Peaceful Assembly
On 8th July hundreds of Sikh community members demonstrated outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto to protest the killing of a prominent Sikh leader last month near Vancouver. Carrying yellow flags with blue logos representing their separatist movement, they accused the Indian government of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of a Sikh temple and campaigner for the creation of an independent Sikh state. Nijjar, whom India had declared a terrorist, was killed on 18th June in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver that is home to one of the largest Sikh populations in Canada. At least one person was arrested for breaking a police line.
On 20th July a group of five First Nation communities marched in Toronto against the Ontario government's decision to allow mining without addressing environmental concerns and potential land encroachment by mining companies. First Nation communities that own the land say the government has not adequately engaged with them about the project, which will include building an all-season road, rail lines and expediate mining permits in the region, which belongs to the several First Nation communities. "We just don't want mining in our lands," Chief Rudy Turtle of the Grassy Narrows First Nation told Reuters. "You are going around looking for land without even talking to us... we are against that."
On 9th July hundreds of people gathered in Vancouver for a rally to support British Columbia port workers striking for better wages and protection from what they see as an overuse of contractors for maintenance work. The strike has shut down port and cargo terminals along the western part of the country. The strike is causing major disruptions and is likely to trigger government pressure on workers to return to their jobs.
On 19th June dozens of people gathered at Central Park in Winnipeg to demand an end to the country’s Safe Third Country Agreement, saying it hurts people trying to enter the country legally. A few days earlier, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled to uphold the Safe Third Country Agreement, which was first signed in 2004 and stipulates that asylum seekers have to make their claim in the first country they reach. Refugee claimants arriving at an official land port of entry in Canada who had tried to enter the country through the U.S. are deemed ineligible for refugee protection under the agreement. "This is an agreement between Canada and the United States, basically, to say you cannot shop, you can't go refugee shopping for the best venue," said Alastair Clarke, an immigration and refugee lawyer based in Winnipeg.
Canada First Nations protest Ontario's 'Ring of Fire' mining plans https://t.co/O0WSMs9ttz pic.twitter.com/PJh36OxdVK
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 20, 2023
Association
On 21st July leaders of a dock workers union backed a tentative new contract deal with employers and will soon recommend ratification to members, likely ending a two week strike. More than 7,400 workers from the ILWU had been striking over issues like port automation, outside contracting and the increasing cost of living. The new contract is not considered a win for workers as the government pressured workers to accept previously rejected terms. See related Assembly item.
Expression
On 1st July a new rule went into effect that bars teachers in New Brunswick from using a student's preferred pronouns without parental permission. The change to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity policy - also known as Policy 713 – also removed language allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports teams, that reflect their gender identity. The conservative government updated the policy without a legislative vote, due to what they said were "hundreds of complaints from parents and teachers" but failed to provide evidence of these complaints. Freedom advocates called on the provincial government to “reform” or “suspend” the new policies before they hurt children and their families.