Advocacy group the Red Coalition and Quebec Solidaire (QS) MNA Andres Fontecilla want this to change. Section 115 of the Police Act and section 4 of the Regulation respecting the education system of the École nationale de police du Québec (ENPQ) state that in order to become a police officer in Quebec, you must be a Canadian citizen. "For us, these articles go against the rights contained in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and constitute a discriminatory anachronism that must be quickly corrected, especially since the need for manpower is great," said Red Coalition spokesperson Alain Babineau. "Today, a permanent resident can practice law, be a firefighter or a teacher, but he or she cannot become a police officer or a special constable."  Read More

“Mommy, I don’t want to go back to school I scared. I said why are you scared sweetheart. Because they hurt Constantin all the time. This is what he said to me,” said Svetlana Chernienko, who claims her son who has Autism was discriminated against and assaulted by school personnel. “He caused physical damage to my son. When I got to the school to see the condition that my son was in. Was not the condition I sent him in,” said Karen Freeman, who claims her son was allegedly assaulted by school staff.  Read More

Karen Freeman’s “worst nightmare” came true when her 12-year-old son reached into his backpack for a bag of Doritos, and ended up with bruises, a hospital visit, and missing school for four months. Physical assault, threats, racist language, institutional indifference: a slew of accusations aimed at the Lester B. Pearson School Board where two families share remarkably similar stories about the same school, same personnel. The board has denied all the allegations.  Read More

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante missed an opportunity says Joel DeBellefeuille. The Red Coalition (RC) and Black Class Action Secretariat wrote to Plante last month concerning the various cases of racial discrimination, harassment and institutional indifference experienced by municipal employees that were highlighted in a Le Devoir report triggered by the RC, whose director Alain Babineau left the city’s much vaunted Bureau of the Commissioner to Fight Racism and Systemic Discrimination (BRDS).  Read More

Facing potential contempt of court charges, the City of Longueuil, Que., asked for a postponement of a Quebec Human Rights Tribunal hearing relating to a racial profiling case. The case dates back to 2012 and involves Joel Debellefeuille. He was driving with his wife to his son’s daycare in Longueuil. He says police followed him and questioned him, simply because he is Black.  Read More

Carl Moïse felt his wheel shudder as he drove his child to a soccer game. Then it began to wobble on the highway and almost fell off his car. The lug nuts had been loosened. The Montreal civil servant, who was subject to racist taunts, insults, threats and intimidation over much of his 14-year career with the city’s transport and environment departments, feared the worst. As section manager, Moïse was told by a superior early in his career “You have to adapt to the city’s organizational culture if you want to keep working here.”  Read More