Page controls
Page content
Top outcomes
- The OHRC released A Disparate Impact, the second interim report on its inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service, which confirmed that Black people were more likely than others to be arrested, charged, over-charged, struck, shot or killed by Toronto police.
- The OHRC released a Policy statement on a human rights-based approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding governments on putting human rights at the centre of their policy, legal, regulatory, public health and emergency-related responses. The OHRC also frequently updated its series of online questions and answers explaining human rights and obligations during the pandemic.
- Ontario’s Vaccine Distribution Task Force said the OHRC’s COVID-19 policy helped inform the province’s ethical framework for vaccine distribution, which explicitly reflects the importance of human rights protections and non-discrimination. The government also agreed to collect socio-demographic human rights data on testing for COVID-19, and invited the OHRC to serve on the COVID-19 socio-demographic data consultation group.
- Peel Regional Police, its board and the OHRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing to develop and implement legally binding remedies to identify and eliminate systemic racism in policing in Peel Region.
- After the OHRC intervened in Francis v Ontario, the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed that segregating prisoners more than 15 days in a row is cruel and unconstitutional, and for people with serious mental illness, any segregation is unconstitutional. The Court considered the OHRC’s work to obtain and enforce the Jahn v Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services consent order.
- The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ordered Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation to stop requiring refugees to obtain state authentication of their driving experience, relying on OHRC arguments and evidence in Al-Turki v Ontario (Transportation).
- With coordination from the OHRC, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation and the Ontario Lacrosse Association began a process for discussions to address concerns of anti-Indigenous racism in lacrosse.
- The OHRC launched the newest version of its main online training program, Human Rights 101. This program features a fresh new look, expanded discussions on discrimination and the latest directions in human rights, and outlines rights and responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
- After the OHRC wrote to all public colleges and universities in Ontario about Indigenous, Black and racialized students experiencing discrimination and targeting on campus, 12 colleges and universities responded and outlined the steps they are taking to create and sustain equitable and inclusive education environments. The OHRC continues to receive more response letters.
- The Minister of Education agreed to meet with the OHRC to discuss potential recommendations from the upcoming Right to Read Inquiry report on human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities in Ontario’s public education system.
OHRC by the numbers
The OHRC’s efforts to address systemic discrimination have a profound effect on the lives of vulnerable people across Ontario.
The OHRC’s message
5,341,196
Unique views of the OHRC website
3,151,124
Impressions – number of people reached – on Twitter (2,470,431), YouTube (412,707), Facebook (239,994), Instagram (27,992)
424,069
Engagements (likes, shares, retweets, comments, reactions, views and clicks) on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
35,513
OHRC social media followers and friends
OHRC public education and speaking events
6,135
People engaged in 62 virtual training sessions and virtual speaking events
OHRC online learning
654,307
People who accessed eLearning courses
528,426
People who accessed Working Together: The Code and the AODA
71,983
People who accessed Call it out: Racism, racial discrimination and human rights – a major increase over 2019–20
32,432
People who accessed Human Rights 101
Engaging with communities and government
120,035
Unique website views for COVID-19 questions and answers
5,401
Media stories referencing the OHRC, including 41 media interviews with the Chief Commissioner, Executive Director and OHRC subject matter experts
1,143
Media stories referencing A Disparate Impact, the OHRC’s second interim report on the inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service
474
Media stories referencing the OHRC’s work related to COVID-19, with a cumulative potential reach of 98,240,257 people
86%
School boards surveyed that use OHRC products to promote compliance with Ontario’s Human Rights Code in their work
75%
Education stakeholders surveyed who agree or somewhat agree that OHRC policies provide practical guidance
55%
Ontario police services surveyed that use OHRC products to promote compliance with Ontario’s Human Rights Code in their work
11
Opinion editorials by the Chief Commissioner, OHRC statements