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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. OHRC submission to the Ministry of the Solicitor General on the Equipment and Use of Force Regulation Amendment and implementation of modernized Use of Force Report

    In its submission on proposed government amendments to the Equipment and Use of Force Regulation and implementing a modernized Use of Force Report, the OHRC makes recommendations on reporting requirements; expanding the scope of incidents subject to use of force reporting, the level of force applied in reporting, and including the use of handcuffs; in accordance with leading practices, including additional contextual information; and providing guidance on the analysis required by section 14.7 (4) of the amended regulation. 

  2. OHRC letter and submission on Equipment and Use of Force Regulatory Amendment and Implementation of Modernized Use of Force Report

    October 30, 2022

    The OHRC’s submission to the Ministry of Solicitor General’s request for public and stakeholder input on amendments to police use of force reporting requirements in the Equipment and Use of Force Regulation as well as on a modernized Use of Force Report. 

  3. OHRC statement on human rights, extreme heat waves and air conditioning

    August 19, 2022

    The Ontario Human Rights Commission calls on the Government of Ontario to include air conditioning as a vital service, like the provision of heat, under RTA regulations and to establish a provincial maximum temperature to make sure that vulnerable Code-protected tenants are protected against threats of eviction for using safely installed air conditioning units.

  4. Ontario Human Rights Commission comment on Canada’s upcoming 24th and 25th Reports to the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    The OHRC has prepared a submission in response to Canadian Heritage’s request for the views of human rights commissions to inform the Government of Canada as it prepares Canada's combined 24th and 25th periodic report to the United Nations on its implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

  5. OHRC letter and submission on Canada's report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

    August 12, 2022

    The OHRC has prepared a submission in response to Canadian Heritage’s request for the views of human rights commissions to inform the Government of Canada as it prepares Canada's combined 24th and 25th periodic report to the United Nations on its implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

  6. OHRC letter to Town of Kingsville on migrant worker housing

    June 24, 2022

    The OHRC understands that the Town of Kingsville’s study, Kingsville Temporary Foreign Worker – Final Report, has now been completed and will be discussed by Council on Monday June 27, 2022. Upon reviewing the study and the proposed recommendations, the OHRC is very concerned that the recommendations would, if implemented, continue to create discriminatory barriers to migrant workers living as full members of the Kingsville community.

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