Mixed response to northern Ontario racism survey
A survey by a northern Ontario think tank shows that while communities in the region are generally welcoming to visible minorities, racism and discrimination are still prevalent.
The survey by the Northern Policy Institute (NPI) also found that experiences of visible minorities and Indigenous people differed.
The survey gathered input from residents in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay and Thunder Bay. Respondents identified challenges faced by visible minorities.
“Individual prejudice being a larger issue regarding the treatment of visible minorities and Indigenous peoples compared to discrimination built-in to laws and institutions,” said Mercedes Labelle, a senior policy analyst with NPI.
“There were also noted negative differences between the experiences of Indigenous peoples compared to visible minorities and the white population.”
Labelle said Indigenous respondents differed greatly with other survey takers on the issue of discrimination.
“Across the communities, Indigenous respondents are more likely to disagree with the statement ‘Discrimination against Indigenous peoples is no longer a problem,’ compared to white respondents,” she said.
Meantime, Batchewana First Nation Chief Dean Sayers said the survey paints an incomplete picture of racism in the North, particularly for Indigenous people.
“I think there should have been efforts to engage, specifically, the Indigenous community, the First Nations communities, and ask their thoughts and maybe work with us on talking to our people, and that can be done randomly as well,” Sayers said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.