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:
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission has mediated a positive settlement with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. The four complaints arose from concerns that the application of school discipline policies was having a discriminatory impact on students from racialized communities and students with disabilities.
October 2005 - The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (the “Board’) agrees that, when teachers or school administrators are alleged to have made inappropriate remark(s) toward a student regarding that student's race, colour, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, or disability, or other grounds as protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code , or to have purposefully failed to appropriately accommodate the needs of disabled students, the Board shall investigate the allegations and implement measures, where appropriate, to ensure accountability. Such measures shall include, in appropriate circumstances, discipline up to and including termination.
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission has reached a positive settlement in a human rights complaint involving the former Board of Education for the City of Scarborough, which merged with other school boards in 1998 to form the current Toronto District School Board (“the Board”).
Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s ("OHRC") Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall commemorated March 21st, the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, alongside City of Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis, at a public ceremony held at the Mackenzie Hall cultural centre. Mayor Francis marked the occasion by signing a Declaration of Intent to join a Canadian Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination. David Walden, the Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO ("CCU") was also present for the event.
April 2006 - The settlement sets out the following commitments:
2006 - The Canadian Commission for UNESCO is inviting municipalities from across Canada to join a Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination and be part of a larger international coalition being promoted by UNESCO. This booklet provides information that will be useful in understanding some of the important details of this Coalition.
June 2006 - Over the past ten years, the Commission has been involved in 72 judicial review decisions, 32 decisions on appeal at the Divisional Court, 40 decisions from the Court of Appeal, and 17 from the Supreme Court of Canada. As of March 31, 2006, the Commission was litigating 462 cases at the Tribunal, eight cases before the Divisional Court, three in the Ontario Court of Appeal, and two before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Toronto - Over the past ten years, the Commission has been involved in 72 judicial review decisions, 32 decisions on appeal at the Divisional Court, 40 decisions from the Court of Appeal, and 17 from the Supreme Court of Canada. As of March 31, 2006, the Commission was litigating 462 cases at the Tribunal, eight cases before the Divisional Court, three in the Ontario Court of Appeal, and two before the Supreme Court of Canada.
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCU) is calling for a Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism. This draft Preliminary Proposal for a coalition has been prepared by a Pan-Canadian Working Group lead by CCU. It is based on UNESCO’s initiative for an international coalition of cities against racism. The OHRC has lent its expertise and support to the CCU in developing the preliminary proposal.
Toronto - On the weekend of November 24-26 th more than 1,100 people visited the Ontario Human Rights Commission booth at the Canadian Aboriginal Festival at the Rogers Centre in Toronto where staff volunteers distributed human rights information in three Aboriginal languages.
