British Columbia adopts its Human Rights Act

Victoria, B.C.
1969

British Columbia consolidates its various human rights laws into one Code - the Human Rights Act. The Act sets up a Commission to ensure that the law is complied with.

Too much of a good thing?

In a 1976 ruling in the case of Borho v. Atco Lumber Company, a Board of Inquiry will rule that the company has discriminated against a female job applicant because it made the ability to drive a forklift a requirement for the job. Of course, the company will be seeking a forklift operator, and the applicant won't be able to drive one. The Board will find that by failing to advise the applicant that the ability to drive a forklift was a requirement of a being a forklift driver, it hampered her ability to compete against men who already had that skill.

Many find the Board's ruling lacks a sense of reality.

Already on board

Ontario (1962)
Nova Scotia (1963)
Alberta (1966)
New Brunswick (1967)
Prince Edward Island (1968)
Newfoundland (1969)

Déjà vu

The Birth of Human Rights Codes

Want to know more?

See:
B.C. Human Rights Act S.B.C. 1969 c.10