Human rights tribunal set to hear complaint over Mississauga team names
By Jenny Yuen, Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 07:41 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 07:54 PM EDT
TORONTO - It all began with an offer for his daughter to play on the Mississauga Chiefs.
Brad Gallant had been following the #notmymascot movement and told a coach from the minor league hockey team he found the name offensive to aboriginals. That’s when the coach told him, “Buddy, get over it. That’s never going to change.”
It was that complacency which eventually sparked the status Qalipu Mi’kmaq to file a human rights complaint against the City of Mississauga — which the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario will hear beginning on Nov. 21 — over its sponsorship of five of its minor hockey clubs whose names and logos Gallant says are culturally insensitive.
“All I’m seeking is change, nothing for me,” Gallant, who’s in his late 40s, said Wednesday. “I’m trying not to blame anyone. This is an inconsistency in our society. Let’s fix it and move on and do better.”
Gallant said he approached the city in early 2015 to cut funding to the teams until they changed their names. When the city instead deferred the issue to the clubs, only offering to be a mediator, Gallant determined it wasn’t good enough. In April of that year, he filed a formal complaint with the tribunal.
Two of the teams have already changed their names — the Lorne Park Ojibwa are now the Lorne Park Clarkson Wild and the Meadowvale Mohawks team changed its name to the Meadowvale Hawks.
“Right now, indigenous people are not proud of being Canadian because of all the stuff they have to put up with,” Gallant said. “If you have a welcoming environment, and — at the very least — not made fun when he comes off the reserve into the city, it’ll be better for all of us.”
The City of Mississauga said its recreation department tries to be as inclusive as possible when promoting youth sports programs and supporting local hockey teams by granting them preferred access to facilities.
“With respect to the selection of team names, mascots and logos, the city is not involved in any way in this process,” city lawyer Graham Walsh said in a statement. “It is our hope that the HRTO will be able to bring all sides of this matter together to find a solution that is beneficial to all while maintaining the valuable service that these teams provide to the people of Mississauga.”
The hearing is expected to last three days.
jyuen@postmedia.com
Brad Gallant, who filed a human rights complaint against Mississauga, took notice of protests against aboriginal-based sports team names, including the Washington Redskins. (Getty Images files)
Human rights tribunal set to hear complaint over Mississauga team names | Toront
By Jenny Yuen, Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 07:41 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 07:54 PM EDT
TORONTO - It all began with an offer for his daughter to play on the Mississauga Chiefs.
Brad Gallant had been following the #notmymascot movement and told a coach from the minor league hockey team he found the name offensive to aboriginals. That’s when the coach told him, “Buddy, get over it. That’s never going to change.”
It was that complacency which eventually sparked the status Qalipu Mi’kmaq to file a human rights complaint against the City of Mississauga — which the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario will hear beginning on Nov. 21 — over its sponsorship of five of its minor hockey clubs whose names and logos Gallant says are culturally insensitive.
“All I’m seeking is change, nothing for me,” Gallant, who’s in his late 40s, said Wednesday. “I’m trying not to blame anyone. This is an inconsistency in our society. Let’s fix it and move on and do better.”
Gallant said he approached the city in early 2015 to cut funding to the teams until they changed their names. When the city instead deferred the issue to the clubs, only offering to be a mediator, Gallant determined it wasn’t good enough. In April of that year, he filed a formal complaint with the tribunal.
Two of the teams have already changed their names — the Lorne Park Ojibwa are now the Lorne Park Clarkson Wild and the Meadowvale Mohawks team changed its name to the Meadowvale Hawks.
“Right now, indigenous people are not proud of being Canadian because of all the stuff they have to put up with,” Gallant said. “If you have a welcoming environment, and — at the very least — not made fun when he comes off the reserve into the city, it’ll be better for all of us.”
The City of Mississauga said its recreation department tries to be as inclusive as possible when promoting youth sports programs and supporting local hockey teams by granting them preferred access to facilities.
“With respect to the selection of team names, mascots and logos, the city is not involved in any way in this process,” city lawyer Graham Walsh said in a statement. “It is our hope that the HRTO will be able to bring all sides of this matter together to find a solution that is beneficial to all while maintaining the valuable service that these teams provide to the people of Mississauga.”
The hearing is expected to last three days.
jyuen@postmedia.com
Brad Gallant, who filed a human rights complaint against Mississauga, took notice of protests against aboriginal-based sports team names, including the Washington Redskins. (Getty Images files)
Human rights tribunal set to hear complaint over Mississauga team names | Toront
