Indigenous people experience discrimination at a much higher rate than non-Indigenous people and knowing your rights can help.

In many situations you have the right not to be discriminated against. This includes when you are:

renting a place to live
receiving healthcare, including care in a nursing home
interacting with the police or the courts
applying for and receiving income support
applying for and working a job
applying to and going to school
shopping in a store, renting a hotel room or eating in a restaurant
entering a contract available to the public, such as a cell phone contract
dealing with banks, collection agents and credit card companies

Human rights laws do not apply to private dealings between people.

Discrimination on a prohibited ground is not allowed in these situations. Prohibited grounds under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Act are:

religion or creed
marital status, such as being single or married
family status, such as having or not having children
sex, sexual orientation and gender identity
pregnancy and pregnancy-related illness
disability
age if you are 18 or
ancestry, nationality and birthplace
race or perceived race and colour
receiving social assistance

When Might it be different?

In some cases, the Canadian Human Rights Act applies instead of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. The Canadian Act applies to the federal government and its agencies as well as anything that is federally regulated. This includes places like banks and airlines. It also covers decisions made by Indigenous Services Canada and First Nation (Band) Councils.

It provides the same protections as the Saskatchewan Human Rights Act except discrimination based on receiving social assistance. Discrimination under the federal Act is also prohibited based on a genetic characteristic or a criminal conviction if you have received a pardon or a record suspension. For more information about your rights under the Canadian Act and how to make a complaint visit the Canadian Human Rights Commission online.

Learn More

For more information on human rights and how to make a complaint see the information about the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission on plea.org.

Get Help

Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission
Phone: 1.800.667.9249
Email: contact@saskhrc.ca.