By Chelsea Powrie
A Summerland business owner is steamed up about what he calls unfair treatment and bullying by the district's mayor, asking for a public apology.
Allan Carter owns Your Dollar Store with More, a location that until last week was selling Confederate flag bandanas. One of those ended up at a peaceful rally against racism Thursday night, organized in support of a local family who were victims of racist graffiti.
On Saturday, when it was revealed where the man purchased the flag, Summerland mayor Toni Boot - a Black woman - went to the store to confront Carter. She was given the bandanas, and cut them to pieces in front of the establishment.
At the time, both Carter and Boot described their interaction to Castanet as disagreeable.
Now, Carter has written a lengthy letter to mayor and council admonishing the mayor, saying he felt "blindsided" by Boot and members of the media waiting for him at his store.
"I was accused by Toni and then in the media of perpetuating racism. It is not illegal to sell these bandanas and I was frazzled by this incident," Carter wrote, explaining he handed over the flags which had already been taken off the shelves.
Carter then explained how the bandanas came to be for sale.
"In April and May we sold over 2,500 bandanas of various patterns and designs. They were being used for making masks due to a shortage of personal protective equipment. They were not specifically ordered. I asked my supplier to send every bandana available in his inventory which included the ones in discussion," he wrote.
He also takes issue with Boot destroying the items in front of the store, accusing her of doing it for the "photo opportunity." Carter says he feels Boot treated him worse than she did the man who brought the flag to the parade, whose identity has not been revealed after apologizing for his actions.
"However, Toni had no problem accusing me of racism, exposing my name and business to negative publicity and was not extended the same courtesy as the man that distastefully injected himself into the parade last Thursday," Carter wrote.
Carter says his staff was left shaken, and is calling for a public apology.
Boot said the letter is part of official council correspondence that will be presented at the next meeting and as such deferred comment until that time.
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