B.C. Human Rights Commissioner details government action, inaction on recommendations
B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on March 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
British Columbia's Office of the Human Rights Commissioner says the provincial government has made 'progress' on more than half of its recommendations since 2019.
Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender released her office's 'Where We Stand' report Tuesday, detailing her work in her first five-year term between 2019 and 2024.
The commissioner's office was established in 2019, and the report notes how 'the world — and the human rights of people in B.C. — was thrown into chaos" by the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit seven months later.
The Human Rights Commissioner's office has made 159 recommendations to public bodies in B.C. since 2019, in 18 letters to the government and three reports.
It found the B.C. government had 'fully implemented' 18 of its recommendations and partially implemented 74, while 67 had not been acted upon.
It said overall that there had been 'progress' on 58 per cent of the commissioner's recommendations.
The provincial government fully implemented only one of 37 recommendations in the commissioner's report into hate incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic, released in 2023.
That saw the Attorney General's Ministry implement a recommendation to reform Crown policy 'to emphasize the strong public interest in prosecuting hate crimes,' by pursuing 'a broader range of prosecutions of hate-related incidents.'
But the ministry didn't implement a call for a high-level position to prevent and respond to hate incidents, or commit to producing a 'whole-of-government strategy and action plan on addressing hate.'
Nor did the Ministry of Education act upon the commissioner's plea to 'significantly expand' school curriculums to empower students in kindergarten through grade 12 to identify 'combat hate and extremism.'
The commissioner's 2021 report titled 'Equity is safer: Human rights considerations for policing reform in British Columbia' made 29 recommendations, of which the government fully implemented one, partially implemented 15 and didn't act upon 13.
Among the policing report's unimplemented recommendations were empowering the Privacy Commissioner to investigate complaints about police data collection, and calls for an 'unbiased policing standard' focused on traffic stops to eliminate bias.
The report also recommended an end to police school liaison programs, which was partially implemented.
The policing reform report also urged the immediate expansion of the civilian-led Independent Investigations Office's mandate to include sexual assault investigations. This was not implemented.
The Human Rights Commissioner's report said there were 'no statistically significant trends' around which recommendations were implemented and which were not.
The report said 'simpler' requests involving single actions and 'fewer duty holders' had better uptake, while noting that 'unsurprisingly, recommendations on topics that align with ongoing government priorities seem to receive more attention.'
The report said that the Human Rights Commissioner made 33 recommendations to the government that were covered by non-disclosure agreements, seven of which were fully implemented.
This report by Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press, was first published May 27, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
RFK Jr.'s firing of U.S. immunization committee worrisome, Canadian scientists say
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines talk to guests before President Donald Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) TORONTO — Canadian doctors and scientists say Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s firing of an immunization advisory committee south of the border is worrisome. On Monday, the U.S. health and human services secretary — a longtime anti-vaccine advocate — said he will appoint new members to the scientific group that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccination. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said Tuesday that the move will foster more false anti-vaccine beliefs, not only in the U.S. but also in Canada. 'It creates a culture in which anti-vaxx beliefs are more accepted and challenged a lot less. And also it creates an environment where there's an alternative to an evidence-based recommendation framework,' she said. Even though Kennedy's new appointments will make vaccine recommendations specific to the United States, any disinformation could also feed vaccine hesitancy among Canadians, Rasmussen said. 'We have a lot of the same anti-vaxx sentiment up here. Certainly this will at the very least empower (that),' she said. Rasmussen said current measles outbreaks in both countries show the consequences of disinformation that leads to parents not immunizing their children against preventable diseases. She said Canada could also experience some fallout if the new committee pulls back vaccination recommendations, because manufacturers may cut back on production and that could lead to shortages. 'There's a lot of potential for really, really damaging vaccine access throughout the U.S. and potentially around the world because the U.S. market has a big impact on what vaccine manufacturers are actually going to make and manufacture,' she said. 'There's so many ways that this can end up really badly for vaccination in general. And it really causes me a lot of concern.' Rasmussen said the firing of the advisory committee members is just the latest in a series of anti-public health actions Kennedy has taken. 'It's a death by a thousand cuts,' said Rasmussen, who is American and moved to Canada during the pandemic to work at the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has already cut billions of dollars in research grants at the National Institutes of Health. In May, the administration cancelled a contract with mRNA vaccine manufacturer Moderna to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including H5N1 avian flu. 'It just seems that there is a top-down approach that views mRNA vaccines in particular — vaccination in general, but mRNA vaccines in particular — with distrust and is trying to dismantle that particular avenue of medical research,' said Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Montreal Children's Hospital. Papenburg, who is a member of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization but was not speaking on its behalf, said although the Moderna contract cancellation and the firing of the U.S. vaccine advisory committee members are two separate actions, they're both concerning as Canada tries to prepare for potential human-to-human transmission of H5N1. 'Both are potentially very dangerous when it comes to America's and the world's ability to respond to emerging infectious diseases for which vaccines could be a useful medical countermeasure,' he said. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
You'll soon need an access card to dump bulk waste in eastern Newfoundland
The old-fashioned clipboard and pen is slowly being replaced at the entrance to waste recovery facilities in eastern Newfoundland, as the board running the sites implements an access card system so it can collect better data on who's using the facilities, and what they're dropping off. But full implementation of the system has been paused for nine months to allow more time for residents to complete the card application process. Stephen Tessier, president of the Eastern Regional Service Board, said "we came to realize fairly quickly" that some people, especially those in unincorporated areas and those with limited access to — or knowledge of — the internet, were having trouble applying for the cards. "They're the ones struggling to get access to the cards," Tessier said on Tuesday during an interview at the bulk drop-off site in Whitbourne. In order to address some of the confusion and help those struggling with their applications, board members will attend a public meeting in North Boat Harbour on Thursday hosted by Placentia-St. Mary's MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh. "We'll bring some applications with us. And if people are struggling, we'll help them fill them out," said Tessier. The board delivers regional services such as waste management, water and sewer and fire protection to communities that are not able to do it on their own. The board serves more than 100 communities and 27,000 households east of Clarenville — not including St. John's and its larger neighbours. Each household pays $225 annually for a weekly curbside garbage service, bi-weekly recycling collection, and an annual bulk garbage pick-up. Separately, the board operates 10 waste recovery facilities where residents can drop off — at no cost — bulk items such as furniture, mattresses, appliances, construction debris such as shingles, tires and tree branches. The sites are located in places such as Clarenville, Old Perlican, Harbour Grace and Bay Bulls, and are open in the morning and afternoon on Saturdays, and in the afternoons from Tuesday to Thursday. Last year, the sites recorded more than 34,000 visits, with the waste material eventually ending up at the Robin Hood Bay waste management facility in St. John's. For years, users of these waste recovery facilities would be greeted by an attendant with a clipboard, who would record the user's name and log the type of items being dropped off. That information would then be manually inputted into a computer. The board announced in late 2024 that it was adopting an access card system — each with a unique QR code — that would be issued to each household, again at no cost. The card is scanned by an attendant before entrance to each site, and all the necessary data is automatically uploaded. The card can be used a maximum of 16 times per year, which is a safeguard against commercial users accessing the sites. "It gives us some data that allows us then to operate our facilities in a more efficient way because we are not-for-profit," Tessier explained. "We need to make sure that we're doing the best we can to offer the best services to the residents." Initially, the system was scheduled to become mandatory on April 1, but the board was forced to hit the brakes following feedback from users. The new implementation date is Jan. 2, 2026, but many users have already started scanning their cards, said Tessier. Users have to complete an application in order to receive a card, and more than 5,300 have so far been issued, with several thousand more being processed, said Tessier. Applications can take up to six weeks to process. Applicants must include a civic address on their application as proof that they reside in the area served by the board, and this is causing some headaches for those living in unincorporated areas where civic addresses do not exist. "We've worked with them. We've changed how we accept their ID now," said Tessier. For example, he said applicants can provide a copy of a land deed, or an Amazon delivery receipt, as proof that they own a property in the board's coverage area. "We're pretty flexible on what you could show us," he added.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Months after transport truck crash, Swift Current resident still living with mess
A Burin Peninsula resident has been counting the days since a transport truck crashed near her home, still waiting for a proper clean up while living with the debris it left behind. A truck, owned by Ontario-based Ollie Transport, went over an embankment near Nancy Barrington's Swift Current home on Feb. 4, spilling diesel and leaving behind parts of the wreckage. While the truck was quickly removed from the site, Barrington says the hood, fender, bonnet and broken glass are still scattered in the area. "Every day I go out, you know, to the side of my home and all of the debris is there. You can still smell the diesel fuel out there," Barrington told CBC News. She says Ollie Transport is responsible for the clean up and site remediation but as of Friday — 122 days since the incident — the company hasn't completed the work. In fact, Barrington said, last month there was a community clean up initiative that helped her get rid of some of the smaller pieces of debris like glass, plastic and other contents that spilled out from the truck's cab during the crash. "It's just nice to have people come together to help to clean it up and try to get it rectified and try to get some normalcy, I guess, back to where my property lies," said Barrington. However, some of the larger pieces were too big to be removed and are still there, she said, and she can't afford to pay for them to be removed. Barrington said oil also spilled from the truck, and some ended up in the ocean. She said she's worried about environmental damage. Barrington said she has reached out to the Department of Government Modernization and Service Delivery about delays in the clean up. She said she was told the situation has become a legal issue. "It's still an active case. [The government is] still actively involved, but the company is just not co-operating," she said. Legal action Government spokesperson Gina MacArthur told CBC News Ollie Transport had begun the clean up process but then stopped. Then, in early March the company was directed by a ministerial order from the Department of Environment and Climate Change to resume the clean up in a timely manner. "This process includes a 60-day window within which the polluter may appeal the ministerial order. As this 60-day period has now expired, the provincial government has begun the steps required to pursue legal action against the polluter through the court system," MacArthur wrote. CBC News has repeatedly attempted to reach Ollie Transport for an interview. The company has not replied. Barrington said she's frustrated by the lack of action. "It's like something that you keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get answers and to get done, but it's like nobody is taking responsibility for it," she said. The experience of having a truck crash near her home has left Barrington worried whenever she hears the sound of vehicles driving on the highway nearby. With greater economic activity expected in the next few years in her region, she's concerned there will soon be more trucks zipping along the stretch of roadway.
