The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) extends deep condolences to the family and friends of the late Indigenous judge and Truth and Reconciliation Commission chair Murray Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair stood for the very values the OHRC seeks to uphold: that all of us are worthy of dignity and respect, and that we should expect to be treated in a manner that recognizes our equal human worth.
Mr. Sinclair was one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy. A former judge and senator, Mr. Sinclair led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, participating in hundreds of hearings across Canada and hearing testimony from thousands of residential school survivors. The influential final report was released in 2015, describing what took place at the residential schools as cultural genocide and included 94 calls to action.
Mr. Sinclair was appointed to the Senate in 2016 and retired in 2021. The following year, he received the Order of Canada for dedicating his life to championing Indigenous Peoples' rights and freedoms.
The OHRC commends Mr. Sinclair’s groundbreaking work on behalf of Indigenous people – unequivocally, work done for all Canadians. Justice Sinclair showed us where more work needs to be done, and that reconciliation without truth is not enough. Truth and reconciliation remain at the core of the work of the OHRC as we build an Ontario in which everyone belongs.