A legally blind North Vancouver woman says she was the victim of discrimination when she was ousted from a photography club.
Cathy McKie, 50, was planning to join her fellow shutterbugs of the North Van Photography and Socialize Meetup to snap pictures around Sasamat Lake in Port Moody at the end of September.
A group of eight were arranging to carpool when a tense standoff ensued in a Burnaby parking lot, according to McKie.
The group's organizer, Blair Johnston, took aim at McKie's dog, a semi-retired German shepherd guide dog.
"He said, 'Dogs aren't allowed at the meetup,' " McKie said.
The dog, named Mindy, is essential for McKie, who has limited peripheral sight and frequently gets double vision.
"If I look down while I walk I can make out OK," she said.
Johnston was unrelenting, according to Sarah Mackay, a kindergarten teacher who was set for her second photo session with the group.
"He said, 'Cathy, if you bring your dog today you're out of the club.'" When pressed for a reason, the organizer explained the dog takes up a spot in the carpool.
Mackay, who lives near Sasamat, said she'd made the drive to Burnaby specifically to give McKie a lift.
"I even got a dog blanket so I wouldn't get my car messy," she said.
Johnston informed Mackay she should "grow up," she said.
Feeling belittled by the organizer's comments and bewildered by his attitude, McKie and Mackay both opted to skip the shoot.
When McKie returned home later that day she looked online and found she'd been kicked out of the group.
The incident and its outcome are "so wrong on so many levels," according to Mackay.
"This woman is devastated. This is what she does," Mackay explained, describing McKie's photos as "amazing."
McKie appealed to Meetup, a network of local groups, stating she'd been the victim of discrimination and verbal abuse.
In an emailed response, a representative from the network's trust and safety team informed McKie organizers are free to make ground rules and remove members at their discretion.
Mackay also complained to Meetup and found their response disappointing.
"As an organizer, he (Johnston) represents them," she said. "It just makes me so sad that he can be there, part of this group. .. and discriminate so harshly and treat people so badly and absolutely nothing happens."
McKie and the organizer used to be friends but the relationship has deteriorated, she said.
The situation is dispiriting for McKie, who said she's only missed two get-togethers in her 13 months with the club.
"I don't get out much and I really love photography," she said.
Johnston did not respond to North Shore News' calls for comment.
