**ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER’S REPORT EXCERPT**

TIMMINS: UNDERSTANDING RACISM REQUIRES LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE

In February 2018, Joey Knapaysweet and Agnes Sutherland, both from Fort Albany First Nation, died in incidents involving the Timmins Police Service.

In the wake of these tragic incidents, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon, and Fort Albany Chief Andrew Solomon issued a statement saying that they were “shocked” and wondering whether “systemic racism” contributed to the deaths. They lamented that “our people must continually leave their families and communities to come to cities to seek services that are not available in their respective communities.”

One month later, Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane and Commissioner Maurice Switzer led an OHRC delegation to Timmins and surrounding areas as part of our commitment to reconciliation. While this trip was planned in advance of the recent deaths, we knew that our statutory authority to inquire into incidents of tension or conflict would be engaged. We spoke with local Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as people in Moosonee and Moose Factory. People identified the lack of adequate, culturally-appropriate and geographically-proximate heath care, mental health care, education, administration of justice, and child welfare as current examples of systemic discrimination.

We heard about overzealous enforcement of public health bylaws that often posed a barrier to serving traditional Indigenous foods at gatherings. We heard that the local hospital’s Cree translators were only available to people who were admitted from out of town. We heard that some Indigenous children taken into care were sent to Sarnia (nearly 1,000 kilometers away) because there were too few approved Indigenous foster parents due to rules that require each foster child to have their own bedroom.
 
“[U]nfortunately for our community [discrimination] is very normalized. There are generations who just say, ‘But that’s the way it is here.’ That you should walk up to the local restaurant and you show your money on the window before you can go in. They just think that’s what you do, and so when they come to places like this, they think, ‘How do I behave?’ ‘What do I do?’” Sylvia Maracle, Executive Director of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres.

When asked if racism was a daily experience, many people answered “of course” or “it’s a normal part of living in town.” They noted that people perceived to be Indigenous based on stereotypes about appearance, dress or name were often singled out for adverse treatment. People noted that discrimination in housing is pervasive. There were stories about racial profiling in malls and stores — being followed by security or hassled when using a status card.

People expressed distrust of police. When asked why, they pointed to the legacy of residential schools, high profile incidents involving the Thunder Bay Police Service, and the perception that Indigenous youth are targeted for disproportionate police attention.

Our delegation also met with leaders in education, child welfare, health, policing, and social services.

While some institutions mentioned a strategic plan commitment to “diversity” or a committee that met infrequently, few could point to any meaningful action. With the notable exception of the local public school board director, there was no real sense of urgency in terms of investigating the issues, understanding the concerns, and taking action to tackle them.

We called on the Mayor and council to do more, and they have responded positively. On March 27, 2018, Timmins City Council passed a motion by Mayor Black that commits the City to form an Indigenous Advisory Committee, host cultural sensitivity and awareness training along with training on Truth and Reconciliation, and support setting up a leadership forum that brings local municipal leaders and Indigenous leaders together on a regularly scheduled basis.

The motion also included a commitment to raise three flags at City Hall on National Indigenous Day, including flags of the Mattagami First Nation (Timmins Traditional Territory), Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and the Métis Nation of Ontario.

For our part, the OHRC will return to Timmins to offer training and to help the City move forward.

You can read the full OHRC report here.