A Victoria resident had their Supreme Court of Canada application against Victoria Taxi dismissed this morning.
Graeme McCreath is a blind man who was travelling with his guide dog when he was denied service due to the driver being allergic to dogs.
According to a BC Court of Appeal ruling, the taxi driver called them another cab, which arrived within two minutes.
McCreath has pursued legal action in the Supreme Court of BC and the BC Court of Appeal, then applied to the Supreme Court, and said he is not surprised the application was dismissed.
“I just wasn’t surprised. They only take 10 per cent of cases,” McCreath said. “They told me your chances are really slim, but we need people to realise this moral stuff involves helping folk. So we’ll carry on, see what we can do.”
McCreath said he wanted to appeal the ruling because he worries if taxi companies are allowed refusing service for allergies, some might claim to have them just to not drive the customer.
"When I ride with my guide dog, he just sits on the floor in the back with me," McCreath said. "He's no where near the driver. It's a load of nonsense why they can't take you."
McCreath said there are several other instances in B.C. where people travelling with guide dogs were denied service, and wants that to change.