British Columbia is the only province in Canada that does not have a human rights commission. That makes us the weakest province when it comes to fostering human rights awareness and preventing discrimination.
There is no shortage of pressing issues a Commission could help deal with: not enough supports for youth with mental health problems; race and sex bias in policing; the concentration of Aboriginal, immigrant and racialized women and youth in low-wage employment; homelessness and lack of affordable housing…just to name a few.
Strengthening Human Rights: Why British Columbia Needs a Human Rights Commission by Gwen Brodsky and Shelagh Day, co-published by the CCPA-BC and the Poverty and Human Rights Centre, examines the volatile history of BC's human rights system and makes the case for the creation of a new independent commission.