Emergencies 24/7
For emergency help during business hours, call your nearest embassy or consulate directly. Or you can contact our Emergency Operations Centre in Ottawa anytime at:
Telephone:
from outside Canada
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• Toll free numbers available in some countries • 1-800-267-6788
• 613-944-6788
TTY:
• 613-944-1310
• 1-800-394-3472 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada only)
E-mail:
• mailto:sos@international.gc.ca
• or use our on-line form
During large-scale emergencies, you may be asked to leave a message. Please follow the instructions carefully and an operations officer will get back to you within 15 minutes.
Stolen or lost passport
If a passport is lost or stolen abroad, you must report it to:
•the nearest Canadian government office abroad, and
•local authorities.
General enquiries
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Headquarters in Canada
Consular Services
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
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Ottawa, ON. K1A 0G2
Telephone: • 1-800-267-6788 (toll-free from U.S. and Canada only)
• 613-944-6788
TTY:
• 1-800-394-3472 (toll-free from U.S. and Canada only)
• 613-944-1310
E-mail:
voyage@international.gc.ca
Technical help
For help with the Travel.gc.ca website
For help with the on-line Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service
Partners for safe travel
For information about partnering opportunities with the Government of Canada to promote safe travel:
E-mail: voyage@international.gc.ca
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The federal Conservatives have pulled controversial attack ads aimed at Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff from their website.
The federal Conservatives have pulled controversial attack ads aimed at Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff from their website.
The ads featured a clip of Ignatieff shouting, "Yes, yes, yes" in response to a question about whether he was seeking an early election and planning to raise taxes.
The ads — which were dropped from the Conservative website Friday after being up for less than 24 hours — were roundly attacked for pulling the Ignatieff quote from its proper context — a rhetorical question he posed in a speech about the Liberal party's willingness to fight for "the Canadian family."
Fred DeLorey, communications director for the Conservative party, defended the ads Thursday night, telling Parliament Hill CBC blogger Kady O'Malley the 15-second spots "are accurate and fair."
The Conservatives also said the ads were produced for web use only.
"It was a one day web posting. There was no media buy ever planned," said a senior Conservative official who did not want to be named.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Conservatives+pull+controversial+attack/4187971/story.html#ixzz1CP4GhVcA
The ads featured a clip of Ignatieff shouting, "Yes, yes, yes" in response to a question about whether he was seeking an early election and planning to raise taxes.
The ads — which were dropped from the Conservative website Friday after being up for less than 24 hours — were roundly attacked for pulling the Ignatieff quote from its proper context — a rhetorical question he posed in a speech about the Liberal party's willingness to fight for "the Canadian family."
Fred DeLorey, communications director for the Conservative party, defended the ads Thursday night, telling Parliament Hill CBC blogger Kady O'Malley the 15-second spots "are accurate and fair."
The Conservatives also said the ads were produced for web use only.
"It was a one day web posting. There was no media buy ever planned," said a senior Conservative official who did not want to be named.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Conservatives+pull+controversial+attack/4187971/story.html#ixzz1CP4GhVcA
Friday, January 28, 2011
All charges against the common law wife of a computer security expert involved in a G20 related case have been dropped. : Kristen Peterson visual artist
All charges against the common law wife of a computer security expert involved in a G20 related case have been dropped.
Kristen Peterson was charged with explosives and weapons possession a day after her common-law husband Byron Sonne was arrested at their Forest Hill home on June 22, 2010.
Sonne, who remains in jail, faces a number of charges — the most serious of which is possession of an explosive. He also faces charges of mischief and intimidating a justice system participant.
Peterson’s lawyer Brian Heller said that he appreciated the professionalism of the police and crown attorney’s office in dropping all the charges before a trial began, in an interview with the Star outside a courtroom in the Old City Hall Courthouse.
“For us the system worked,” Heller said to the Star.
The 37-year-old Peterson, however, has been free on bail since June 26. Her bail conditions originally included living with her parents, Maureen and John Peterson, and having no contact with Sonne except in the presence of lawyers. But in the fall, the terms of her bail were relaxed and she returned to her home.
Peterson, a visual artist, was charged with possession of the ingredients needed to make an explosive device and possession of a weapon “for a dangerous purpose.”
She and her husband lived in a million dollar home on Elderwood Dr. in Forest Hill, where the 37-year-old Sonne operated his computer security company, Halvdan — which means “half-Danish” — Solutions.
The couple has been together for at least a decade and refers to each other as husband and wife, according to some. But police described their relationship as common law.
The daughter of a Toronto executive, Peterson holds English literature and Master of Visual Studies degrees from the University of Toronto and a fine art diploma from the Toronto School of Art.
Her art career so far has focused on installation work or site specific drawings on buildings, according to one biography.
One of her first permanent installations was commissioned by the Toronto Transit Commission for the St. Clair West streetcar line and was to be unveiled last year.
“My goal is to explore the underpinnings of how we both create and perceive space,” Peterson writes on her webpage.
In 2006, she was the resident artist in the Spadina Museum’s Lynn Donoghue Artist in Residence Program that is run through the city culture program. A long-time Art Gallery of Ontario docent, Peterson used windows and mirrors inside the museum to reveal hidden areas of the building near Casa Loma.
Sonne came from a very different world. He is described as “slightly nerdy with a receding hairline.” In his spare time, he liked to hang out at HackLab TO, a non-profit group for techies who delight in building everything from LED signs to computer codes.
Well-respected in his field of computer security, Sonne had previously worked for top companies such as Circle Network Security and FSC Internet Corp.
For those who know Sonne, it is his tendency for mischief that may have landed him in hot water. In high school, Sonne reportedly planted a fake bomb that resulted in his school being evacuated, causing classmates to vote him “most likely to become an international terrorist” in their yearbook, according to a former schoolmate.
Those who now know Sonne say he is a good guy with strong ethics, the farthest thing from a scheming terrorist. With the entire city tense in the lead-up to the G20 summit, Julian Dunn wonders if security officials may have over-reacted to the stunts of an “agent provocateur.”
At the Surveillance Club meeting, Sonne shared his plans to listen in on police scanners during the summit and disseminate information to protesters via Twitter, according to fellow members of the group.
This was the same tactic used by two protesters at last year’s G20 summit in Pittsburgh, a plan that ultimately led to their arrests. The charges were dropped.
Kristen Peterson was charged with explosives and weapons possession a day after her common-law husband Byron Sonne was arrested at their Forest Hill home on June 22, 2010.
Sonne, who remains in jail, faces a number of charges — the most serious of which is possession of an explosive. He also faces charges of mischief and intimidating a justice system participant.
Peterson’s lawyer Brian Heller said that he appreciated the professionalism of the police and crown attorney’s office in dropping all the charges before a trial began, in an interview with the Star outside a courtroom in the Old City Hall Courthouse.
“For us the system worked,” Heller said to the Star.
The 37-year-old Peterson, however, has been free on bail since June 26. Her bail conditions originally included living with her parents, Maureen and John Peterson, and having no contact with Sonne except in the presence of lawyers. But in the fall, the terms of her bail were relaxed and she returned to her home.
Peterson, a visual artist, was charged with possession of the ingredients needed to make an explosive device and possession of a weapon “for a dangerous purpose.”
She and her husband lived in a million dollar home on Elderwood Dr. in Forest Hill, where the 37-year-old Sonne operated his computer security company, Halvdan — which means “half-Danish” — Solutions.
The couple has been together for at least a decade and refers to each other as husband and wife, according to some. But police described their relationship as common law.
The daughter of a Toronto executive, Peterson holds English literature and Master of Visual Studies degrees from the University of Toronto and a fine art diploma from the Toronto School of Art.
Her art career so far has focused on installation work or site specific drawings on buildings, according to one biography.
One of her first permanent installations was commissioned by the Toronto Transit Commission for the St. Clair West streetcar line and was to be unveiled last year.
“My goal is to explore the underpinnings of how we both create and perceive space,” Peterson writes on her webpage.
In 2006, she was the resident artist in the Spadina Museum’s Lynn Donoghue Artist in Residence Program that is run through the city culture program. A long-time Art Gallery of Ontario docent, Peterson used windows and mirrors inside the museum to reveal hidden areas of the building near Casa Loma.
Sonne came from a very different world. He is described as “slightly nerdy with a receding hairline.” In his spare time, he liked to hang out at HackLab TO, a non-profit group for techies who delight in building everything from LED signs to computer codes.
Well-respected in his field of computer security, Sonne had previously worked for top companies such as Circle Network Security and FSC Internet Corp.
For those who know Sonne, it is his tendency for mischief that may have landed him in hot water. In high school, Sonne reportedly planted a fake bomb that resulted in his school being evacuated, causing classmates to vote him “most likely to become an international terrorist” in their yearbook, according to a former schoolmate.
Those who now know Sonne say he is a good guy with strong ethics, the farthest thing from a scheming terrorist. With the entire city tense in the lead-up to the G20 summit, Julian Dunn wonders if security officials may have over-reacted to the stunts of an “agent provocateur.”
At the Surveillance Club meeting, Sonne shared his plans to listen in on police scanners during the summit and disseminate information to protesters via Twitter, according to fellow members of the group.
This was the same tactic used by two protesters at last year’s G20 summit in Pittsburgh, a plan that ultimately led to their arrests. The charges were dropped.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Electoral race tightens dramatically in Ontario, with Tories and Grits separated by just two points.
Conservatives Drop Back, Lead Liberals by Six Points in Canada
Electoral race tightens dramatically in Ontario, with Tories and Grits separated by just two points.
The Conservative Party is holding on to the top spot in Canada, but has lost points in the new year, a new Vision Critical / Angus Reid poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,008 Canadian adults, 34 per cent of respondents (-3 since December) would support the governing Conservative Party in the next federal election.
The Liberal Party is second with 28 per cent (+2), followed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 17 per cent (-1), the Bloc Québécois with 11 per cent (+1), and the Green Party with eight per cent (+1).
While the Tories and the NDP are now below their final tally in the 2008 election, the Grits, the Bloc and the Greens are ahead of their result in the last federal ballot.
Regional Breakdowns
The Tories maintain their dominance in Alberta (65%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (44%). In British Columbia, two-in-five decided voters would support the governing party (42%), followed by the NDP (25%) and the Liberals (21%).
The biggest change has come in Ontario, where the 13-point Tory lead observed in December has become a statistical tie (Conservatives 38%, Liberals 36%). In Quebec, the Bloc remains ahead with 43 per cent, followed by the three federalist parties (Lib. 22%, NDP 15%, Con. 13%).
Support for the Liberals is practically the same among men (29%) and women (27%), while a noticeable gender gap continues with the Tories. Almost two-in-five decided male voters (38%) would cast a ballot for the Conservative candidate in their riding, but only 29 per cent of women would join them.
The Conservatives dominate with voters aged 55 and over (42%), but are now tied with the Liberals among voters aged 35 to 54 (both at 32 per cent).
Approval and Momentum
There was little movement in these questions, with Conservative leader and Prime Minister Stephen Harper maintaining an approval rating of 26 per cent. NDP leader Jack Layton gained a point to tie Harper at 26 per cent, while Liberal Party and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff dropped to 12 per cent. Layton keeps the best momentum score of the three leaders at -3, followed by Harper with -18 and Ignatieff with -20.
Legislatures
Overall approval for the House of Commons fell by six points since December to 27 per cent, with disapproval rising four points to 47 per cent. The Senate keeps lower numbers, with just 18 per cent of respondents (-5 since December) approving of its actions. One-in-four Canadians (25%) are satisfied with the way their provincial legislature is performing, down five points in a month.
Analysis
The start of 2011 did not provide a boost to the Conservative Party, with a noticeable drop across the country and in Ontario—the key battleground for the next federal election. The current gender and age gaps would not allow the Tories to get a majority mandate in a snap election.
The Liberals are performing better than in 2008, but the approval rating for Michael Ignatieff remains low. The NDP has not reached the 20 per cent mark since July, and is having a difficult time connecting with middle-aged voters. The two parties that did better this month are the Bloc and the Greens, particularly among young voters.
The latest editions of the Canadian Political Pulse can be accessed here:
January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 / September 2010 / October 2010 / December 2010
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
Electoral race tightens dramatically in Ontario, with Tories and Grits separated by just two points.
The Conservative Party is holding on to the top spot in Canada, but has lost points in the new year, a new Vision Critical / Angus Reid poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,008 Canadian adults, 34 per cent of respondents (-3 since December) would support the governing Conservative Party in the next federal election.
The Liberal Party is second with 28 per cent (+2), followed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 17 per cent (-1), the Bloc Québécois with 11 per cent (+1), and the Green Party with eight per cent (+1).
While the Tories and the NDP are now below their final tally in the 2008 election, the Grits, the Bloc and the Greens are ahead of their result in the last federal ballot.
Regional Breakdowns
The Tories maintain their dominance in Alberta (65%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (44%). In British Columbia, two-in-five decided voters would support the governing party (42%), followed by the NDP (25%) and the Liberals (21%).
The biggest change has come in Ontario, where the 13-point Tory lead observed in December has become a statistical tie (Conservatives 38%, Liberals 36%). In Quebec, the Bloc remains ahead with 43 per cent, followed by the three federalist parties (Lib. 22%, NDP 15%, Con. 13%).
Support for the Liberals is practically the same among men (29%) and women (27%), while a noticeable gender gap continues with the Tories. Almost two-in-five decided male voters (38%) would cast a ballot for the Conservative candidate in their riding, but only 29 per cent of women would join them.
The Conservatives dominate with voters aged 55 and over (42%), but are now tied with the Liberals among voters aged 35 to 54 (both at 32 per cent).
Approval and Momentum
There was little movement in these questions, with Conservative leader and Prime Minister Stephen Harper maintaining an approval rating of 26 per cent. NDP leader Jack Layton gained a point to tie Harper at 26 per cent, while Liberal Party and Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff dropped to 12 per cent. Layton keeps the best momentum score of the three leaders at -3, followed by Harper with -18 and Ignatieff with -20.
Legislatures
Overall approval for the House of Commons fell by six points since December to 27 per cent, with disapproval rising four points to 47 per cent. The Senate keeps lower numbers, with just 18 per cent of respondents (-5 since December) approving of its actions. One-in-four Canadians (25%) are satisfied with the way their provincial legislature is performing, down five points in a month.
Analysis
The start of 2011 did not provide a boost to the Conservative Party, with a noticeable drop across the country and in Ontario—the key battleground for the next federal election. The current gender and age gaps would not allow the Tories to get a majority mandate in a snap election.
The Liberals are performing better than in 2008, but the approval rating for Michael Ignatieff remains low. The NDP has not reached the 20 per cent mark since July, and is having a difficult time connecting with middle-aged voters. The two parties that did better this month are the Bloc and the Greens, particularly among young voters.
The latest editions of the Canadian Political Pulse can be accessed here:
January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 / September 2010 / October 2010 / December 2010
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Federal Court of Canada has rejected a native group's claim that recent changes to the census were unconstitutional, concluding the group failed to show that an aboriginal right was at stake.
Federal Court rejects native concerns over changes to national census
OTTAWA - The Federal Court of Canada has rejected a native group's claim that recent changes to the census were unconstitutional, concluding the group failed to show that an aboriginal right was at stake.
The coalition of Maritime groups, which represents off-reserve Indians, had asked the court to force the federal government to abandon its plans to scrap the mandatory long-form census in favour of a similar, voluntary survey.
The group argued the voluntary nature of the 2011 national household survey would produce skewed data about Canada's 300,000 off-reserve natives, leaving them at a disadvantage.
Roger Hunka, director of intergovernmental affairs with the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council, said the umbrella group was "disheartened" by the decision.
"I have to talk to the lawyers to see if we pursue an appeal," he said from his office in Truro Heights, N.S.
The federal cabinet decided last year to drop the mandatory, long-form census, saying they wanted to strike a balance between the need for reliable data and the right of Canadians to refuse to divulge personal information. The mandatory short form will remain in use.
However, the new voluntary survey has been slammed as statistically inadequate by hundreds of organizations, municipalities and some provinces.
Last month, the aboriginal group's lawyer, Anne Smith, told the Federal Court that about 98 per cent of the mandatory long forms were filled out and returned during the 2006 census, but only about 40 to 50 per cent of voluntary surveys are ever returned.
She said the consequence of the change would be shoddy data from a smaller sample size, which would compromise the programs and services available to aboriginal peoples, particularly those who live off-reserve.
The coalition argued that the changes were contrary to the Crown's constitutional and legal obligations to aboriginal peoples, and will result in the federal government being unable to fulfil its duties under the Statistics Act.
But Federal Court Judge Russel Zinn said the native coalition failed to establish the existence of an aboriginal right that might be adversely affected by the changes.
"The applicants have not suggested that there is any treaty right at issue and they have failed to point to a possible aboriginal right that has been infringed," he wrote in his 36-page judgement.
"Instead, they rely on the general duty of the 'honour of the Crown' to ground their claim that there has been a violation of a constitutional right."
Smith had argued that aboriginals enjoy a special relationship with the federal government through a concept known as the honour of the Crown. That concept means Ottawa has a duty to consult when implementing legal changes that could affect native peoples, she said.
But the judge rejected that argument, too.
Hunka said the judge's interpretation was too narrow, saying honour of the Crown covers aboriginal people in general, not just aboriginal treaties and rights.
He took exception with Zinn's conclusion that even if the voluntary survey produces skewed results, Statistics Canada has the option of tossing out the data and conducting another survey.
"Obviously, his interpretation is that it doesn't really matter if you don't count aboriginal people, that's OK," Hunka said in an interview.
Since 1971, Statistics Canada has used two census forms. About 80 per cent of households receive a mandatory short-form census containing eight basic questions about age, sex, marital status and mother tongue.
The remaining 20 per cent had received a mandatory long-form census that contained the same eight questions, as well as 53 questions on education, ethnicity, income, employment and dwellings.
The replacement for the long form contains most of the questions in the original long form, but there have been some alterations.
The next census will be conducted in May.
OTTAWA - The Federal Court of Canada has rejected a native group's claim that recent changes to the census were unconstitutional, concluding the group failed to show that an aboriginal right was at stake.
The coalition of Maritime groups, which represents off-reserve Indians, had asked the court to force the federal government to abandon its plans to scrap the mandatory long-form census in favour of a similar, voluntary survey.
The group argued the voluntary nature of the 2011 national household survey would produce skewed data about Canada's 300,000 off-reserve natives, leaving them at a disadvantage.
Roger Hunka, director of intergovernmental affairs with the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council, said the umbrella group was "disheartened" by the decision.
"I have to talk to the lawyers to see if we pursue an appeal," he said from his office in Truro Heights, N.S.
The federal cabinet decided last year to drop the mandatory, long-form census, saying they wanted to strike a balance between the need for reliable data and the right of Canadians to refuse to divulge personal information. The mandatory short form will remain in use.
However, the new voluntary survey has been slammed as statistically inadequate by hundreds of organizations, municipalities and some provinces.
Last month, the aboriginal group's lawyer, Anne Smith, told the Federal Court that about 98 per cent of the mandatory long forms were filled out and returned during the 2006 census, but only about 40 to 50 per cent of voluntary surveys are ever returned.
She said the consequence of the change would be shoddy data from a smaller sample size, which would compromise the programs and services available to aboriginal peoples, particularly those who live off-reserve.
The coalition argued that the changes were contrary to the Crown's constitutional and legal obligations to aboriginal peoples, and will result in the federal government being unable to fulfil its duties under the Statistics Act.
But Federal Court Judge Russel Zinn said the native coalition failed to establish the existence of an aboriginal right that might be adversely affected by the changes.
"The applicants have not suggested that there is any treaty right at issue and they have failed to point to a possible aboriginal right that has been infringed," he wrote in his 36-page judgement.
"Instead, they rely on the general duty of the 'honour of the Crown' to ground their claim that there has been a violation of a constitutional right."
Smith had argued that aboriginals enjoy a special relationship with the federal government through a concept known as the honour of the Crown. That concept means Ottawa has a duty to consult when implementing legal changes that could affect native peoples, she said.
But the judge rejected that argument, too.
Hunka said the judge's interpretation was too narrow, saying honour of the Crown covers aboriginal people in general, not just aboriginal treaties and rights.
He took exception with Zinn's conclusion that even if the voluntary survey produces skewed results, Statistics Canada has the option of tossing out the data and conducting another survey.
"Obviously, his interpretation is that it doesn't really matter if you don't count aboriginal people, that's OK," Hunka said in an interview.
Since 1971, Statistics Canada has used two census forms. About 80 per cent of households receive a mandatory short-form census containing eight basic questions about age, sex, marital status and mother tongue.
The remaining 20 per cent had received a mandatory long-form census that contained the same eight questions, as well as 53 questions on education, ethnicity, income, employment and dwellings.
The replacement for the long form contains most of the questions in the original long form, but there have been some alterations.
The next census will be conducted in May.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Canada's top court won't hear an argument that the New Brunswick government discriminated against a man with autism by transferring him to Maine for care.
Court won't hear appeal over transfer of autistic N.B. man to U.S.
Canada's top court won't hear an argument that the New Brunswick government discriminated against a man with autism by transferring him to Maine for care.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a claim brought by the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission against the former Department of Family and Community Services.
The court typically doesn't give reasons for not hearing a case.
New Brunswick Appeal Court ruled against the commission last year, upholding a decision made in Court of Queen's Bench.
The man's parents argued that the province's decision to move their son out of Fredericton, place him in institutional care in Saint John and ultimately move him out of New Brunswick amounted to discrimination.
The Appeal Court said the level of care required by the autistic man simply wasn't available in the province.
Seamus Cox, a lawyer at the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission, said last week's decision by the Supreme Court of Canada ends the matter.
"The file will now be closed," he said.
The man's parents filed a complaint with the human rights commission in 2002. The man, who was 21 at the time, had been living in a group home in Fredericton near his parents because of his escalating aggressive behaviour.
When the group home could no longer accommodate him, the Department of Family and Community Services moved him to Centracare, a specialized long-term care facility in Saint John for a short-term placement.
In March 2005, the man was transferred again to Spurwink, a facility in Portland, Me.
Canada's top court won't hear an argument that the New Brunswick government discriminated against a man with autism by transferring him to Maine for care.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a claim brought by the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission against the former Department of Family and Community Services.
The court typically doesn't give reasons for not hearing a case.
New Brunswick Appeal Court ruled against the commission last year, upholding a decision made in Court of Queen's Bench.
The man's parents argued that the province's decision to move their son out of Fredericton, place him in institutional care in Saint John and ultimately move him out of New Brunswick amounted to discrimination.
The Appeal Court said the level of care required by the autistic man simply wasn't available in the province.
Seamus Cox, a lawyer at the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission, said last week's decision by the Supreme Court of Canada ends the matter.
"The file will now be closed," he said.
The man's parents filed a complaint with the human rights commission in 2002. The man, who was 21 at the time, had been living in a group home in Fredericton near his parents because of his escalating aggressive behaviour.
When the group home could no longer accommodate him, the Department of Family and Community Services moved him to Centracare, a specialized long-term care facility in Saint John for a short-term placement.
In March 2005, the man was transferred again to Spurwink, a facility in Portland, Me.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ottawa appeals court ruling on accessible websites : Visually-impaired activist Donna Jodhan asks, 'Should we be interpreting this to mean that the government does not consider us as equal?'.
Ottawa appeals court ruling on accessible websites
Visually-impaired activist Donna Jodhan asks, 'Should we be interpreting this to mean that the government does not consider us as equal?'
Ottawa (24 January 2011) – The federal government is appealing a December 2010 ruling of the Federal Court of Canada ordering it to make its websites accessible to visually impaired users.
The appeal is against a landmark victory by Donna Jodhan in a case against the federal government regarding accessible websites. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) profiled Jodhan’s victory in a report celebrating the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Dec. 3, 2010.
Jodhan was also a guest speaker at a NUPGE meeting of equality and human rights activists held in Ottawa in December. She talked about her successful Charter challenge and her decade-long mission to challenge Ottawa to make federal websites more accessible to vision-impaired Canadians.
NUPGE applauded Justice Michael Kelen’s ruling that Canada's federal government must deliver key websites in a usable format for blind and partially-sighted Canadians.
During the court case, federal lawyers argued that no discrimination was occurring because those same services are provided in other formats, such as on the phone, in person or by mail. Jodhan, however, was successful in convincing the court to side with her view that, "visually impaired people should have equal access to services and information on federal government websites."
Commenting on the federal government’s decision to appeal the court's ruling, Jodhan told NUPGE:
"On the one hand I am not very surprised to see that this government has decided to appeal but on the other I am extremely disappointed, saddened and tremendously disturbed. This government knows exactly what needs to be done and I do not understand why they would continue to spend so much money to fight us for something that is our right under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," she said.
"At a time when this government continues to preach economic restraint, it can somehow justify the need to spend taxpayers' money to deprive our community of our rights. Should we be interpreting this to mean that the government does not consider us as equal? Are we being told in so many words that we are nothing more than second class citizens?" she asked.
"This is probably one of the saddest days for our community. We seldom have much to celebrate and now this government has slapped us in the face through their actions. We are not going to go away. Rest assured that there are others who are willing and ready to walk the walk with me to ensure that our future becomes a better one. I go in the name of all of us and for our kids of the future."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
Visually-impaired activist Donna Jodhan asks, 'Should we be interpreting this to mean that the government does not consider us as equal?'
Ottawa (24 January 2011) – The federal government is appealing a December 2010 ruling of the Federal Court of Canada ordering it to make its websites accessible to visually impaired users.
The appeal is against a landmark victory by Donna Jodhan in a case against the federal government regarding accessible websites. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) profiled Jodhan’s victory in a report celebrating the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Dec. 3, 2010.
Jodhan was also a guest speaker at a NUPGE meeting of equality and human rights activists held in Ottawa in December. She talked about her successful Charter challenge and her decade-long mission to challenge Ottawa to make federal websites more accessible to vision-impaired Canadians.
NUPGE applauded Justice Michael Kelen’s ruling that Canada's federal government must deliver key websites in a usable format for blind and partially-sighted Canadians.
During the court case, federal lawyers argued that no discrimination was occurring because those same services are provided in other formats, such as on the phone, in person or by mail. Jodhan, however, was successful in convincing the court to side with her view that, "visually impaired people should have equal access to services and information on federal government websites."
Commenting on the federal government’s decision to appeal the court's ruling, Jodhan told NUPGE:
"On the one hand I am not very surprised to see that this government has decided to appeal but on the other I am extremely disappointed, saddened and tremendously disturbed. This government knows exactly what needs to be done and I do not understand why they would continue to spend so much money to fight us for something that is our right under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," she said.
"At a time when this government continues to preach economic restraint, it can somehow justify the need to spend taxpayers' money to deprive our community of our rights. Should we be interpreting this to mean that the government does not consider us as equal? Are we being told in so many words that we are nothing more than second class citizens?" she asked.
"This is probably one of the saddest days for our community. We seldom have much to celebrate and now this government has slapped us in the face through their actions. We are not going to go away. Rest assured that there are others who are willing and ready to walk the walk with me to ensure that our future becomes a better one. I go in the name of all of us and for our kids of the future."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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