For nearly two decades, British Columbia was the only province in Canada without a Human Rights Commission. Why? Because in 2002, Premier Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberal government abolished it. It wasn’t until 2019 that the NDP government brought it back.
So what happened, and why does it matter? Let’s break it down.
What is a Human Rights Commission?
A human rights commission is an independent body that works to:
✔ Investigate systemic discrimination
✔ Educate the public about human rights
✔ Advocate for policy changes
✔ Support vulnerable communities
Most provinces have two parts to their human rights system:
- A commission that tackles broad issues like racism, gender discrimination, and Indigenous rights.
- A tribunal that handles individual complaints when someone experiences discrimination.
BC used to have this system—but that changed in 2002.
2002: The BC Liberals Kill the Commission
The BC Human Rights Commission was first created in 1973 under the NDP government of Dave Barrett. It remained in place for decades, growing stronger in the 1990s.
Then, in 2002, Premier Gordon Campbell’s government abolished it, arguing that:
- The system was too slow and inefficient.
- Getting rid of the commission would speed up individual complaints.
- A single tribunal would be enough to handle BC’s human rights issues.
What changed?
- BC’s Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) remained, but it could only process individual cases.
- The province lost the ability to investigate systemic discrimination.
- There was no independent body pushing for broad policy changes.
For 18 years, BC was the only province in Canada without a commission.
2019: The NDP Brings it Back
In 2019, the NDP government under Premier John Horgan reinstated the BC Human Rights Commission, after public consultations showed overwhelming support for it.
However, the new commission was different from the old one:
Today, BC has three key parts to its human rights system:
- BC Human Rights Commission → Focuses on systemic discrimination, public education, and research.
- BC Human Rights Tribunal → Handles individual complaints (but does not investigate systemic issues).
- BC Human Rights Clinic → Provides legal support for people filing complaints.
Why This Matters
For 18 years, BC had no way to address systemic discrimination—only individual cases. This meant that:
- Patterns of racism, sexism, and ableism in workplaces, schools, and housing went unchecked.
- Indigenous communities, women, and marginalized groups had fewer protections.
- BC was falling behind the rest of Canada in human rights protections.
With the commission back, BC can proactively fight discrimination, rather than waiting for people to file complaints.
What Can You Do?
- Know your rights → Visit the BC Human Rights Commission website to learn more.
- Speak up → If you or someone you know faces discrimination, you can file a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
- Share this post → Many people don’t realize BC went so long without a commission. Spread the word!
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think BC has improved its human rights system, or is there more work to do?
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