City Centre Mall ban on Gary Moostoos will be lifted, company says

A property management company has apologized to an aboriginal outreach worker who was escorted out of a downtown Edmonton mall by security officers and banned from the property.

Gary Moostoos told CBC News that he was quietly eating in the food court of City Centre Mall Monday afternoon when he was approached by two security officers who accused him of acting suspiciously and of having previously been banned from the building.

Moostoos, who said his work at a local shelter often has him visiting the mall to speak with the homeless people who gather there, was eventually escorted from the property and banned for six months.

"It was humiliating, and it hurt me," he said.

Following a social media backlash, Oxford Properties Group, which manages the mall, sent out a news release apologizing to Moostoos Wednesday.

"It is clear mistakes were made, and we should have acted differently," marketing director Greg Burns said in the release.

Burns declined an interview but did say the ban would be lifted once the mall has had a chance to meet with Moostoos.

The company said it will also accept an offer from Edmonton’s mayor for materials to help train staff.