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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
Maxwell Johnson (left) joins other Heiltsuk First Nation members in ceremony outside the Burrard Street BMO branch in Vancouver on May 5, 2022.
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Discrimination

Interim review: Settlement Agreement between Maxwell Johnson Sr. and A.B. and the Vancouver Police Board

March 6, 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
Decolonization

B.C. Supreme Court decision delivers mixed results in ensuring human rights protections are enforceable in…

Vancouver, B.C. – On Monday, the B.C. Supreme Court issued a decision in Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) v. R.R. that will impact how issues of discrimination are dealt with in matters concerning child protection. B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner, Kasari Govender, acted as an intervenor in the case,…

January 23, 2024
A young, biracial couple (the man is white, the woman is South Asian).
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Toxic living environment

You move to B.C. ahead of your wife and son. You are white and your wife is South Asian. You see an apartment you like and tell the landlord your wife and child will be…

January 4, 2024
A young woman with medium-toned skin and long black hair turns back to face the camera. In the background, there are mountains and trees.
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Landlord refusal to rent

You and your partner are Indigenous and are looking for a rental home. You talk to a landlord who has a laneway house to rent and arrange to see the house. When you and your…
Decolonization

B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner will audit the implementation of settlement agreement between Vancouver Police Board…

Vancouver, B.C. – On Dec. 20, 2019, Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter went to the Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch on Burrard Street in Vancouver and tried to open a bank account. After looking at the pair's identification documents, including their government-issued Indian status cards, BMO staff called 911 to report…

September 28, 2022
A young Black man in a wheelchair, outside on a sunny day.
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Detention

Immigration detention in provincial correctional centres

April 4, 2022
Hate & racism

Hundreds speak out against hate as Inquiry reaches mid-point for public participation

Vancouver B.C. – More than 1700 people who either witnessed or directly experienced a hate incident have participated in an online survey for the Inquiry into hate during the pandemic. British Columbians are sharing stories about being assaulted, verbally abused, threatened online and accosted in grocery stores. People report experiencing…

February 24, 2022
A Black man working as an architect busy at his desk
  • Discrimination / Case Study

Firing an architect

You are the only Black architect at a small firm. You’ve been there less than six months and have been working hard. You’ve made some mistakes with measurements and drawings on your projects. You’ve missed…

January 30, 2022