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Race and related grounds

Under the Code, every person has the right to be free from racial discrimination and harassment in the social areas of employment, services, goods, facilities, housing accommodation, contracts and membership in trade and vocational associations. You should not be treated differently because of your race or other related grounds, such as your ancestry, ethnicity, religion or place of origin. 

Canada, its provinces and territories have strong human rights laws and systems in place to address discrimination. At the same time, we also have a legacy of racism – particularly towards Indigenous persons, but to other groups as well including African, Chinese, Japanese, South Asian, Jewish and Muslim Canadians – a legacy that profoundly permeates our systems and structures to this day, affecting the lives of not only racialized persons, but also all people in Canada.

Relevant policies: 

  1. New OHRC report reinforces concerns about racial profiling

    May 3, 2017

    Toronto - A new report by the OHRC confirms that racial profiling is a daily reality that damages communities and undermines trust in public institutions. In Under suspicion: Research and consultation report on racial profiling in Ontario, the OHRC combines social science research with lived experiences gained through consultation with over 1,600 individuals and organizations.

  2. OHRC settlement with the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care: A step towards respecting the human rights of diverse patients

    June 28, 2017

    Toronto – After intervening in the case of The Estate of Kulmiye Aganeh v. Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the OHRC has reached a settlement with the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (formerly known as Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene).

  3. Opening statement: Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Systemic Racism and Religious Discrimination M-103

    September 20, 2017

    The Government has the power to take action to protect people who are being harmed by racism and Islamophobia, and we call on it to boldly do so. There is considerable scope for the Government to develop positions, policies and programs that promote inclusion and respect, especially for racial and religious minorities. These types of actions are consistent with the values of Canadians and the Charter.

  4. OHRC launches new eLearning to promote anti-racism education and inclusion in Ontario

    March 21, 2018

    Toronto – Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released Call It Out. This new interactive eLearning program is a tool designed to raise awareness of the history and impact of racism and racial discrimination and to promote a culture of human rights in Ontario.

  5. Timmins must come to grips with Indigenous relations

    March 28, 2018

    TIMMINS — In February, Joey Knapaysweet, 21, and Angnes Sutherland, 62, both from Fort Albany First Nation, died in separate incidents involving the Timmins Police Service. Both incidents are being examined by the Special Investigations Unit. The deaths galvanized a community where Mayor Steve Black said a police gun had not been fired in the line of duty in 34 years.

  6. Police reform and oversight - Safer Ontario Act, 2018

    August 29, 2018 - We understand the government is conducting a review of the Safer Ontario Act, 2018 and is consulting experts, police services and the public. We are writing today to provide the OHRC's submissions on policing and police oversight to inform the government’s ongoing review. We encourage the government to implement the Safer Ontario Act and strengthen Regulation 58/16 related to “street checks” or “carding.”

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