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Harnessing the power of community for live music
The pandemic hit the live music industry extremely hard in Canada. Many live music venues, without income for two years, permanently closed. But even before the pandemic, many venues were struggling...
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Vaccines, masking, and human rights: where do we go from here
Most provincial governments, including Ontario’s, have removed mask mandates and proof of vaccine requirements. Any remaining regulations are set to disappear this spring. Decisions on masking and...
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Freaky Friday, political-style: voting in the Ontario provincial election
“So, why do you support him?” I longed to ask the three young, white, able-bodied men, as I walked down the street. Even without their blue leaflets, they look like stereotypical Ford supporters. They...
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Judicial activism gone wrong: Abortion rights in America
A seismic shift in the law just occurred in the United States, as the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning almost 50 years of precedent set by...
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The right to an emotional support animal in housing
Human rights legislation across the country guarantees freedom from discrimination and harassment in housing. In most provinces, human rights laws are considered “quasi-constitutional” in status; that...
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Who do we remember on Remembrance Day?
On every 11th of November, people around the world recognize the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to the great wars of the twentieth century. I don’t aim to diminish the immensity of such...
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Whose rights prevail at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights?
Human rights issues are particularly interesting when they involve “competing human rights.” We see this when both sides to an issue claim that their human rights are being engaged. Competing rights...
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Is co-ownership the solution to the housing affordability crisis?
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Co-Ownership Opportunities and Ownership Options, a one-day conference at the Centre for Social Innovation’s Annex campus in Toronto, hosted by GoCo Solutions,...
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Private versus public health care: where do we stand legally?
In early April, the Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear the appeal of Cambie Surgeries Corporation and its president, Dr. Brian Day, from a decision of the B.C. Court of Appeal. The B.C. Appeal...
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Gender and sexual health education: exemptions to what end?
June is Pride month across Canada. Pride traces its roots back to the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, when gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) people protested a police raid at the Stonewall Inn...
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Jordan Peterson learns that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences
The Ontario Divisional Court recently released its decision on Jordan Peterson’s challenge of the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s order that he complete a coaching program on professionalism in...
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Hoarding – a human rights obstacle in housing
Items piled as high as your eyes and the decay of takeout containers scattered throughout the unit; it’s a view we tune into for entertainment purposes on shows like “Hoarders: Buried Alive”. However,...
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Your safety or your home: Domestic violence in residential tenancies
I recently had two different clients approach me with very similar issues – both were non-profit housing providers that wanted advice on how to deal with a situation where there had been incidents of...
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Community bonds turn social capital into financial capital
A community bond is a financing tool used by social-purpose entities like charities, non-profits, and co-op, for raising money, and by investors who want to see their money put to good use while still...
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Federal government commits to largest investment in co-operative housing in...
In Canada, many households prefer homeownership because of the precarity of rental housing. The landlord-tenant relationship skews on the side of the landlord, leading to issues related to...
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How safe are the rights protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
To paraphrase Otto von Bismarck (former Prime Minister of Prussia), people who like law and sausages should never watch either one being made. Meaning that if you stop to consider what goes into the...
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