An Act of VisibilityWhen a forgotten story in history is acknowledged, the people surrounding that story become more visible. Justice Edward Belobaba’s recent ruling in favour of Ontario’s Sixties Scoop survivors marks an historical act of visibility where Canada’s dark colonial history is … [Read more...]
The Missing Children Project
The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. George OrwellWhen the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (“TRC”) was established, it was a direct result of a Settlement Agreement between Residential School Survivors, the Assembly of … [Read more...]
It’s Time to Enshrine the Rights and Protections of Transgender Canadians
Diversity, inclusion, acceptance and understanding are core Canadian values. We believe that they define who we are, and we are very proud that they do. And yet, in what we all hold to be a remarkably open and inclusive society, transgender people face an extreme level of exclusion, … [Read more...]
Transgender Inclusion in Sport
In mid-November, I participated in a literary event in Toronto hosted by Carol Off, a well-known CBC personality and the co-host of As It Happens, a nightly radio program. She was interviewing three authors of historical fiction. An audience member asked the question, “A hundred years from now, when … [Read more...]
Equality Rights for Transgender Individuals in Canada
The most recent personal attributes added to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in Canadian human rights are “gender identity” and “gender expression.” This is generally viewed as facilitating gender diversity and, in particular, establishing legal rights and protections for … [Read more...]
Supporting Transgender People in the Workplace
The Alberta Human Rights Act (Act), RSA 2000, c. A-25.5, protects people from discrimination in employment based on gender identity and gender expression under section 7 of the AHR Act: 7 (1) No employer shall(a) refuse to employ or refuse to continue to employ any person, or(b) … [Read more...]
Legalizing Marijuana Use in Canada: Some Concerns
The possession of marijuana in Canada is unlawful under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, SC 1996, c 19 (CDSA), but the use of marijuana is legalized for medical purposes under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, SOR/2013-119 (“MMPR”). However, as far back as 2013, Canada’s … [Read more...]
Looking at Mental Health Courts: Should Alberta Pursue Them?
The case of Donald Kushniruk was a tragedy, and it was a tragedy that could have been avoided with due diligence by the proper authorities. A man with no criminal record who had committed a minor crime, which ultimately led to a sentence of just seven days, spent more than two years in jail waiting … [Read more...]
Understanding the Criminal Trial Process
Some 20 years ago, a sexual offender broke into a series of homes in downtown Vancouver. Several of the victims visually identified Ivan Henry as the perpetrator based on an in-person line up, a photographic line up or when he was sitting as the accused in court. Given the similarities between the … [Read more...]
Solitary Confinement: “Abandon Every Hope, Ye who Enter”
“Abandon every hope, ye who enter”DANTEIn 2003, an artist named Jackie Sumell created a project that rebuilt an Angola inmate’s tiny 6x9 foot cell where he spent 41 years in solitary confinement. The cell toured the United States for the sole purpose of raising awareness about solitary … [Read more...]
