Juno News - November 12, 2026


Manitoba restaurant seeks ‘Indian individual’ to make pizzas, sparking outrage

Carney says U.S. is a bigger security threat than China Carney wants to bring MORE immigrants to Canada’s small towns

Episode Stats


Length

1 minute

Words per minute

157.64

Word count

292

Sentence count

19


Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
00:00:00 What does being Indian have to do with making a Canadian-style pizza?
00:00:03 Apparently, it was a qualification one Manitoba restaurant was looking for,
00:00:07 and now that restaurant is facing serious questions about discriminatory hiring.
00:00:12 Breakaway Family Restaurant in Carmen, Manitoba posted a Facebook job advertisement titled
00:00:16 Indian Pizza Cook Required.
00:00:19 The posting specifically requested an Indian individual with pizza-making skills,
00:00:24 not someone experienced in Indian cuisine,
00:00:26 someone Indian to make regular Canadian-style pizza.
00:00:30 Unsurprisingly, that sparked backlash from local residents.
00:00:33 Some accused the restaurant of discrimination,
00:00:36 while others questioned why the owners
00:00:38 hadn't addressed the controversy themselves.
00:00:40 But here's where this becomes more
00:00:41 than just another Facebook controversy.
00:00:44 Under Manitoba's Human Rights Code,
00:00:46 employers generally cannot advertise hiring preferences
00:00:48 based on ethnicity or nationality
00:00:51 unless there's a legitimate occupational requirement.
00:00:54 And it's difficult to understand why someone's ethnicity
00:00:56 would be necessary to make pizza.
00:00:58 I spoke directly with the restaurant's manager, Megan Rimmer, who told Juno News that the owner's
00:01:04 son posted the advertisement without consulting them. She insists the restaurant welcomes
00:01:08 applicants of all backgrounds. But here's the thing, Manitoba's legislation specifically
00:01:13 addresses discriminatory job advertisements, not just whether someone was ultimately refused
00:01:18 employment. When I asked whether the owners would publicly clarify their hiring policy,
00:01:22 Rimmer says she would prefer they avoid making another Facebook post.
00:01:26 Carmen Mayer Brent Owen also declined to comment publicly when approached by Juneau News.
00:01:31 Now, no legal violation has been established, and the manager maintains this was a mistake.
00:01:36 But the advertisement explicitly requested an Indian individual.
00:01:39 And that leaves one question the restaurant's owners still need to answer.
00:01:43 If everyone is welcome to apply, why was being Indian listed as a qualification in the first place?
00:01:49 For Juneau News, I'm Ty Sylvester.