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:
2021 has been a year of recovery, human rights challenges and adapting to the new normal. Through it, the Ontario Human Rights Commission has relentlessly continued to address pervasive inequities and systemic discrimination and racism with measures grounded in the Ontario Human Rights Code. As the journey continues, take a moment to look at some of the highlighted work of the OHRC from 2021.
Mounting evidence shows that groups identified under Ontario’s Human Rights Code have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. These effects are being exacerbated by the current Omicron wave and the recent decisions to close and reopen schools.
Throughout February, the OHRC and people across Canada pause to honour and celebrate the immense achievements and contributions that Black people have made, and continue to make, across all sectors of society. We celebrate Black people’s determination, perseverance, resilience, and strength toward growing a more inclusive and just society.
The OHRC has prepared a submission in response to Canadian Heritage’s request for the views of human rights commissions to inform the Government of Canada as it prepares Canada's combined 24th and 25th periodic report to the United Nations on its implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The OHRC has prepared a submission in response to Canadian Heritage’s request for the views of human rights commissions to inform the Government of Canada as it prepares Canada's combined 24th and 25th periodic report to the United Nations on its implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
October 31, 2022
On September 29, 2022, Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General (Ontario) announced its proposal to create an updated regulatory framework under the Ministry of Correctional Services Act for strip searches of people in custody in Ontario’s adult correctional institutions.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) supports Ontario’s decision to take steps to better regulate the use of strip searches in its correctional institutions.
The OHRC's submission to the Ministry of Solicitor General’s request for public and stakeholder input on amendments to create an updated regulatory framework under the Ministry of Correctional Services Act (MCSA) for strip searches of people in custody in adult correctional institutions.
Following the release of A Disparate Impact, Drs. Wortley and Laniyonu identified a coding error in which civilian race was incorrectly coded in the multivariate analysis. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) retained Dr. Maria Jung to independently review the error.
The OHRC is deeply saddened over the death of Tyre Nichols, who was killed by five Memphis police officers. We stand with communities who have voiced their sorrow, anger, and frustration over his death.
On February 1, 2023, five Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers in British Columbia were charged with manslaughter and obstruction of justice in the 2017 death of Dale Culver, a member of Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan First Nations, and father of three children who was killed in custody.
