Discrimination

Between 29 August and 27 September, nine Indigenous People were killed by police in separate incidents across Canada, demonstrating systemic racism and discrimination in police institutions.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal heard in September whether a constitutional challenge to a discriminatory name and pronoun law targeting transgender and gender-diverse students could proceed. The court was considering if a law could be declared unconstitutional even when the notwithstanding clause, which prevents courts from striking down laws that violate charter provisions, is enacted.

Organizations expressed disappointment with the proposed Canada Disability Benefit, announced in June, calling on the federal government to urgently address the crisis of disability poverty.

The Supreme Court heard a constitutional challenge in November to the laws criminalizing sex work and associated activities.

The Federal Court heard an application in November to certify a class action brought by current and former federal public service workers against the government for anti-Black racism in recruitment.

LGBTI people’s rights

Anti-2SLGBTQQIA+ policies increased. Alberta introduced measures in January limiting students’ access to gender-affirming healthcare and stifling discussion around gender identity, sexual diversity and comprehensive sexuality education in schools.¹

Gender-based violence

Indigenous, Black and racialized women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people were disproportionately targeted through online threats, violence and racist abuse.²

Organizations called on the Ontario government and municipalities to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic as recommended in Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act 2024.

Femicide against Black women continued to be under-reported due to lack of disaggregated data.

Indigenous Peoples’ rights

Four Wet’suwet’en and other Indigenous land defenders were found guilty of criminal contempt of court for protecting Wet’suwet’en territory against the construction of a pipeline, including Likhts’amisyu Clan Wing Chief Dsta’hyl, who served a 60-day house arrest.³

The Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishnabek (Grassy Narrows) First Nation testified before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, detailing health issues and environmental damage from mercury dumped in the English and Wabigoon rivers 50 years ago and Canada’s ongoing failure to prevent further poisoning and provide adequate reparation.

The majority of the 94 calls to action listed in the 2015 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had still not been implemented.

Canada failed to make real progress towards the implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice highlighted in the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

In August, the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), who demanded archaeological digs at the former Royal Victoria Hospital site in Montreal due to the suspected presence of Indigenous children’s graves, lost their case before the Quebec Court of Appeal. The court overturned a lower court decision requiring McGill University to respect an agreement on archaeological excavations at the site.

The Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unknown Graves and Burial Sites’ final report acknowledged that Indian Residential Schools were “colonial institutions of genocide” and called on the government to implement an independent, Indigenous-led investigation.

Canada negotiated a free trade agreement with Ecuador without consulting with Indigenous Peoples. In June, the Standing Committee on International Trade recommended that no trade agreement proceed without the free, prior and informed consent of affected Indigenous Peoples.⁴

Refugees’ and migrants’ rights

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) continued to tie migrant workers to a single employer who controlled their immigration status, labour conditions and living conditions. This put them at risk of labour exploitation and other abuses such as wage theft, excessive working hours, verbal, physical, sexual and psychological abuse and racial discrimination. Migrant workers under the TFWP, who are predominantly racialized, did not have access to adequate and effective remedies.

The Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the decision to grant asylum-seeking families access to subsidized educational childcare. The Quebec government appealed the decision, and the Supreme Court certified the appeal in October. The Court of Appeal denied Quebec’s request for a stay, so families retained access to subsidized childcare, pending the Supreme Court’s decision.

Concerns persisted about the complex application processes and effectiveness of the Temporary Residence Visa Program for Gazan and Sudanese people.

Freedom of peaceful assembly

In July, the Ontario Superior Court failed to uphold the right to peaceful assembly by granting an injunction sought by the University of Toronto against a peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment.⁵ Similar encampments at universities around the country were cleared by police or private security forces without a court order; at least one ended after an agreement was reached with the university.

Irresponsible arms transfers

Canada continued to export arms and military equipment to countries despite lack of accountability for past violations and substantial risks that they could be used in serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Arms worth USD 6.4 million were exported to Saudi Arabia, representing 42% of the total of non-US military exports. Authorization of new export permits for transfers of military goods to Israel was reportedly paused in January, although no official “notice to exporters” was issued and at least 180 export permits remained active.

Right to a healthy environment

According to government data, Canada is the 11th largest emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide. Instead of implementing policies to reduce emissions, it offered a tax credit to fossil fuel companies for carbon capture, utilization and storage projects. According to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Canada will miss its target of 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030. A regulatory framework to cap greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector was not introduced. On a per-capita basis, Canada financed the fossil fuel industry more than almost any other G20 country. Canada continued to grant permits for the construction of oil and gas infrastructure, including on unceded Indigenous territories.

The Environmental Racism Bill became law, requiring the development of a national strategy to address the harm caused by environmental racism.

Climate activists continued to be criminalized. In Montreal, three activists were detained for peacefully protesting at the government’s inaction to address climate change.⁶

1. “Amnesty International Canada condemns ‘appalling’ anti-trans policy changes in Alberta”, 2 February ↩︎
2. “Canada must end technology-facilitated gender-based violence”, 5 July ↩︎
3. “Wet’suwet’en Chief Dsta’hyl declared first Amnesty International prisoner of conscience held in Canada”, 31 July ↩︎
4. “Amnesty International Canada shares concerns at parliamentary study of free trade negotiations with Ecuador”, 16 February ↩︎
5. “U of T encampment ruling fails to uphold the right of peaceful assembly”, 2 July ↩︎
6. “Authorities’ response to climate activists who climbed the Jacques-Cartier bridge raises concerns”, 30 October (French only) ↩︎