Latest news with #MichaelGray
CBC
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Same-sex couple's discrimination case to go before Alberta human rights tribunal
A same-sex couple says it has been a long and stressful four years, but they're hopeful as their discrimination case is set to go before an Alberta human rights tribunal. Michael Gray and Paul Hemsing allege the City of Medicine Hat discriminated against them by imposing on their home hair salon restrictions that they say other businesses didn't have to follow, along with harassment by officers responding to complaints from neighbours. The director of the Alberta Human Rights Commission initially dismissed the couple's complaint, but last week acting chief Evaristus Oshionebo referred the case to a tribunal. No date has been set. Hemsing told The Canadian Press that they want their dignity back. "We've been in this process now for four years, and we've just been awarded a tribunal," he said Monday from Saskatoon, where the couple now live. "This is quite emotional and upsetting." Oshionebo's decision says the couple ran the hair salon in Medicine Hat, southeast of Calgary, and were forced to move the business into their home during the COVID-19 pandemic. They applied for an operating permit, which imposed limits on hours of operation, how many clients they could see in a week and customer parking on the street, the decision says. Hemsing said it took months to receive a permit when it was supposed to take a week or two. When they got approval, he added, documents were sent to an address the couple hadn't lived at for 20 years. They appealed the limit on the number of clients, as it would have limited their income, Hemsing said. They won, but he said he became stressed and also came down with shingles and later COVID-19. He spent days on a ventilator in hospital. Hemsing said they sold their home and moved to Saskatoon, where they run another salon. Both men have argued the City of Medicine Hat discriminated against them based on their sexual orientation and that they were treated differently from other home-based businesses. They also allege officers harassed them by constantly attending their home in response to gripes from neighbours between December 2020 and December 2021. The complaints from their neighbours, the decision says, were allegedly based on "disapproval of same-sex marriage and that the (city) was or ought to have been aware of this." The commission's director initially dismissed the couple's complaint, saying it was "not unreasonable" for the city to follow up on the parking grievances. "It is understandable that (the couple) found contact from inspectors intrusive. However, the information does not support that the city's enforcement actions were excessive or harassing," the director said. The couple filed for a review and Oshionebo overturned the decision, allowing more evidence on the allegations to be heard. "The issue of whether the complainants' sexual orientation or marital status were a factor in the attendance of their home-based business by the respondent's officers is a genuine issue that can only be addressed in a full hearing," Oshionebo says in his decision. "The complainants have alleged some facts, which if proved by evidence, could establish a link between the alleged adverse treatment (the incessant attendance of their business) and the protected ground of sexual orientation." Lawyers for the city have denied discrimination and argue officers attended the home several times because of numerous calls about an excessive number of vehicles parking near the home salon. City spokeswoman Colleen Graham said in an email that she can't provide comment as the matter is now the subject of a tribunal. Hemsing said no one should suffer like they did. "We lost our home, we lost our business, we had to start new in a new city," he said.
Calgary Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Medicine Hat same-sex couple's complaint against city officials sent to tribunal
Article content Overturning a director's order, the Alberta Human Rights Commission's acting chief has referred a human rights complaint to a tribunal. Article content The complaint was made by a Medicine Hat same-sex couple who allege City of Medicine Hat officials harassed them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Article content Complainants Michael Gray and Paul Hemsing owned and ran a hair salon in the City of Medicine Hat, and during the pandemic they moved their business from a commercial property to their residence. They got a permit to operate the business from their home, with the permit setting conditions around their hours, number of customers and customer parking on the street. Article content Article content They alleged the City of Medicine Hat discriminated against them based on their sexual orientation and that the city treated them differently, imposing restrictions on their business that other businesses did not have. Article content Article content They also said city officers harassed them by constantly attending their home in response to complaints from their neighbours. They also alleged that the neighbours' complaints were based on their disapproval of same-sex marriage and that the city was or ought to been aware of this. Article content The City of Medicine Hat denied the allegations, stating officers attended the couple's home several times due to numerous complaints from neighbours about the number of vehicles parked near their residence. Article content 'It is understandable that (the complainants) found contact from inspectors intrusive. However, the information does not support that the City's enforcement actions were excessive or harassing,' said the director in dismissing the complaints. Article content Article content After their complaints were dismissed, the couple asked for a review, and in a May 6 decision acting Alberta Human Rights Commission chief Evaristus Oshionebo, a University of Calgary law professor and the faculty's interim dean, referred their complaints to a tribunal. Article content 'The issue of whether the complainants' sexual orientation or marital status were a factor in the attendance of their home-based business by the respondent's officers is a genuine issue that can only be addressed in a full hearing of the Complaints,' wrote Oshionebo in his decision, which stated that it 'cannot be said that the Complaints have no reasonable prospect of success.' Article content Oshionebo had found the information provided by Gray and Hemsing is 'obviously not enough to conclude that their sexual orientation was a factor in the respondent's attendance of their home-based business.' Article content 'However, based on the information, the complainants have alleged some facts, which if proved by evidence, could establish a link between the alleged adverse treatment (the incessant attendance of their business) and the protected ground of sexual orientation,' added Oshionebo.
Business Wire
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Arctera FY26 Channel Program Offers Additional Rewards for Partners Aligning to Business Unit Strategy
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arctera, a global leader in data management, today announced its FY26 channel partner program, with enhanced rewards for partners. The latest program continues Arctera's strategy of creating specialized partner rewards initiatives for each of its three business units – Data Compliance, Data Resilience and Data Protection – with tailored recognition, rebates and resources. Arctera began this channel journey following its spinoff from Veritas Technologies in December 2024. In its FY26 program, the first full-year program since the split, new partner benefits include: Enhanced deal registration with incentives aligned to the market opportunities for each business unit. New growth-target incentives that map to the unique characteristics and growth rates for each market. Dedicated partner development funds ringfenced for each business unit that empower partners by providing financial, marketing and training resources to accelerate business growth. Michael Gray, VP of Channels and Alliances at Arctera, said: 'We are passionate about bringing our channel partners with us as we continue to transform our business and harnessing market opportunities. Our focus is encouraging our partners to target the biggest areas of potential growth for each of our three business units. By pooling our industry insight and market-leading products with our partners' relationships and technical implementation skills, we believe that we've got the best possible combination for our joint customers.' The latest Arctera channel program extends the most successful elements of previous programs across all three of the business units. This includes offering deal registration benefits to partners reselling Backup Exec solutions from Arctera Data Protection. Partners working with all three business units will see revenue thresholds tailored specifically to each one, enabling them to quickly move through partner tiers to unlock their optimum rewards status. About Arctera Arctera helps organizations around the world thrive by ensuring they can trust, access, and illuminate their data from creation to retirement. Created in 2024 from Veritas Technologies, an industry leader in secure multi-cloud data resilience, Arctera comprises three business units: Data Compliance, Data Protection and Data Resilience. Arctera provides tens of thousands of customers worldwide, including 70% of the Fortune 100, with market-leading solutions that help them to manage one of their most valuable assets: data. Learn more at Follow us on X @arcteraio.
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
St. Anthony's go through as Newtown United fightback falls short in Jim McLaughlin Cup clash
St. Anthony's 4 Newtown United 'A' Wicklow People Today at 02:30 Michael Gray scored St. Anthony's fourth goal in the 59th minute to wrap up a home win against Newtown United in the Jim McLaughlin Cup quarter-final, as they won 4 goals to 3. The first goal came in the first minute, Louis Thomas sent a free from the sideline on the right just inside his own half into the box, it skimmed off a Newtown defender's head and fell into the path of Jamie Kelly on the left side of the box. The midfielder was all on his own and finished it into the bottom right corner.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A colder winter brings hope for WV's maple farming
PHILIPPI, (WBOY) — West Virginia's growing liquid gold industry of maple syrup has begun, with the start of the eighth annual West Virginia Maple Days kicking off Saturday with dozens of sugarhouses and supporting businesses across the state. This year, 12 News visited Gray Farms in Philippi, where the Gray family has been making maple syrup for the public for 14 years, but has had the love and passion for it for generations. Owner of Gray Farms, Michael Gray, explained why it's important to educate people on how maple syrup is actually made. 'There's a lot of people out there that don't know the process, that think you just poke a hole in the tree and you get syrup, that's not how it works,' Gray said. 'Pretty much, you've got water that comes out for the tree and we'll just evaporate the water out to make the sugar concentrate which is syrup, there's no additives, everything's, you know, coming from the tree.' What started out as an average of 50 taps has now grown to 645. Maple farmers usually want a six to eight week tapping season during freeze-thaw cycles, and it's where weather can either make or break a good season. 'I think we got three weeks of production last year,' Gray recalled. 'This year, we're two weeks in—two thirds of what I produced last year—so we got nice cold trees coming next week, so I'm looking forward to another two or three weeks hopefully this year.' Diners enjoy Valentine's Day Dinner at Adaland Mansion Last year, 12 News reported on warming temperature's effects on maple making in the Mountain State, but with this year's colder winter, farmers like Gray and Keith Heasley, owner and operator of Heasley Homestead, have seen a change. 'A different year than last year, obviously much colder, our season started much later, maybe three weeks later, so we've only been in it for about two weeks now, but so far so good,' Heasley said. He added they're currently about a fourth of the way into their yearly production. 'We've had a couple really good runs, you know, making 50-60 gallons in a day, for us is a good day, and we hope to get another dozen of those and we'll be set.' The next and last maple day will be Saturday March 15, you can go here to see the sugarhouse nearest you. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
