The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has discovered the township of Emo must pay damages after refusing to proclaim Satisfaction Month again in 2020.
Borderland Satisfaction requested Emo to declare June as Satisfaction Month and show a rainbow flag for one week however the township refused, leading to a years-long course of during which the tribunal dominated in opposition to the township.
The tribunal dominated Borderland Satisfaction can be awarded $15,000, with $10,000 coming from the township itself and the opposite $5,000 coming from Emo mayor Harold McQuaker.
Doug Judson is a lawyer in Fort Frances and one of many administrators on the board of Borderland Satisfaction, and mentioned they’re elated to have lastly introduced it to an in depth and is a major victory for the group.
Doug Judson of Judson Howie LLP . (Doug Judson)
“We did not pursue this due to the cash. We pursued this as a result of we had been handled in a discriminatory vogue by a municipal authorities, and municipalities have obligations below the Ontario Human Rights Code to not discriminate within the provision of a service,” mentioned Judson.
“The tribunal’s determination affirms that. That’s the essential factor we had been in search of right here was validation that as 2SLGBTQA plus folks, we’re entitled to remedy with out discrimination once we attempt to search companies from our native authorities.”
Along with the compensation, the tribunal additionally ordered McQuaker and the Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality to finish a “Human Rights 101” coaching course provided by the Ontario Human Rights Fee inside 30 days.
Judson mentioned one of many messages it sends to different townships and municipalities is that Satisfaction must be within the smallest and most distant communities simply as it’s in bigger cities, and in a number of the locations “the place it may be actually arduous to assist folks perceive why it is so essential”
“I hope that it emboldens and strengthens folks in communities like Emo and different locations like that throughout Ontario to know that they’ve entitlements from their authorities,” mentioned Judson.
I hope that it emboldens and strengthens folks in communities like Emo and different locations like that throughout Ontario to know that they’ve entitlements from their authorities, Doug Judson-
Going ahead, Judson mentioned he want to see the connection between Borderland Satisfaction and the township of Emo be extra constructive, with the municipality being a extra energetic supporter of their programming.
“Having a spot like Emo as a part of Satisfaction and having management figures participate in Satisfaction, it lends lots of help to the motion. It validates and legitimizes that the message is essential for your complete group, and so we hope that that’s the case transferring ahead.”
Ontario Chronicle reached out to the mayor of Emo for remark, however didn’t obtain a response earlier than publication.
