Latest news with #HumanRightsCode
Calgary Herald
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Fairy Tales: Filmmaker revisits Delwin Vriend case in new documentary
There is anger in Darrin Hagen's voice when he talks about the Delwin Vriend case in Alberta. Article content The landmark decision, which came down from the Supreme Court of Canada in 1998 and extended human-rights protections to queer Albertans, was certainly groundbreaking. Hagen calls it 'one of those dominoes' that led to change that impacted LGBTQ+ rights in Alberta, Canada and even the world. When the Alberta government was forced by the courts to treat queer people equally, it eventually lead to progress in other areas such as same-sex marriage and queer adoptions. Article content Article content The story about how Vriend's case, which began after he was fired in 1991 from his job as a laboratory instructor at King's College for being gay, went all the way to the Supreme Court is inspiring, of course. But it is also infuriating, Hagen says. The hostility of the Alberta government, which continued to fight even after realizing it had no legal standing to do so, is a major part of the story and one that seems particularly timely today as ugly divisions re-emerge in the province and around the world regarding LGBTQ+ rights. Article content Article content 'The government kept paying (lawyers) to push this thing forward even though they knew that they would lose,' says Hagen. 'I think that is something we all need to recognize about the provincial government that we lived through. They used our money to fight our rights. I'm a taxpayer, right? It's my money, and they are using my money to fund a battle to withhold me from full participation in Alberta society. Every queer in Alberta should be (expletive) pissed off about that.' 'You can tell I'm not neutral about this,' he adds. Article content Hagen, an award-winning playwright, drag performer and queer historian, spent years studying the case as director of the documentary Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story. He was aware of the case as it was happening. Everybody in the community was, even if they were watching from afar. One of the biggest misconceptions of the case was that it pitted Vriend and his supporters against King's College. The college wasn't being sued; Alberta was. After being fired, Vriend attempted to file a discrimination complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission but was told sexual orientation was not protected under the Human Rights Code in Alberta. So the case was not against the college, but the Government of Alberta and its Human Rights Commission. The Alberta government lost. That would have been the end of it had the Alberta government not appealed, which is how the case went to the Supreme Court of Canada. The government had used queer rights and queer equality as a wedge issue, a 'divisive tool in their arsenal,' Hagen says. 'So this was about taking that tool away from them.
Hamilton Spectator
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Proposed lawsuit alleges Toronto violated refugees' rights by denying shelter beds
TORONTO - A proposed class-action lawsuit against the City of Toronto alleges the city violated refugee claimants' Charter rights by denying them access to shelter beds for nearly a year even when beds were available, arguing the practice was 'systemically negligent.' The proposed suit was filed Friday in an Ontario court on behalf of refugees, refugee claimants and asylum seekers who sought shelter in Toronto and were unable to get a bed between Nov. 7, 2022 and Oct. 1, 2023 — a period during which it says the city stopped allowing claimants to access its base shelter system. The suit also includes shelter seekers who were told to contact either Service Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which the suit says were unable to provide housing assistance. The lawsuit requires certification from a judge to proceed. Linette King, a lawyer involved in the case, claimed thousands of refugees were denied shelter beds during that period — even when beds were available — causing mental health and physical security issues. 'Many of them will have had some trauma coming from their home country, and had that exacerbated here by the experience of facing homelessness when there are shelter beds available,' King said in a phone interview on Wednesday. King added that referrals to Service Canada and the IRCC after shelter seekers were turned away were 'problematic' because the city allegedly knew those agencies wouldn't be able to provide shelter. 'Our position in this action is that it really exacerbates the harm because these individuals are not people that are aware of our systems,' King said. 'They are trusting the information they are being given, and if that information is ineffective ... it certainly creates confusion and can add to the harm.' City spokesperson Elise von Scheel said in an emailed statement that the city will respond 'in due course' and has no further comment as the case is before the court. The statement of claim says that in August 2023, about 3,300 refugee claimants were seeking a shelter bed nightly and more than 1,600 were turned away because of their immigration status, even when beds were available. The proposed suit also claims the city's practice disproportionately impacted members of the Black community, as many of the refugee claimants had arrived from countries with predominantly Black populations. The suit names a 40-year-old man from Nigeria who had arrived in Toronto as a refugee in September 2023 and was allegedly told there were no beds available at a number of city shelters, causing him anxiety and fear. 'The defendant knew its exclusionary practices were systematically racist and contrary to the Human Rights Code as it would — and in fact did — disproportionately impact members of the Black community,' the statement of claim alleges. Preventing refugee claimants from accessing beds breached some of their Charter rights, the statement of claim further argues. 'Security of the person was compromised as they were unable to secure a bed leading to either precarious housing or sleeping out on the street,' it claims. None of the allegations have been tested in court. The proposed class action comes after Toronto Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report in December 2024 investigating the city's decision to stop allowing refugee claimants to access its base shelter system beds. Addo found that the decision was 'inconsistent with city policies' and 'amounted to systemic racism.' The ombudsman made several recommendations to the city, including clarifying processes for refugee claimants. City Manager Paul Johnson wrote in a letter to Addo last year that he did not agree with the report's findings and 'would not take further action' in response to the recommendations. King said the goal of the proposed class action suit is to ensure that Toronto and other cities are compliant with the Charter and its values, and that any proposed changes to the shelter system or services that impact refugee claimants are done 'in a thoughtful and responsible way.' 'The hope is that this action is going to provide access to some remedies for these vulnerable people, these refugee claimants,' King said. 'Access should be for everybody, irrespective of their status.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘We are setting a new tone'
Newly minted Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan apologized Monday to the families of four serial killer victims — and all Manitobans — after his government's previous campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. 'Today it is fitting that my first opportunity to address the house is Red Dress Day honouring the memories of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,' Khan told the house Monday. 'As the new PC leader, this is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.' The Fort Whyte MLA made his legislative debut as Opposition leader after narrowly defeating Churchill lodge owner Wally Daudrich for the Tory leadership last last month. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS New leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, Obby Khan, speaks in the chamber at the Manitoba Legislative Building where he apologized to the families of four serial killer victims after previous Conservative government's campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS New leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, Obby Khan, speaks in the chamber at the Manitoba Legislative Building where he apologized to the families of four serial killer victims after previous Conservative government's campaign not to search a landfill for their remains. After question period, Khan said he instructed his staff to reach out to the families of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose, as well as 'many other organizations' about the apology and to request a meeting with them. Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. 'Why can't they apologize to me or my family face-to-face? And if they were really sorry, why did they deny the complaint of discrimination that I currently have open to them?' she said Monday at a Red Dress Day event. Harris filed a complaint against the party in January 2024, accusing PC officials of violating the Human Rights Code when they ran election ads proclaiming their decision not to search the Prairie Green Landfill for human remains. 'This is now on me to carry and move forward in humility, in humbleness and in kindness in an unwavering love and belief that when we come together under one big tent, we are all better for it.'–Obby Khan The complaint is currently in mediation, Harris said. '(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.' Khan took over as leader after Heather Stefanson resigned following the PCs' 2023 election loss. The Tories' campaign ads promised to 'stand firm' on the PC government's refusal to search the landfill for murder victims' remains. Wayne Ewasko, who was interim PC leader at the time, apologized March 5 for refusing to search the landfill, a week after the province announced unidentified human remains had been discovered there. The remains were since identified as belonging to Myran and Harris. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES Cambria Harris, the daughter of Morgan Harris, questioned the sincerity of Khan's apology. Khan promised to improve 'the tone of question period' as the legislative session resumed after being on break since April 24. 'A new day has begun,' Khan told the chamber. He promised to hold the NDP government to account for what he described as its failed promises to fix health care, make life more affordable and keep Manitobans safe. Khan said the official Opposition also plans to prevent question period from descending into a ruckus, as witnessed of late. On Apr. 22, for instance, there was an uproar in the house when PC MLA Greg Nesbitt suggested a $10,205 contract for counselling services paid for by Finance Minister Adrien Sala was for his own therapy. The government said after question period that the contract was to provide counselling service for searchers looking for the human remains at the Prairie Green Landfill. '(Khan) can apologize to whomever, but the fact is that there is repercussions, and there is emotional turmoil and damage that their party has caused far beyond the Indigenous community, but within society now, too.'–Cambria Harris The next day, Nesbitt, the member for Riding Mountain, requested and received a rare apology from the speaker. Nesbitt accused speaker Tom Lindsey — the NDP MLA for Flin Flon — of taking sides, not maintaining order and allowing government benches to drown out his right to ask questions about the contract. Lindsey said he shouldn't have told Nesbitt he couldn't ask a question in the house where free speech is upheld. Nesbitt, however, was the one apologizing Monday for his 'inappropriate' choice of words in asking Sala about the contract for counselling services. The PC MLA said he apologized in person to Sala that morning and was apologizing to all members publicly in the chamber for 'any unintended consequences of the way my questions were worded.' Khan said he didn't ask Nesbitt to apologize. 'Greg (Nesbitt) came to me and said he wants to do this. He thought it was the right thing to do,' Khan told reporters. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. 'Of course, I support him as the leader and also, the greater picture is it is signifying a real change in the PC Party Manitoba. We are setting a new tone.' Sala said he accepts Nesbitt's apology, 'but this isn't about me,' the finance minister said outside the chamber. 'I think the proper thing to do here is to ensure that those landfill workers who are the recipients of those supports hear an apology from him and their team,' Sala said. — with files from Nicole Buffie Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
05-04-2025
- CBC
Ontario Human Rights Tribunal dismisses complaint of former Lakeshore volunteer firefighter
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed a complaint against the Municipality of Lakeshore by a volunteer firefighter who says he was terminated after being injured on the job. Because Chris Cadrin filed his complaint of discrimination based on disability more than a year after the alleged discrimination took place and he was no longer employed by the municipality at the time, the complaint was dismissed, according to the decision. "Filing a complaint with the organizational respondent six years after the applicant's employment ends does not resurrect the employment relationship and the duties under the Code," the tribunal wrote in its decision. "Whether the termination of employment was lawful or not, in May of 2006, the organizational respondent terminated the applicant's employment." Cadrin badly damaged his shoulder in 2004 while responding to a multivehicle collision on Highway 401. At the scene of the 2004 collision, a colleague pulled on a fire hose, tripping Cadrin and causing him to fall onto the wreckage of a vehicle, dislocating and damaging his shoulder. He required surgery to repair the injury. He has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder after responding to the deadly pile-up on Highway 401 in 1999. He now receives a partial disability payment from the Workers Safety Insurance Board and has transitioned to working in property management. But Cadrin told CBC last fall that he thought for years he was still employed by the municipality because it was listed as his employer on WSIB forms. He was told he had been taken off the roster of firefighters in 2006 but he interpreted that to mean he was on extended leave, he said. He didn't learn until 2019 that it meant he'd been terminated. He said the municipality owed it to him to offer him a different job. "I never thought that I would be fired from the town of Lakeshore for being injured in the line of duty," Cadrin told CBC after the decision was issued. "That was my mistake." The municipality said in a statement it is pleased with the decision and proud of the members of its fire service. "We are pleased with the decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) and stand by our initial statement that the allegations were historical in nature and do not reflect the culture or practices of the Lakeshore Fire Department or Municipality of Lakeshore," a spokesperson said in a statement. "While the decision did not speak to the merits of the case, we are confident that we complied with our own policies, and the standards and processes set out in the Human Rights Code, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and other employment-related legislation." Cadrin says he knew he was facing an uphill battle filing a human rights complaint so many years after the incident. "It's very hard to get past that one year timeline," he said. "I was disappointed with the decision and I don't agree with the decision, but I knew that I had a pretty … high bar to meet to get past the one year timeline." The tribunal's decision comes at a time when Canada faces a shortage of volunteer firefighters as people with families struggle to find the time to commit to training and service. The decision, he said, sends a negative message to volunteer firefighters. "That really frustrates me when I see a politician in the news … saying they have the backs of firefighters," he said. "I want to know specifically what they're going to do when someone's injured, when someone's ill, when someone's dying of cancer. What are they gonna do to have those people's backs?"
CBC
28-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Group files complaint to B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to remove drug clinic access fees
A complaint has been filed with B.C.'s Human Rights Tribunal over clinic fees being charged to some British Columbians accessing opioid treatments. Vancouver lawyer Jason Gratl said his clients, drug policy advocate Garth Mullins and the B.C. Association for People on Opioid Maintenance, have filed the complaint on behalf of those "who paid out-of-pocket private clinic access fees" for opioid agonist treatments. Gratl said the current system requires patients to pay private clinic access fees ranging from $60 to $100 per month in order to receive advice or prescriptions from a practitioner who's enrolled in the Medical Services Plan. He said in a release that the model "targets" drug users "on the basis of discriminatory attitudes and stereotypes" and violates provincial law that expressly prohibits the fees where publicly funded health services are provided. The complaint calls for an end to the current access fee model and for the province to pay those fees under the public health-care system. Gratl said his clients also want the province to reimburse the fees already paid by members of the class covered in the complaint, all of whom have opioid use disorder. The complaint says opioid use disorder is recognized as a disability under B.C.'s Human Rights Code. "This funding model impedes access to medical treatment for persons seeking to control and stabilize their substance use disorders," Gratl said in the release. "Requiring patients to pay out-of-pocket clinic fee[s] discriminates against persons with substance use disorder[s] who attempt to seek medical treatment." The B.C. Health Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The complaint dated Feb. 25 says Mullins, a Vancouver-based podcast host and activist, is the director of the association and a "person receiving opioid maintenance treatment." "[Opioid agonist treatment] is a medical treatment necessary to treat a medical condition and disability," the complaint says.
