Race and related grounds

The OHRC made previous submissions in 2014 , and in 2017  regarding Bill 89 Supporting Children, Youth and Families Act. The OHRC is pleased that many of its recommendations were incorporated into the current legislation.

TORONTO — The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has reached an important milestone with the release of its What We Heard Report on anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly-funded Education System.

The OHRC launched its What We Heard Report on anti-Black racism in education. To continue engaging in dialogue with other key partners and stakeholders in education, the OHRC is issuing a call for written submissions on concrete solutions to address anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. The goal is to gather additional information including recommendations for solutions and action to empower and hold duty-holders accountable.

On June 27, 2023, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released its Anti-Black Racism in Education Roundtables: What We Heard Report. The roundtables held in April 2023, provided a space for students and duty-holders in the education sector to share solution-focused and action-oriented recommendations. For the next action, the OHRC is calling on key partners and stakeholders in education for written submissions on concrete and practical solutions to address anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. This step is to develop an ongoing dialogue with those key partners and stakeholders, and gather additional information, including actions for implementation, to empower, and to hold duty-holders accountable. 

Recognizing a rise in acts of anti-Black racism in Ontario communities and public schools, in March 2023, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) announced an initiative to tackle the crisis of systemic anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly-funded education system. The OHRC is committed to the development of a province-wide strategy on accountability for, and impact of, anti-Black racism and discrimination in education related to the roles and functions of the education sector, community, and the OHRC.

  Summary: Recently, OHRC Director of Policy, Education, Monitoring and Outreach, Juliette Nicolet, joined Radio-Canada - Jonction 11-17 for an interview calling for a province-wide anti-hate strategy, to galvanize and support public action.    

Black leadership and community engagement have been at the forefront of action to address systemic discrimination and advance racial equity in Ontario. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) recognizes that Black individuals, organizations, and grassroots movements have been working on issues of anti-Black racism in education for decades. The OHRC acknowledges and embraces the work of generations of grassroots and community-led organizing and academics and the significant strides toward protecting the safety and well-being of Black children in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. The OHRC has tried to capture and preserve those works in its initiative to address anti-Black racism in Ontario’s education system. We are grateful for those works and honour the people who have contributed to them.

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights (the Committee) invited the Ontario Human Rights Commission (the OHRC) to make a brief submission to the Committee on best practices or policies for combatting anti-Black racism and to share the OHRC’s perspective on a direct tribunal access model compared to a commission screening model for dealing with human rights complaints.

  May 6, 2023 Context The government of Ontario is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) which would clarify and enhance rules related to the installation of air conditioning (A/C) units.

The government of Ontario is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) which would clarify and enhance rules related to the installation of air conditioning (A/C) units.