Archive

Toronto - The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has issued its decision in the case of Brown v Trebas Institute Ontario Inc. The case involves a complaint filed by Delano Brown who is blind and alleged the private post-secondary career college discriminated against him in his efforts to enrol in a Music Business Administration study program.

Today the Human Rights Commission released an updated version of its Guidelines on Developing Human Rights Policies and Procedures (previously called Developing Procedures to Resolve Human Rights Complaints within Your Organization). This Policy contains the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s interpretation of provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code relating to organizational policies and procedures to prevent and address human rights issues.

Human rights commissions across Canada provide a vital forum to facilitate the difficult dialogue between rights and responsibilities. We have a system envied the world round and one I believe must be preserved.

Jennifer Brown’s article has good advice on how to deal with credit history and debt when assessing prospective tenants. But it does not mention the legal obligations landlords have under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Of most concern is Industry representative Rob Watt’s implication that landlords could use a 30 percent maximum rent-to-income ratio to deny tenancy.

February 2008 - The Commission’s concerns focus on the draft policy’s handling of discretionary decisions made by doctors in accepting patients, and in provision of care. As currently stands, the draft policy may in fact lead to confusion and to human rights complaints, in that physicians may see it as condoning practices that the Commission views as discriminatory.

February 2008 - The draft policy raises a number of new concerns. The following pages detail the Commission’s concerns and provide suggestions for how to address them. We hope that our comments assist the College in providing greater clarity and ensuring that physicians have correct and sufficient information about their obligations under the Code.

Toronto - The Commission will appear as an intervener at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on February 14 and 15, 2008, in the case of R. v. Badesha.

February 11, 2008 - We understand that Oshawa City Council is holding a meeting tonight to discuss a proposed bylaw that would limit student housing options in designated neighbourhoods around the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today released a Draft Policy on Mental Health Discrimination and Police Record Checks for public consultation.

February 2008 - According to Health Canada, approximately 20% of Canadians will experience mental illness at some point in their lives[1]. Unfortunately, there is still significant stigma and stereotype about mental illness, and a lack of understanding of rights relating to mental illness as a disability.

With the recent passage of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, accessibility issues are now governed by complementary aspects of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the AODA, the Ontario Building Code and, in the case of existing buildings, the Ontario Fire Code.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission has reached a settlement between the Days Hotel and Conference Centre, Toronto Airport East and hotel guest Barbara Dodd. The settlement will see the establishment of new fire safety practices for the hotel and sets a positive example for the use of visual strobe light fire alarms for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing individuals in Ontario hotel accommodations as an important practice to be followed by the hospitality industry province-wide.

Toronto - A recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision in the case of Lane v. ADGA Group Consultants Inc. of Ottawa has upheld the right of persons with a mental health disability to be appropriately accommodated in the workplace under Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

December 2007 - During the summer and fall of 2007, there were reports of a series of incidents across southern and central Ontario in which Asian Canadian anglers were physically or verbally assaulted. Racial slurs were associated with a number of these incidents. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (“the Commission”) was gravely concerned by these reports.

Toronto - Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall today released the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Preliminary Findings of its Inquiry into Assaults against Asian Canadian Anglers. The Inquiry, which was launched on November 2nd, stemmed from a series of media reports and community concerns about a number of incidents across south and central Ontario in which Asian Canadian anglers were physically or verbally assaulted while fishing.

This special day is celebrated each year on December 10th, and commemorates the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This year marks the 59th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. International Human Rights Day is a time to reflect on the progress society has made in protecting and promoting human rights and on the challenges that lie ahead.

On this 45th anniversary of the Ontario Human Rights Code, I am pleased to present the fourth edition of Human Rights Policy in Ontario, a publication first introduced in 1998. I am also pleased that Carswell, a respected publisher of employment and human rights related material, is our partner in putting together this latest compendium of the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s policies and guidelines.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has identified discriminatory NIMBY “Not in My Back Yard” opposition as a human rights concern and a major barrier to the development of much needed affordable and supportive housing.

Toronto - Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall today announced the launch of an inquiry into alleged assaults against Asian Canadian anglers. The inquiry is being conducted in partnership with the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic and involves other community partners. It arises out of concern following a number of violent incidents involving Asian Canadians who have been either physically or verbally assaulted while fishing in a number of communities around the province.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has reached settlements in related complaints against the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and two of its gaming operations.

October 26, 2007 - The values embodied in human rights laws hold a special place in the minds of Canadians. Canadians believe that tolerance, mutual respect, and diversity are fundamental to the nature and success of this country. Looking at some of the recent debate in Ontario around religious school funding, and the ongoing consultation in Quebec on reasonable accommodation, I believe that this is a time to remember and promote those values. It is certainly not time to turn away from them.

Toronto - Following up on several key developments in the area of accessible transit, Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall has written to transit services across the province asking them to remove barriers faced by riders with disabilities. “Stop announcements are not only necessary for visually impaired riders but can benefit all transit users including visitors and even many of us who can't see the stops due to crowds or weather conditions,” commented Chief Commissioner Hall.

Toronto - Ontario Human Rights Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall is being joined today by the Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, at an event hosted by the Canadian Hearing Society to launch the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s first ever sign language video.

Toronto – How the community views the future of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is the subject of a report released by the Commission today.

I am writing to urge the Government of Canada to reconsider its position opposing the adoption by the United Nation’s General Assembly of the existing draft of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.