The recent passing of Canadian human rights lawyer Susan Eng provides an opportunity to reflect on the status of human rights in Canada as well as the work of Eng and other human rights lawyers fighting for fairness.Many people may think of human rights as being shaped by David-versus-Goliath … [Read more...]
Significant Compensation for Workplace Sexual Harassment: Employers should take note
Sexual harassment at work is a form of discrimination under human rights laws, and recent significant awards from the Alberta Human Rights Commission should encourage employers to address this behaviour in the workplace.The Alberta Human Rights Act (the Act) protects Albertans from … [Read more...]
Privacy and Medical Information in the Workplace
How can we balance an employer's right to know about illness or disability and an employee's right to privacy?EDITOR'S NOTE A version of this article first appeared in LawNow in 2019. It has been reviewed for legal accuracy in 2024 by the author.Requesting medical information from … [Read more...]
Why is Canada a Bilingual Country?
Canada has two official languages: French and English. We always wonder why.EDITOR'S NOTE A version of this article first appeared in LawNow in 2019. It has been reviewed for legal accuracy in 2024 by the author.Canada’s two colonizing peoples are the French and the British. They … [Read more...]
Edmonton’s Encampment Case: What does it mean for future cases?
The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights' August 2023 constitutional challenge to the City of Edmonton’s encampment removals did not succeed, but this case wasn't the first of its kind and likely won't be the last.As housing in Canada and Alberta becomes increasingly expensive, many people … [Read more...]
Ontario’s Fair Accommodation Practices Act: 70 years later and human rights legislation continues to evolve
1954 saw the passing of Ontario's Fair Accommodation Practices Act and, since then, human rights legislation has evolved across Canada, including with the passing of human rights codes and the Canadian Charter.To a passing tourist in the early 1950s, the town of Dresden might seem like the … [Read more...]
The Iraq War 20 Years Later: Those who spoke out and those who didn’t
With 20 years having passed since the start of the Iraq War, it is fascinating to look back at who spoke out against the war and who didn’t, including most surprisingly, left-wing journalist Christopher Hitchens.This year marks 20 years since the start of the Iraq War. Reading some … [Read more...]
A Faith Perspective: Canada’s ban on conversion therapy
An essay on what Canada’s ban on conversion therapy means to me as an advocate for inclusion and safety for 2SLGBTQ+ people in faith communities.My name is Pam Rocker. I am the Director of Affirming Connections, an organization based in Southern Alberta. We support the voices of people of faith, … [Read more...]
Supporting Canada’s Ban on Conversion Therapy: A cisgender, straight woman’s perspective
I am a cisgender, straight woman. So, what does the ban on conversion therapy mean to me? A lot!Given how I just identified myself, you may be wondering why I would be so supportive of something that is seemingly outside of my reality. Well … if one wonders that, one may not get the point of … [Read more...]
Sorrowful Soliloquies: I Am Ariel Sharon (Part 1)
I Am Ariel Sharon by Yara El-Ghadban is a timely novel that sheds light on the ongoing tragedy of the Palestinian people.Part 1 of this article describes how Canadian politics, institutions and media have responded to the Israel-Palestine conflict, providing context for my review of I Am Ariel … [Read more...]
