

I'm also reporting this location to the BBB.