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Age

Age is a protected ground under the Code, This means that you cannot be discriminated against because of your age where you work or live, or go to get a service. In the Code, age is defined as being 18 years or older, or age 16 or older in housing if you have withdrawn from parental control.

Some special programs and benefits, such as seniors’ discounts or youth employment programs, exist to address genuine age-related needs. However, when you are unjustifiably treated differently because of your age, that's age discrimination

Relevant policy:

  1. Chief commissioner supports government's move to end mandatory retirement

    June 10, 2005

    Toronto - Chief Commissioner Keith Norton today endorsed the government’s introduction of legislation as a positive move towards ending mandatory retirement for older Ontario workers. "I am very pleased that the government has taken this step to respect the rights of older workers by introducing legislation that will enable individuals to decide for themselves when they wish to retire from the workplace rather than having this decision made for them by their employers," stated Mr. Norton.

  2. Commission's work receiving international attention

    October 4, 2005

    Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (the “Commission”) is receiving international attention for its work combating ageism and age discrimination. Chief Commissioner Keith Norton was recently invited to speak at the International Symposium on Age Discrimination held in London, England, in September. He presented a paper on the Commission’s approach to fighting ageism and age discrimination to an audience of international human rights practitioners.

  3. Commission appeals advance human rights law

    June 13, 2006

    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.

  4. Consultation paper: The changing face of Ontario - Discrimination and our aging population

    2000 - One of the objectives of this consultation is to solicit your views on a range of human rights issues faced by persons as they age. The Discussion Paper Discrimination and Age: Human Rights Issues Facing Older Persons in Ontario (the “Discussion Paper”) contains a detailed discussion of these issues and identifies priorities for further action by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (the “Commission”) in areas that fall within its mandate under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”).

  5. Re: Agenda items 7.(i) and 9.(vi): new comprehensive Zoning By-law, co-owned housing and communal dwellings

    March 17, 2014

    The OHRC provided guidance to the Township of Scugog about human rights principles relating to housing, as they considered amendments to their Zoning Bylaw relating to co-owned housing geared toward older Ontarians and people with disabilities. Following input from the community and the OHRC, the Township’s decision was to not create a special category, but treat the housing the same as any other residential housing.

  6. OHRC successfully challenges restrictions to benefits for workers aged 65+

    May 31, 2018

    Toronto – The OHRC intervened in Talos v Grand Erie District School Board to challenge the provision of Ontario’s Human Rights Code that allowed employers to cut or reduce benefits to workers aged 65 and over. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that subsection 25(2.1) of the Code, as well as related provisions in the Employment Standards Act and its regulations, amount to age discrimination and violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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