Salmon Arm couple urges businesses to put dignity before differences
Published 5:30 pm Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Lead with basic respect.
Salmon Arm couple Sheena and wife Paige Milos offer this advice to businesses – employees and employers – following an alleged brush with discrimination at a local insurance company.
“When my wife and I walk into any place of business, we aren’t there to make a statement or flaunt who we are,” said Sheena. “We walk through those doors for the exact same reason anyone else does: because that business offers a product or service we need. We are simply ordinary people going about our everyday lives.”
On Monday evening, July 27, having just purchased a used car, the Milos’ met the seller at Sussex Insurance, inside the Salmon Arm Walmart, to get the car insured. During what Sheena said “should have been a standard transaction,” the Sussex employee helping them kept referring to Paige as “he.” The Milos’ acknowledged Paige’s driver’s licence has her listed as being “male,” explaining it’s because she’s still in the process of transitioning from male to female.
“So I politely asked (the employee) if she would be able to use the pronouns “she/her” for my wife… Just in conversation, out of respect. She doesn’t want to be ‘he’d’ in public.”
Instead, the Milos’ said the employee lost her temper, shouting in response that she didn’t “have time to get into that.” The Milos’ claim the employee continued to degrade them throughout the interaction.
“She was on the computer and just yelled out, ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’. She said it to her computer, like she was getting very frustrated,” said Paige. “It was very unprofessional… And I’m just like, if you’re saying that to a computer, what would you say to a person?”
The Milos said they immediately reported what happened to a Walmart store manager. Afterwards, Sheena said they submitted a formal written complaint to Sussex Insurance’s head office and customer relations.
“I also called their office and left a voicemail to ensure our concerns were formally registered,” said Sheena.
The Observer emailed Sussex Insurance about the incident on Aug. 6, and received a reply the next day from Jason Alexander, Sussex Insurance Group of Companies’ vice president of operations. Alexander said the Observer’s inquiry was the first time the matter had been brought to his attention, and that it would be looked into.
Though unable to discuss internal matters, Alexander stated, “Our expectation is that every customer is treated professionally, respectfully, and courteously…”, and said he would be reaching out to the Milos’.
“I spoke directly with Sheena regarding her experience at our Salmon Arm location,” said Alexander in a subsequent email. “We had a productive conversation; her concerns were taken seriously, and we were able to address the matter directly and make amends.
“Sussex is committed to providing professional and respectful service to our customers, and when concerns are brought to our attention, we take them seriously and address them appropriately.”
While appreciative of Alexander’s response, the Milos’ note their experience at Sussex “highlighted a gap that many businesses face.”
“While I appreciate Jason’s acknowledgment that times have changed, it felt clear that their internal policies and staff training haven’t kept pace,” said Sheena. “A commitment to inclusion cannot just be a policy on paper; it requires continuous learning and basic human awareness.
“Asking a business or an employee to respect a person’s identity by using their proper pronouns is not asking a lot. It is a fundamental part of seeing someone as a human being.
“Often, when employees encounter someone who looks a little different or lives a bit differently than what they are used to, uncertainty can creep in. But the fundamental truth is that asking to be respected in a place of business is the bare minimum.”
Asked what they hoped businesses might take away from their experience, the Milos’ offered the following.
• Keep training current: Regularly review and update inclusivity training so staff are equipped with the basic tools – like understanding and using correct pronouns – to warmly welcome everyone in our community;
• Lead with basic respect: Inclusion isn’t about asking anyone to agree with personal choices or lifestyles. I am not asking you to like me, my wife, or our choices – I am simply asking to be respected, and;
• See the customer first: Recognize that every person walking into your store is just a customer who wants to feel safe, comfortable, and valued while spending their hard-earned money.
“At the end of the day, my wife and I aren’t asking for special treatment, nor do we think we are better than anyone else,” said Sheena. “We are just asking to be treated like everyday normal humans.
“It all boils down to basic human decency and respecting another person’s dignity, regardless of opinion, thought, or feeling.”