Alberta Human Rights Information Service September 29, 2010

In this issue:

Commission news

Human rights and diversity news from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit

Other human rights and diversity news:
Alberta news
Canadian news

Related publications and resources

COMMISSION NEWS

1. Recent tribunal decisions:
The Commission has recently posted the following tribunal decisions, including a preliminary matters decision on a severance agreement, on the website:

Beverly Noel v. 375850 Alberta Ltd. (September 16, 2010; Delano Tolley, Tribunal Chair)

Delorie Walsh v. Mobil Oil Canada - Decision on Remedy (September 2, 2010; Beth Bryant, Tribunal Chair)

Ian Phillips v. Canyon Creek Heights Condominium Board of Directors (July 22, 2010; Delano Tolley, Tribunal Chair)

John McNamara v. Lockerbie & Hole Inc. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. (July 22, 2010; Delano Tolley, Tribunal Chair)

Charles Bley v. Syncrude Canada Ltd. (July 21, 2010; Beth Bryant, Tribunal Chair)

Cam Stilwell v. Edmonton Exchanger & Manufacturing Ltd. and Edmonton Exchanger & Refinery Services Ltd. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. (July 21, 2010; Beth Bryant, Tribunal Chair)

Dale Ofstedahl v. Comstock Canada Ltd. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. (July 21, 2010; Beth Bryant, Tribunal Chair)

Wade Bastien v. Bouvry Exports Calgary Limited (July 13, 2010; Delano Tolley, Tribunal Chair)

Jenny Redshaw v. CCI Thermal Technologies Inc. (Preliminary Matters on Severance Agreement; June 30, 2010; Brenda Scragg, Tribunal Chair)

2. Seeking nominations for the Diversity Leadership Award of Distinction:
Nominations are now open for the Alberta Human Rights Commission Diversity Leadership Award of Distinction. The Diversity Leadership Award recognizes organizations that welcome diversity in their workforces, are eliminating discrimination and barriers to employment, and are helping to build respectful and inclusive workplaces. The Diversity Leadership Award is one of the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction. Organizations in all sectors, including businesses, community organizations and public institutions, are eligible to apply. The deadline for nominations is November 12, 2010. Applications are submitted online. 

3. Human Rights in the Workplace workshops:

Fall public workshops still available:
It's not too late to register for upcoming Human Rights in the Workplace public workshops scheduled for Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The full-day workshops, intended for managers, supervisors, team leaders, human resource professionals, union leaders, and small business owners, will provide participants with:

  • an overview of Alberta's human rights legislation,
  • information from the workshop module Duty to accommodate,
  • an understanding of harassment in the workplace and strategies to prevent such harassment, and
  • tools for the investigation of harassment complaints.

The workshops qualify for points towards Certified Human Resources Professional recertification.  Read more details about recertification points. 

See the fall public workshop schedule for details.

Workshops offered to Government of Alberta employees:
The Commission is offering 25 half-day Human Rights in the Workplace workshops to Government of Alberta employees from September 21, 2010 to February 16, 2011. The workshops will be offered in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Peace River and High Level. Government of Alberta employees can register for these workshops through MyAgent. For more information, contact the Government of Alberta Learning Centre at GOA.training@gov.ab.ca or at 780-644-2222.

4. The Commission has updated two interpretive bulletins:
The Commission interpretive bulletin Rights and responsibilities related to pregnancy, childbirth and adoption has been updated to reflect the October 2009 amendments to the province's human rights legislation, to clarify content, and to update the case law. The section on medical benefits has been substantially revised. The bulletin is available in a text version and in a printable PDF version.

The Commission interpretive bulletin Duty to accommodate students with disabilities in post-secondary educational institutions bulletin has been updated to reflect the October 2009 amendments to the province's human rights legislation, to include information about transitory illness, to clarify details about the need for medical information in accommodation, and to update the case law. The bulletin is available in a text version and in a printable PDF version.

5.  Commission hosted citizenship ceremonies:
The Commission, in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, hosted two citizenship ceremonies on September 21, 2010 in Edmonton, where about 86 newcomers became new Canadians. Judge Sonia Bitar, Citizenship Judge, conducted the ceremonies. The Commission hosted a reception at both sessions for about 100 people, including family and relatives of the new Canadians.

The Chief of the Commission and Tribunals, the Honourable Blair Mason, spoke at both ceremonies, congratulating the new Canadians and welcoming them to Alberta. The Commission gave the new Canadians packages of information about the Commission and its services.

6. The Commission is featured on the new Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) website:
Each month, a different human rights commission is featured on the new Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) website. The Alberta Human Rights Commission is featured for the month of September. Read the Commission's feature article. Commission resources are also featured in the Resources section.

7. Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) annual conference in Newfoundland, June 20 to 23, 2010:
The Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) annual conference was held in Newfoundland this year. The national conference is an opportunity for member commissions across Canada and wider audiences to share, learn and network about issues related to human rights in Canada. "The Edge of Rights Awareness: Compliance & Adherence in the 21st Century" was the 2010 conference theme. Delegates were provided with opportunities to reflect and debate current human rights issues, with an emphasis on the impact of international human rights conventions in Canada.

8. Alberta Commission will host CASHRA 2011:
The Alberta Human Rights Commission is hosting the 2011 annual CASHRA conference in Calgary, Alberta from June 13 to 16. At the 2010 conference, Chief of the Commission and Tribunals Blair Mason officially invited delegates to next year's conference. Read more about his presentation.

9. Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act came into effect on September 1, 2010:
Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act came into effect on September 1, 2010. This section of the Act requires school boards to provide notice to parents or guardians of students in certain teaching situations involving subject matter that deals primarily and explicitly with religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation. On written request from a parent or guardian, a teacher is required to exclude a student without academic penalty from a teaching situation that deals primarily and explicitly with these subject matters. Section 11.1 does not apply to teaching situations that involve only incidental or indirect references to religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation.

You can read more about this and other amendments to Alberta's human rights legislation in the Commission publications Amendments to Alberta's human rights legislation and Notice of changes to Alberta's human rights legislation.

10. Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD) update:
The City of Wetaskiwin has recently joined CMARD, bringing the number of Alberta municipalities involved in the Coalition to ten. Read the List of Signatory Municipalities who have joined the Coalition.

PLEASE NOTE: In the following sections of the newsletter, we publish news and information provided by other organizations. We also link to other websites related to human rights and diversity. The Commission provides this information as a service and is not responsible for the content provided by other organizations on their websites or by other means. Please direct comments or inquiries regarding these organizations or their websites to the organization in question.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY NEWS FROM ALBERTA CULTURE AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT
  
1. Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund:



The Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund (HREMF) provides financial assistance to community organizations to help them become a catalyst for changes that will:

  • create an environment where all Albertans have an opportunity to participate to their full potential without discrimination;
  • increase the capacity of organizations to develop and sustain work that fosters equality and reduces discrimination; and
  • advance the development of welcoming and inclusive communities and workplaces.

If you are considering applying for financial assistance from the HREMF, now is the time to contact a consultant who works with the grant program. The consultant will assist you with the application process and advise you on your project. The next deadline for receipt of letters of intent to apply for financial assistance is May 1, 2011.

Grant recipients: Over $637,000 in grants from the HREMF will help 10 non-profit organizations promote human rights, remove barriers to participation, and challenge racism in Alberta.  Read the information bulletin and learn more about what these organizations are doing.

Recently completed projects: Read about recently completed projects that have received funding through the HREMF.

Scholarship awarded: A Ph.D. student from the University of Alberta and a Master's student from the University of Lethbridge were granted the Alberta Award for the Study of Canadian Human Rights and Multiculturalism, enabling them to undertake research that will increase our understanding about what helps immigrants integrate more fully into Alberta society. The intent of the scholarship is to help develop expertise about effective ways to reduce discrimination and to support the full participation of Albertans in all aspects of life. Read the information bulletin.

2. Significant dates:

New resources to encourage the celebration of days significant to human rights and diversity: The Human Rights and Diversity Branch of Culture and Community Spirit has created an attractive handout and poster titled Celebrate All Year Round to promote days significant to human rights and diversity. 

The resources are intended to remind Albertans of significant international, national and provincial days related to human rights and diversity throughout the year. Albertans are encouraged to reflect on the key messages associated with each event, participate in and plan events related to these important days. To order the handout or poster, contact educationcommunityservices@gov.ab.ca or call 403-297-8407.

September 8 was Literacy Day: International Literacy Day this year celebrated women's empowerment through literacy and paid tribute to the men and women who work to help others acquire literacy. UNESCO reports that worldwide, one in five adults is still not literate and about two-thirds of them are women. On September 8, 2010 the annual UNESCO International Literacy Prizes were presented to innovative literacy programs that focused on women's empowerment. Read about the award winners and watch the video message about Literacy Day from UNESCO's Director-General, Ivina Bokova.

The Commission supports Learn at Work Week (September 20 to 24): Learn at Work Week is a national initiative that began with the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD). It is intended to raise awareness of the importance of workplace learning, celebrate the best practices of workplace learning, and celebrate the success of a learning organization.

In support of Learn at Work Week, the Commission partnered with the CSTD to distribute Learning is a Human Right posters to over 800 Alberta-based CSTD members. The posters promote learning as central to building strong and vibrant communities that value human rights, diversity and inclusion. The resources support efforts to promote learning and literacy in Alberta. The posters are an initiative of the Canadian Council on Learning, in collaboration with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. You can order copies of the posters. 

September 21 was the International Day of Peace: On September 21 of each year, the United Nations asks warring parties around the world to observe one day of cease-fire. Read more about International Day of Peace, as well as ideas, resources and events that took place to recognize the day.

October is Women's History Month: October is Women's History Month in Canada. Check the Status of Women website closer to the date for details regarding this year's theme.

October 18 is Persons Day: Persons Day commemorates the 1929 landmark decision when women were declared "persons" under the law. Read more about the Persons Case. Alberta recognizes Persons Day through the Persons Case Scholarships, available for Alberta students who choose studies that contribute to the advancement of women, or for students who are pursuing careers in fields where members of their gender are under-represented. Scholarship applications are available online.

November 20 is Universal Children's Day: Universal Children's Day commemorates the day on which both the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) were adopted. 

November 25 is the International Day to End Violence Against Women: From Unifem's website: "Say NO - UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a global call for action, launched in November 2009, on ending violence against women and girls." Read more.

November 25 to December 10: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence: 2010 marks the 20th year of this campaign. Read more about the campaign and the 2010 theme.

See the list of significant days on the Help Make a Difference website.

3. 2010 Queen's Golden Jubilee Citizenship Medal: Lieutenant Governor, His Honour, Col. Ret'd, the Honourable Donald S. Ethell and Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett presented the 2010 Queen's Golden Jubilee Citizenship Medal to eight high school students from across Alberta. The recipients received royal recognition for their outstanding contributions to their communities through good citizenship, leadership, community service and volunteerism. Read the news release and background information about the recipients.

OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY NEWS

Alberta news

1. Easy access to Alberta social programs: The Government of Alberta provides easy access to Alberta social programs through its Alberta Supports web page which offers links related to: Seniors, Employment and Training, Persons with Disabilities, Lower Income, Children and Youth, Abuse and Bullying, Homeless, and Making Life Decisions. 

2. Nature guidebook for new Canadians: Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (TPR) launched a new guidebook that introduces new Canadians to Alberta's provincial parks. The free guidebook, Nature as a Second Language, is part of Alberta's Plan for Parks and the strategy to implement an inclusion strategy. From the TPR website: "This program supports the full participation of new Canadians through experiences, knowledge and skill development, and mentorship programs aimed at increasing environmental and recreational literacy among Alberta's newest residents." Read more and download the guidebook.

Canadian news

1. New president selected for the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA): Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, has recently been selected as president of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA). Read the CASHRA news release.

2. New multiculturalism grants and contribution program: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offers a new multiculturalism grants and contribution program, Inter-Action. From the website: "The Program supports CIC's mandate and the Canadian Multiculturalism Act by assisting the socio-economic integration of individuals and communities and their contributions to building an integrated and socially cohesive society." Funding is provided under two streams: Projects and Events. The application deadline for projects is October 15, 2010. Applications for events are accepted year round. 

3. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offers two contests for youth:

  • Youth once again invited to stand up and speak out!: Citizenship and Immigration Canada has launched the 2010-11 Racism. Stop it! National Video Competition. This contest provides youth with the opportunity to submit videos (45 to 60 seconds) about the elimination of racial discrimination. Ten winning videos will be chosen to be broadcast on national television. Preview past winning videos. Resources for teachers and students are available online. Deadline for submissions is December 31, 2010.

  • National creative writing and artwork contest:  The Mathieu Da Costa Challenge National Creative Writing and Artwork Contest provides youth with an opportunity to celebrate the importance of multiculturalism and diversity in Canada. The deadline for submissions is December 10, 2010. Read more about the contest and see past winning entries.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES

1. Anti-bullying resources: Two new websites offering anti-bullying resources have recently been launched.

  • The Government of Alberta offers a web page with links to services and resources designed to help children, youth and adults prevent and deal with bullying.

  • The Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre launched its free online web course for teachers. Titled Implementing a School-Wide Approach to Bullying, the course, which takes 2 to 3 hours to complete online, can be done all at once or in several sessions. A one-hour version of the course can also be presented by a trained human rights educator at professional development days or conferences.

2. Resource on mental health in the workplace: The Government of Canada released a guide titled Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace - Manager's Guide. This resource will help managers learn about mental health and mental illness in the workplace.

3.  International Coalition of Cities against Racism offers discussion paper series: UNESCO's International Coalition of Cities against Racism offers a series of discussion papers. The most recent discussion paper is titled Study on Challenges in the Development of Local Equality Indicators - A human-rights-centered model. See the list of other discussion papers.
 
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