Archive

Community organizations representing various communities of colour are organizing a day of dialogue to build solidarity with the Aboriginal Communities to promote truth and reconciliation. The event “From Remembrance to Reconciliation - A Shared Community Dialogue on Our Roles as Treaty Peoples" taking place today at Osgoode Professional Development, 1 Dundas Street West, 26th floor, Room C, will also mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

2013 - The primary aim of this paper is to report on OHRC research and consultation findings and analysis to date on key creed-based human rights issues, options and debates. We hope that this will add further transparency to our creed policy update process, and help to increase general public awareness of creed-based human rights issues. Another goal is to develop a stronger contextual framework for understanding and addressing contemporary creed-based human rights issues.

Accommodation rights and responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) would like to bring several items to the attention of the Planning and Growth Management Committee as the Committee considers the Chief Planner’s reports on group homes and dwelling room accommodations at its October 22, 2013 meeting.

October 11, 2013 - In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (the OHRC’s) mandate under section 29 of the Ontario Human Rights Code, I am writing in response to the government’s public consultation on Ontario’s next Poverty Reduction Strategy.

December 2013 - Teaching human rights in Ontario can be used by secondary school teachers for law, history and civics courses and cooperative education programs. It can also be used in other high school courses, such as media studies, with few or no changes needed.

On September 13, 2012, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released Minds That Matter: Report on the consultation on human rights, mental health and addictions. This report outlines what the OHRC heard in its largest-ever policy consultation, and sets out 54 recommendations for government, housing providers, employers, service providers and other parties across Ontario. The OHRC also made 26 commitments in this report to address human rights issues that affect people with mental health disabilities and addictions.

Toronto – The mental health needs of prison inmates is the focus of a landmark settlement reached today.

OHRC interventions at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, 2012/13

A key role of the OHRC is to speak out and take steps to alleviate tension and conflict in communities. Much of this tension first comes to light in media reports. The press also provide an excellent forum for us to speak out on issues affecting all Ontarians. Highlights in the past year include:

In the past year our social media networks continued to grow steadily and helped us to:

Although the OHRC’s jurisdiction is limited to Ontario, we have a clear interest in human rights developments across the country. The OHRC is an active member of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA). Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall served as President of the association for the past three years. Through CASHRA, commissions share best practices and new developments, and also speak with one voice on human rights matters that affect all Canadians. In the past year, CASHRA spoke on several important issues.

The past year has been a busy one as the OHRC expanded its public education and outreach activities. Our challenge is to connect with people and organizations across Ontario, and update them on what’s happening in human rights. This included leading 55 public education events. Highlights included:

One of our commitments in Minds that matter was to look at municipal zoning practices and advocate for change when there was potential for discrimination. While much of this work involves housing, we are also researching zoning rules related to health clinics dispensing methadone. And where we see discrimination, we are advising those municipalities.

“There is still a stigma to mental health in the workplace. As a 40-year employee I have spent more energy hiding this disorder than I have in advancing my career.” “Twenty years of no work is too much when I was able to work the whole time.”

The OHRC continued to work to eliminate discrimination in housing. As in previous years, we worked with some municipalities, challenged others, sent our housing message across Ontario through public education sessions and speeches by the Chief Commissioner, and called on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to expand a human rights focus in Ministry policy guidelines. We also took a closer look at rental housing licensing through public interest inquiries.

Over the past year, we have continued to release our e-learning programs in multiple languages, adding Vietnamese and Portuguese to English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Korean. We continue to improve our HR 101 module, and are working on new modules that will offer an overview of key human rights issues:

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the AODA) requires every employer and employee in Ontario to take training on the AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code in the next couple of years.

As disability is the leading ground cited in human rights complaints, the OHRC continues its work to bring systemic change for persons with disabilities across Ontario. We will only have succeeded when everyone can use their abilities, instead of falling behind because of disabilities. Our actions in the past year ranged from critiquing government regulations to intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada and educating employers, service providers and the public.

Aboriginal human rights issues must be addressed in Ontario. The OHRC is seeking input from members of the Aboriginal community on human rights issues of concern. For example, our Aboriginal Steering Committee is building relationships and knowledge to expand our work

As Canadian society becomes increasingly diverse, there is potential for tension and conflict as creed issues play out more and more in the public sphere. Should religious organizations be allowed to have a say on the sex lives and life choices of their employees? Are veganism, ethical humanism or pacifism creeds? Can a school tell a student he or she can’t bring a same-sex partner to the prom?

Part of our work with police and security services is raising awareness of the need to accommodate different groups. As a result of our involvement of in one case, Sikhs who wish to enter a Toronto courthouse wearing a kirpan (stylized representation of a sword) now face fewer barriers according to a May 2012 settlement with the Toronto Police Service (TPS), the Toronto Police Services Board and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

In last year’s annual report, we provided a status report on the first year of the three-year Human Rights Project Charter between the three project partners – the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS), the Ministry of Government Services (MGS) and the OHRC. This work resulted from the settlement of a long-standing human rights complaint by Michael McKinnon against MCSCS. Its purpose is to support MCSCS’ human rights organizational change initiatives, and to make sure the change process addresses public interest concerns.

As Ontario’s communities change and grow, the organizations that serve them must also adapt to meet new needs. In recent years the OHRC has developed a human rights organizational change approach, to help organizations eliminate bias and discrimination, be more inclusive, and fully respect and accommodate the dignity, worth and rights of all people.