Latest news with #ServiceCanada
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Proposed lawsuit alleges Toronto violated refugees' rights by denying shelter beds
TORONTO - A proposed class-action lawsuit against the City of Toronto alleges the city violated refugee claimants' Charter rights by denying them access to shelter beds for nearly a year even when beds were available, arguing the practice was 'systemically negligent.' The proposed suit was filed Friday in an Ontario court on behalf of refugees, refugee claimants and asylum seekers who sought shelter in Toronto and were unable to get a bed between Nov. 7, 2022 and Oct. 1, 2023 — a period during which it says the city stopped allowing claimants to access its base shelter system. The suit also includes shelter seekers who were told to contact either Service Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which the suit says were unable to provide housing assistance. The lawsuit requires certification from a judge to proceed. Linette King, a lawyer involved in the case, claimed thousands of refugees were denied shelter beds during that period — even when beds were available — causing mental health and physical security issues. 'Many of them will have had some trauma coming from their home country, and had that exacerbated here by the experience of facing homelessness when there are shelter beds available,' King said in a phone interview on Wednesday. King added that referrals to Service Canada and the IRCC after shelter seekers were turned away were 'problematic' because the city allegedly knew those agencies wouldn't be able to provide shelter. 'Our position in this action is that it really exacerbates the harm because these individuals are not people that are aware of our systems,' King said. 'They are trusting the information they are being given, and if that information is ineffective ... it certainly creates confusion and can add to the harm.' City spokesperson Elise von Scheel said in an emailed statement that the city will respond 'in due course' and has no further comment as the case is before the court. The statement of claim says that in August 2023, about 3,300 refugee claimants were seeking a shelter bed nightly and more than 1,600 were turned away because of their immigration status, even when beds were available. The proposed suit also claims the city's practice disproportionately impacted members of the Black community, as many of the refugee claimants had arrived from countries with predominantly Black populations. The suit names a 40-year-old man from Nigeria who had arrived in Toronto as a refugee in September 2023 and was allegedly told there were no beds available at a number of city shelters, causing him anxiety and fear. 'The defendant knew its exclusionary practices were systematically racist and contrary to the Human Rights Code as it would — and in fact did — disproportionately impact members of the Black community,' the statement of claim alleges. Preventing refugee claimants from accessing beds breached some of their Charter rights, the statement of claim further argues. 'Security of the person was compromised as they were unable to secure a bed leading to either precarious housing or sleeping out on the street,' it claims. None of the allegations have been tested in court. The proposed class action comes after Toronto Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report in December 2024 investigating the city's decision to stop allowing refugee claimants to access its base shelter system beds. Addo found that the decision was 'inconsistent with city policies' and 'amounted to systemic racism.' The ombudsman made several recommendations to the city, including clarifying processes for refugee claimants. City Manager Paul Johnson wrote in a letter to Addo last year that he did not agree with the report's findings and 'would not take further action' in response to the recommendations. King said the goal of the proposed class action suit is to ensure that Toronto and other cities are compliant with the Charter and its values, and that any proposed changes to the shelter system or services that impact refugee claimants are done 'in a thoughtful and responsible way.' 'The hope is that this action is going to provide access to some remedies for these vulnerable people, these refugee claimants,' King said. 'Access should be for everybody, irrespective of their status.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Proposed lawsuit alleges Toronto violated refugees' rights by denying shelter beds
A proposed class-action lawsuit against the City of Toronto alleges the city violated refugee claimants' Charter rights by denying them access to shelter beds for nearly a year. The proposed suit was filed on behalf of refugees, refugee claimants and asylum seekers who sought shelter in Toronto and were unable to get a bed between Nov. 7, 2022 and Oct. 1, 2023, when it says the city stopped allowing claimants to access its base shelter system. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy It also includes shelter seekers who were told to contact either Service Canada or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which the suit says were unable to provide housing assistance. The lawsuit requires certification from a judge to proceed. It also alleges the city's practice disproportionately impacted members of the Black community, as many of the refugee claimants had arrived from countries with predominantly Black populations. Story continues below advertisement City spokesperson Elise von Scheel says the city will respond 'in due course' and has no further comment as the case is before the court.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Hudson's Bay employees who lost jobs can apply for federal support, court rules
The Ontario Superior Court has granted approval for thousands of Hudson's Bay Co. employees who have lost their jobs to seek support under the federal government's Wage Earner Protection Program. The court decision on Tuesday triggers an entitlement to federal benefits for the retailer's former staff. More than 8,300 Bay employees have now been terminated without severance pay. The court hearing occurred just two days after Canada's oldest retailer completed its liquidation sales, closing its doors for the final time over the weekend. 'That's a milestone, albeit an unhappy one,' Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Osborne said during Tuesday's hearing. While discussing the end of the Bay's liquidation, he remarked, 'The end of an era.' Lawyers appointed to represent the Hudson's Bay employees are now in discussions with Service Canada to develop a timeline for employees to access those federal benefits. 'We know they want it as soon as possible,' Susan Ursel of Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP said at the hearing. Also on Tuesday, the court approved a motion from RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust to place a joint venture it co-owns with Hudson's Bay into receivership. The joint venture gives RioCan a stake in 12 properties where Bay stores were located, including buildings in downtown Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa, and locations in high-profile malls such as Yorkdale and Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto. FTI Consulting Canada Inc. will act as receiver for the companies that fall under the joint venture. A third matter before the court on Tuesday was an application to approve Canadian Tire Corp.'s $30-million deal to acquire Hudson's Bay's intellectual property. That approval is needed to transfer ownership of a trove of the historic retailer's brand names, logos, and stripe design dating back to the point blankets used in the fur trade in the 18th century. Justice Osborne stood down that matter on Tuesday, saying that he wanted to consider some specific matters related to the deal. In particular, he questioned lawyers for Hudson's Bay about the inclusion of the trademark for the company's 1670 Royal Charter. The charter itself is part of a separate auction of the Hudson's Bay art and artifacts collection, which has yet to occur. The process for that auction is still in development. It is important that the deal does not allow Canadian Tire to prevent others from calling the document 'the royal charter,' or advertising it as such, Justice Osborne said during Tuesday's hearing. Ashley Taylor, a lawyer with Stikeman Elliott LLP representing Hudson's Bay, told the court on Tuesday that there was no opposition to the Canadian Tire deal, which was reached after 'a robust' sales process. Reflect Advisors LLC, the financial adviser handling that process, initially sent out materials related to the sale to 407 parties considered potential bidders, and received a total of 17 bids. Hudson's Bay had been seeking a going-concern transaction to keep alive the operations of at least some of the stores. The company pitched a plan to potential buyers or investors, proposing a turnaround of six Bay stores that had initially been left out of liquidation, as well as the e-commerce operations, according to a confidential memorandum prepared by Hudson's Bay in March, a copy of which was obtained by The Globe and Mail. That plan would have required $82-million in investment in the first year, according to the document. No such buyer or investor emerged.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Service Canada to cut 800 office jobs nationwide
Published: Updated: Service Canada is set to cut about 800 passport office jobs nationwide by the end of June. The department attributes these reductions to an anticipated drop in passport applications. An Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) spokesperson confirmed the decision was 'necessary and not taken lightly.' These job cuts will affect Service Canada offices across the country, though specific numbers for each location weren't provided. All employees impacted by the changes have been informed. ESDC stated that, as a federal department, it has an obligation to manage its finances responsibly, aligning revenues with costs, including salaries, based on projected workloads. These Service Canada job cuts follow a prior announcement by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to eliminate up to 280 permanent jobs, primarily in the National Capital Region. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), representing nearly a quarter-million public sector workers, asserts that these combined reductions threaten essential daily services for Canadians, warning of potential service delays at passport offices and weakened services for taxpayers and businesses. The union warned that these job cuts will lead to longer wait times at passport offices and weaker services for taxpayers and businesses. PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa stated online, 'Throughout the election, the Liberals promised 'caps, not cuts,' but each week, hundreds of federal workers are receiving notice that their jobs are being eliminated.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Around 800 jobs to be cut Service Canada offices nationally
Around 800 passport office jobs are expected to be cut across the country at the end of June due to a forecast of reduced applications from Service Canada. In an email to this newspaper, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said the decision was 'necessary and not taken lightly.' The cuts will impact Service Canada offices nationally, the spokesperson added. They did not provide details about how many jobs from each service location will be cut, but did say all impacted employees have been notified. 'As a federal department, ESDC has an obligation to ensure sound fiscal management throughout the organization based on forecasted workload volumes. Revenues must be balanced with costs, including costs for employee salaries,' the email read. The job cuts come after the Canadian Revenue Agency announced it will cut 280 jobs, most of them in the National Capital Region. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents nearly 240,000 public service workers across the country, said the job cuts will threaten services that people rely on every day. It will mean longer wait times at passport offices as well as weakened services for taxpayers and businesses, the union said. 'Throughout the election, the Liberals promised 'caps, not cuts,' but each week, hundreds of federal workers are receiving notice that their jobs are being eliminated,' said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC national president, in a statement posted online. 'Prime Minister Carney needs to make good on his word and stop slashing the services people depend on – especially without proper analysis or solid evidence to support these decisions.' Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. City committee to debate whether to allow alcohol in parks GUILTY: Alain Bellefeuille gets life sentence for killing OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller, injuring two other officers
