Backgrounder Human Rights Claimants and Advocates Speak Out! In April of this year, the government of Ontario introduced legislation to reform Ontario's human rights complaints system. The system of complaints processing has been largely unchanged in more than 40 years. Recently, additional amendments were proposed that would further strengthen the human rights complaints system by guaranteeing legal supports for claimants, and providing for more robust Commission powers. Bill 107's introduction and its proposed amendments have generated intense debate. What is often lost in this debate is the real reason for reforming the system: the Commission's existing complaints system fails to meet the needs of people seeking human rights protection. Social justice and equity seeking groups applaud Bill 107 precisely because the bill would refocus the enforcement regime on the needs of victims of discrimination. Human rights advocates and community organizations that work directly on the front lines with victims of discrimination know that right now, 3 out of every 4 unsettled complaints will be rejected - behind closed doors - without a hearing. Bill 107 gives all claimants direct access to a public hearing, while allowing the Commission to focus on what it does best: policy development, public education, outreach, and systemic advocacy. Below are groups and individuals that are on record as supporting the right to direct access with adequate legal and other supports guaranteed by Bill 107. More materials including letters and submissions by many of these groups and individuals can be found on a new website at : The Honourable Claire L Heureux-Dube, Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Catherine Frazee, Professor of Distinction, School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University; Former Chief Commissioner, OHRC Raj Anand, Lawyer and former Chief Commissioner, OHRC Phyllis Gordon, Director ARCH Disability Law Centre Consuelo Rubio, Community Legal Worker, Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples Carol Phillips, Assistant to President, Canadian Auto Workers Theresa Claxton, Chair, Ontario Association of Patient Councils
Lana Frado, Executive Director, Sound Times (Psychiatric Survivor Support Initiative) Phillip Dufresne, Dream Team Peggie Birnberg, Houselink Community Homes Marianne Park, Social Services Consultant Bev Salmon, former OHRC Commissioner, former Metro and North York Councillor Marilyn Oladimeji, President, Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres David Reville, Adjunct Professor, School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University Dr. Kathryn Church, Associate Professor, Ryerson University School of Disability Studies Gabrielle Hrynkiw, Housing Program Co-ordinator, Jessie s Centre for Teenagers Sandi Bell, Equity Consultant John Feld, Transportation Action Now Lorne Sossin, Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto Ruth Carey, Director, HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Dr. Melanie Panitch, Director of School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University Dr. Geoffrey Reaume, Assistant Professor, Critical Disability Studies, York University Marcia Cummings, Blind Consumer Monica Ackermann, Disability Accommodation Consultant Carol Dunphy, Dream Team Co-ordindator Chantal Tie, Human Rights Lawyer, South Ottawa Legal Clinic Bruce Porter, Director, Social Rights Advocacy Centre John Fraser, Director, Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) Mary Truemner, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario; CERA Board Member Kathy Laird, Legal Director, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) Cindy Wilkey, Income Security Advocacy Centre John Bagnall, Albion Neighbourhood Services Sandy Welsh, Associate Professor, University of Toronto Al Sunisloe Manjusi Welikala, Member, ARCH Disability Law Centre Community and Justice Organizations Supporting Human Rights Reform 1 Ontario Bar Association Jessie s Centre for Teenagers Canadian Auto Workers Springtide (Ending Violence Against Women) 1 All these organizations are on record as supporting reform and the passage of Bill 107 provided that the Government passes its proposed amendments to entrench the legal support service; ensure the right to an oral hearing; restore investigation mechanisms; remove user fees; and ensure appropriate financial support.
At^lohsa Native Family Healing Services Inc. Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, UWO EGALE Canada ("Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere ) Ontario Association of Social Workers Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (University of Western Ontario) Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association ( BANA ) METRAC (Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children) Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis (Sexual Assault Centre and Women s Shelter) Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton & Area) Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre of Peel Timmins and Area Women in Crisis Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape Woman Abuse Council of Toronto Women s Sexual Assault Centre Renfrew County Chatham Kent Sexual Assault Crisis Centre Chatham Kent Women s Centre Oshawa Durham Rape Crisis Centre Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis Sexual Assault Survivor s Centre Sarnia Lambton Timmins and Area Women in Crisis Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte and District Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area Faye Peterson Transition House (Thunder Bay) Sexual Assault Centre of Brant Sexual Assault Centre London Kitchener-Waterloo Sexual Assault Support Centre ARCH Disability Law Centre Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario Algoma Community Legal Clinic Brampton Community Legal Services Centre for Spanish Speaking People Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic Clinique juridique francophone de l Est de Ottawa Clinique juridique communautaire Timmins- Temiscamingue Clinique juridique Grand Nord (Kapuskasing) Community Legal Services of Niagara South Community Legal Assistance Sarnia Community Legal Clinic Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk Community Legal Clinic - Simcoe, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes Community Legal Clinic of York Region Downsview Community Legal Clinic Dundurn Community Legal Services Hamilton Durham Community Legal Clinic Oshawa East Toronto Community Legal Services Elgin Oxford Legal Clinic Elliot Lake and Northshore Community Legal Clinic Georgina Community Legal Services Grey-Bruce Community Legal Clinic Hamilton Mountain Legal and Community Services HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario Huron Perth Community Legal Clinic Income Security Advocacy Centre Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario
Justice for Children and Youth Keewaytinok Native Legal Services (James Bay) Kenora Community Legal Services Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Clinic Kingston Community Legal Clinic Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic (Thunder Bay) Lake Country Community Legal Clinic (Bracebridge) Legal Clinic of Guelph and Wellington County Manitoulin Legal Clinic McQuesten Legal and Community Services Mississauga Community Legal Services Neighbourhood Legal Services Toronto Neighbourhood Legal Services London Middlesex Niagara North Community Legal Assistance York Community Services Nipissing Community Legal Clinic North Peel and Dufferin Community Legal Services Peterborough Community Legal Centre Rainy River District Community Legal Clinic Renfrew County Legal Clinic Rexdale Community Legal Clinic Scarborough Community Legal Services South Etobicoke Community Legal Services South Ottawa Legal Clinic Sudbury Community Legal Services Waterloo Region Community Legal Services West Scarborough Community Legal Services West Toronto Community Legal Services West End Legal Services (Ottawa) Donna Hill, Toronto Phyllis Brooks, Toronto David A. Wright, Toronto Barrie Chercover, Toronto Kim Bernhardt, Toronto Geri Sanson, Toronto Mark Hart, Toronto Yola Grant, Toronto Susan Ursel, Toronto Joshua S. Phillips, Toronto Andrea Wobick, Toronto, Grace Vaccarelli, Toronto Terri Hilborn, Toronto Simon Blackstone, Toronto Maria Callaghan, London Patricia Kelly, Chatham Individuals Supporting Bill 107 Martha Glover, Chatham Michelle Schryer, Chatham Michelle Batty, Sarnia Heather Field, Guelph Georgette M.J. Parsons, Sarnia, Glenda Johnston, Paincourt Kathy Dionne, Timmins Donna Waldram, Chatham Kim Charlebois, Belleville Lauren Leech, Oakville Gail Ernst, Chatham Miriam Sager, Hamilton Sandra Lemus, Hamilton Kamal Grewel, Hamilton Diane Sharp, Hamilton Krista Warnke, Hamilton
Angela Gamba, Chatham Catherine Burr, London Shelly Skipper, Chatham Sharon Scrimshaw Jacquie Carr, London Allison Cormie, Sudbury Suvania Shiu, Thunder Bay Pat Case, Guelph Colleen Pritchard, Toronto Stephanie Payne, Toronto Natasha DeMenna, Toronto Dijana Simonovic, Toronto Graeme Norton, Toronto Carlo DiGiovanni, Toronto Allan Shaw, Toronto