A Thompson pilot who made history a couple of years ago as part of the first female Indigenous medevac flight crew in the province says Manitoba Justice’s security screening process led to her being turned down for a contract to fly court parties around the north.
Robyn Shlachetka, who has been flying professionally in Northern Manitoba for over a decade, wrote in a Facebook post that the background check included an interview “picking apart my social media contacts, as well as questioning me about people I have no association with,” particularly those who may have criminal records or are suspected of gang affiliation. She said that the process left her feeling the way a person does after being followed around in a store like a suspected shoplifter, as if she had done something wrong, even though she hadn’t. Shlachetka told CBC that many people from Thompson, which consistently ranks near the top of Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index, would have a hard time passing Manitoba Justice’s background check because of connections to convicted or suspected criminals.
The job appealed to Shlachetka, who has flown court personnel around the north before, because it would have allowed her to be home every night, something that means a lot to her because she has a young daughter with health problems.
Manitoba Justice told APTN that its security screening process is designed to ensure the safety and security of the provincial justice system and that the department has confidence in the process.
Shlachetka said in her Facebook post that she has a clean criminal record, isn’t involved in any criminal activity and wouldn’t risk her career for anyone.
“But somewhere down the line, Manitoba Justice decided that I would, and that I’m compromised, and everything I’ve worked so hard for means nothing,” Shlachetka wrote.
