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Discrimination

Commissioner welcomes Anti-Racism Act following extensive consultation

Vancouver, B.C. – B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, is welcoming the B.C. government’s introduction of anti-racism legislation today. The Anti-Racism Act (ARA) was tabled in the B.C. Legislature this afternoon, following extensive consultation with Commissioner Govender’s Office. The ARA builds on the Anti-Racism Data Act (ARDA), which was implemented…

April 11, 2024
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General

Series tells human rights story of four B.C. communities

Vancouver, B.C. – What is the state of human rights in B.C.? That is the question B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner has been seeking to answer through her Office’s multi-year Baseline Project, which today released a series of Community Briefs. The Briefs provide a snapshot of human rights issues in four…

April 10, 2024
Decolonization

Vancouver police, Johnson family and Heiltsuk Nation should collaborate to realize the promise of systemic…

Vancouver, B.C. – B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, has released an interim report on the progress of an agreement between the Vancouver Police Board (VPB) and the Heiltsuk Nation to address systemic anti-Indigenous racism in policing. Commissioner Govender, whom the agreement names as an independent third-party reviewer, revealed significant…

March 6, 2024
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Detention

B.C. Human Rights Commissioner launches inquiry into police use of force

Vancouver, B.C. – B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner has launched an inquiry to quantify the use of force by police against racialized people and people with mental health issues in B.C. The inquiry builds on the Commissioner’s 2021 report, Equity is Safer, which revealed a disturbing pattern of discrimination in policing…

January 30, 2024
A woman goes about her kitchen in a wheelchair. She is white, has red hair, and wears a yellow top and beige pants.
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Providing a wheelchair ramp

You own an apartment building and one of the renters has been diagnosed with a disease that means she now is using a wheelchair. Your apartment building is old and it has several steps up…

January 4, 2024
Older man uses an inhaler for his asthma.
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Potential renter with disability pension

You are looking to rent out your basement suite. Your partner is often out of town and you are hoping to find a renter you can ask for help around the house when your partner…
Older man uses an inhaler for his asthma.
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Mould in a rental unit

You rent an apartment in a building that had its roof replaced a few years ago. Since the roof was replaced, you have noticed that your disability, which affects your breathing, has become much worse.…
A young girl pets her dog and smiles.
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Service dog accommodation for renters

You and your teenage daughter live in an apartment building that doesn’t allow pets. Your daughter has depression and anxiety. This means she often has trouble focusing, memory lapses, brain fog, difficulty planning, panic attacks…
A Black woman is in a video meeting on her laptop with four fellow colleagues.
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General

Accessibility at BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner

December 19, 2023
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Detention

Commissioner launches inquiry into involuntary detentions under Adult Guardianship Act, orders health agencies to release…

Vancouver, B.C. – B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner has ordered seven health agencies to provide data on involuntary detentions of vulnerable adults. Data obtained under the orders will contribute to the Commissioner’s new inquiry into the exercise of emergency powers under the Adult Guardianship Act (AGA). The AGA is legislation that…

November 30, 2023
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Discrimination

Campaign on ableism sparks province-wide conversation about disability rights

Vancouver B.C. – The #RewriteTheRules campaign launched by BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner in October 2022 has sparked a province-wide conversation about ableism among the disabled and non-disabled communities across B.C. Ableism is a set of unwritten rules in our society that favors the needs and experiences of…

November 21, 2022
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Discrimination

This October, Terrace residents can visit the Skeena Valley Farmers Market to discuss ableism in…

Terrace, B.C. – Starting on October 8, 2022 and continuing on Saturdays throughout the month, Terrace and District Community Services Society (TDCSS) will host a booth at the Skeena Valley Farmers Market to explore topics of ableism through conversation. These events will profile BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner’s…

October 7, 2022