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Demonstrators back nursing mother who was asked to leave Rainbow Centre food court

Mall management said it supports the demonstration to raise awareness of women's rights, and action has been taken to educate staff, inform patrons of the law

The property manager of the Rainbow Centre said he is taking allegations that a nursing mother was asked to leave the food court with "extreme seriousness" and said women who are breastfeeding are always welcome to do so at the downtown mall. 

About 30 supporters visited the Rainbow Centre for a "nurse-in" demonstration on Jan. 10 to support a mother who says she was told she couldn't nurse her baby in the food court.

Sylvie Poulin told Sudbury.com that she was confronted three different times, first by mall security guards and then by staff of some food court tenants.

The first incident took place in October. Poulin said she was breastfeeding her youngest daughter, Anatasia, who was three months old at the time, in the food court, when a security guard told her she had to cover up. She politely did what he asked. 

But when the 24-year-old returned to the food court three weeks later, Poulin said she was confronted by a different security guard who told her she had to nurse Anastasia in the family restroom.

"At this point I'm getting frustrated because I have to go feed her in the bathroom," Poulin said. "I normally go to the food court to feed myself at the same time, but how would you like to go eat your food in the bathroom?" 

Although Poulin said she did not report either incident to mall management, Rainbow Centre property manager Robert Green said he did not take the situation lightly when he learned what had happened. 

"We took it with extreme seriousness," Green told Sudbury.com. "We do not want to inhibit anyone from their rights and we want the Rainbow Centre to be a welcoming environment for people to feed their children."

Green said unfortunately the guard was not properly trained on the rights of nursing mothers. For unrelated reasons, the guard is no longer employed by the mall.

"If we had found it out sooner that guard would have been removed from the site immediately," Green said.

Green said he met with representatives from the breastfeeding program at the Public Health Sudbury & Districts located within the mall and enlisted their aid in educating contractors, tenants and mall employees concerning breastfeeding and the rights of nursing mothers. Stickers that welcome breastfeeding are now prominently displayed at all the restaurants in the food court.

"We are with this young woman," Green said. "We are all cognizant that this is a charter right. We all have to understand that this is perfectly acceptable in our country and our society and our culture." 

But Poulin said she was confronted again in December by employees from three food court tenants in an even more egregious fashion. She was shocked, she said, when one of those employees compared breastfeeding to a sex act.

Green said he found out about that particular comment on social media and has since spoken with Poulin about it. He told Sudbury.com that he is actively looking into that allegation.

"Had we'd known who the appropriate party was at that point, that person would have been removed explicitly because of that action," Green said. "If it was a member of security, that person would be removed. If it is an employee, I would let the tenant know that I would like to have them removed."

Pledging to get to the bottom of the situation, Green said the allegations are being taken "very seriously."

"We want to ensure that (Poulin) feels fully welcomed at the property as would any mother," he said.

A second Rainbow Centre nurse-in event is planned for Jan. 11 at 1 p.m.

One of the organizers of the demonstration, Jenny Labrosse, said she is glad that mall management appears to be taking the situation seriously.

"Now hearing that management was trying to handle it appropriately, I think a little more highly of them," Labrosse said. "I appreciate that (mall management) does not share the same beliefs as the other people that made the comments to begin with."

As for the 'nurse-in' held today and the one to be held Saturday, Green said he and mall management are in complete support with their efforts to raise awareness that breastfeeding is welcome anywhere.

"We fully support the awareness actions undertaken ... by sympathizers of this young woman. I myself had the opporutnity to communicate with her this week and inform her that she is fully welcome on the property and has our full support," Green wrote in a statement to media. "I hope that these events, and the brave voices who have come forward to assist and defend this young woman, will effectively serve to promote more awareness of all women's rights."


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Heather Green-Oliver

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