Alberta Human Rights Commission sees spike in calls during pandemic
The Alberta Human Rights Commission says it has been experiencing a significant increase in calls from the public, with many complaining about mandatory vaccination and masking rules.
On average, the commission says it is receiving 80 calls a day. That number is up compared to last year when the average was around 30 calls per day.
Deborah Mebude, policy and communication consultant for the commission, says the commission has received 200 COVID-19-related complaints since the start of the pandemic and more than half of those are related to mask wearing.
The number of calls has fluctuated throughout the pandemic, but the commission has seen a spike again in the last five weeks. It says approximately 60 per cent of recent callers have vaccine-related questions.
The exact number of complaints submitted about vaccines specifically is unknown, as they are still being processed, but the commission says not all complaints are accepted.
The commission confirms 'personal choice' is not a ground covered under the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Grounds covered under the act include race, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, and sexual orientation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.