Ontario Human Rights Commission

Ontario Human Rights Commission
Type	Government agency

Ontario Human Rights Commission is a provincial agency that conducted an inquiry into foster care.

In Anishinabek News

• January 2017: A formal complaint was filed with the commission by Tom Willoughby Couchie following a racist incident involving an ice hut business. Commissioner Maurice Switzer commented on the need for community education regarding Indigenous rights.
• December 2020: The Ontario Human Rights Commission is facilitating meetings to address reports of racial slurs and mistreatment directed at Indigenous lacrosse players. The agency plans to retain an Indigenous facilitator to support discussions between Six Nations of the Grand River, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, and the Canadian Lacrosse Association. As of December 2020, the Ontario Human Rights Commission identified Indigenous reconciliation and tackling systemic racism in sport as strategic priorities.
• July 2021: Maurice Switzer serves on the commission's Indigenous Reconciliation Advisory Group.
• October 2021: The Ontario Human Rights Commission is developing a policy regarding the display of derogatory names, words, and images. The Ontario Human Rights Commission stated that words degrading people based on race can violate the human rights code of Ontario. The Indigenous Reconciliation Advisory Group of the Ontario Human Rights Commission participated in discussions about naming a school in Amherstburg.
• March 2022: This commission was cited as one of several bodies whose investigations into the Thunder Bay Police Service were deemed ineffective by Indigenous leaders.
• March 2022: The commission has been involved in ongoing investigations regarding the Thunder Bay Police Service.
• May 2022: Maurice Switzer serves on the commission's Indigenous Reconciliation Advisory Group as of May 2022.
• June 2022: The Ontario Human Rights Commission presented the first Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Awards during a YouTube premiere on June 15, 2022. The organization celebrated the 60th anniversary of the enactment of Ontario’s Human Rights Code by honoring four individuals for their contributions to human rights. A special committee from the agency's Community Advisory Group short-listed nominees for final selection by the commissioners.
• November 2022: A 2016 inquiry by the commission found that over half of children under age 15 in foster care in Canada were Indigenous. The commission reported that more than 40% of children's aid societies did not know the racial backgrounds or Indigenous identities of more than one in five children.