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| Centre for Research on Canadian Race Relations | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Research on Canadian Race Relations |
| Formation | 1980s |
| Type | Research institute |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Fields | Race relations, multiculturalism, racism studies |
| Leader title | Director |
Centre for Research on Canadian Race Relations is a Canadian research institute focused on documenting, analyzing, and responding to racial discrimination and intergroup relations across Canada. It produces empirical studies, case documentation, and policy analysis aimed at informing public debate and institutional practice. The Centre situates its work within historical and contemporary struggles involving Indigenous peoples, African Canadians, Asian Canadian communities, and immigrant and refugee populations.
The Centre was founded in the 1980s amid debates involving the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and the aftermath of inquiries such as the McDonald Commission and the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba. Early collaborators included researchers from University of Toronto, York University, McGill University, and community organizations like the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, Chinese Canadian National Council, and the Coalition of Visible Minority Women. Over decades the Centre intersected with initiatives led by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and municipal human rights bodies such as the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal.
The Centre’s stated mission aligns with commitments articulated in instruments such as the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and reports by the United Nations Working Group on People of African Descent. Objectives include documenting incidents related to statutes like the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and policies shaped by institutions including Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Toronto Police Service, and provincial ministries such as Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General. The Centre aims to support litigation and advocacy by partnering with entities like the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Journalists, and advocacy groups including Amnesty International Canada and Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Programs have examined topics connected to events and institutions such as the Komagata Maru incident, the Chinese Head Tax, and the internment of Japanese Canadians marked by the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement. Comparative projects reference transnational frameworks involving the United States Department of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, and organizations like the International Association for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations. Studies often draw on archives including materials from the Library and Archives Canada, collections associated with Vancouver Public Library, and fonds at the McMaster University and University of British Columbia. Methodological collaborations have engaged researchers affiliated with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and think tanks such as the Fraser Institute and the Broadbent Institute.
The Centre issues working papers, case reports, and annotated bibliographies citing works by scholars like Monica Hesse and reports produced by bodies such as the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when intersecting race with environmental justice. Its archives include oral histories referencing figures such as Viola Desmond, Lincoln Alexander, Nellie McClung, and community testimonies linked to events like the Vancouver Race Riots (1907). Resource guides have been used by institutions including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and service providers like the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
The Centre partners with universities including University of Waterloo, Queen's University, Dalhousie University, and University of Saskatchewan for curriculum development, collaborates with cultural institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum, and works with municipal bodies like the City of Toronto City Council on equity audits. Outreach includes workshops with professional associations including the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Canadian Police Association, and public programming at venues like the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Governance structures mirror models used by organizations like the Toronto Community Foundation and Canada Council for the Arts, with boards composed of academics, community leaders, and representatives from organizations such as the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Congress of Black Women of Canada, and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. Funding sources have included grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, federal programs administered through Heritage Canada, philanthropic support from foundations like the Trudeau Foundation and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and contracts with provincial ministries such as the Alberta Ministry of Culture.
The Centre's research informed policy discussions tied to inquiries like the Air India Inquiry and contributed evidence cited in proceedings before bodies such as the Supreme Court of Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Critics have argued—drawing on debates involving commentators from outlets like The Globe and Mail and National Post—that some analyses risk advocacy bias or selective case selection similar to critiques levelled at organizations like the Canadian Race Relations Foundation or think tanks including the C.D. Howe Institute. Defenders cite methodological transparency comparable to protocols recommended by the International Sociological Association and the American Sociological Association.
Category:Research institutes in Canada Category:Race relations in Canada