Skip to main content

Human Rights

  • Image: "Marieval Mission, Cowesses Indian Residential School in Elcapo Creek Valley, Saskatchewan, 1923 / Mission de Marieval, Pensionnat indien de Cowesses, dans la vallée d’Elcapo Creek (Saskatchewan), 1923" by BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives is licensed under CC BY 2.0
In “A Less Private Practice: Government Lawyers and Legal Ethics”, a 2020 paper published in the Dalhousie Law Journal, Jennifer Leitch discusses the role of government lawyers amid claims for compensation relating to the St. Anne’s residential school.  It is now...

Read More

  • Image: "day 18/365" by shehan365 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Last week’s article looked at the 2006 Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) and the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) claims resolution process. This was a system to provide for compensation as a result of experiences at residential schools. This system was...

Read More

  • Image: "Rep of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Canada apologizes for their role in residential schools" by The United Church of Canada is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Recently, the remains of 215 children were discovered in unmarked mass graves on the site of Kamloops Residential School. There is a sense that there may be more. That sites like this may exist elsewhere in Canada. The school was operated by...

Read More

  • Image: "Stop school closure OLB" by Backbone Campaign is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
As Mothers’ day 2021 approached, schools closed in Alberta and Ontario and parts of Manitoba. At the time of writing, Alberta’s schools had reopened, but schools in Ontario and parts of Manitoba remained closed. B.C. schools closed briefly in March, 2020,...

Read More

  • Image: "poked and prodded baby - _MG_4085" by sean dreilinger is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Today a troubling story out of my home province of Saskatchewan.   If statements coming out of that province are true, this problem exists in other provinces too. A woman who is an Indian citizen, referred to as “Jo”, traveled to Canada...

Read More

  • Image: "File:COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 population.png" by Traut is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Some Canadian provinces, including B.C., are implementing travel restrictions amid fears of covid-19. The federal government's mandatory testing and hotel quarantining for travelers entering Canada is currently being challenged in the courts.  In January, 2021, after seeking legal advice, B.C. premier John Horgan...

Read More

  • Image: "clocks" by Leo Reynolds is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
In March, 2020, as fears mounted over covid-19, the Supreme Court of British Columbia and British Columbia Court of Appeal suspended their regular operations. I expressed concern at the time with courthouses closing at a time when they are needed more...

Read More

  • Image: "Doctor in protective suit and face mask holding syringe" by focusonmore.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The media informs us of increasing numbers of Canadians who are receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Others are not yet eligible or decline to do so.   There are no indications that these vaccines will be mandatory. Can an employer require its employees to receive...

Read More

  • Image: "jail" by the_kid_cl is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The BC Human Rights Tribunal recently awarded its highest injury to dignity award yet. The recipient was an employee who experienced race-related discrimination at work. The case was heard in two stages. First, the Tribunal decided if discrimination had occurred.  In July,...

Read More

  • Image: "Study" by Tim Swinson | http://timswinson.com is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Clearly, some members of society are being left behind amid responses to  corona virus. Women, the disabled and the impoverished are particularly affected. Between March and June, schools in B.C. and Alberta abruptly closed. Alberta’s government is closing middle and high schools again...

Read More