Author Archives: Linda McKay-Panos

About Linda McKay-Panos

Linda McKay-Panos is the Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. She taught Language Arts and Social Studies with the Calgary Board of Education for 7 years before returning to university to obtain a Law Degree. She practiced law for a time, before joining the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre in 1992 as a Research Associate. Linda is a sessional instructor in the Faculties of Communication and Culture and Law at the University of Calgary. Linda received her Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Calgary. Linda is the President of the Alberta Association for Multicultural Education and the Past President of the Public Legal Education Network of Alberta. Linda is the author of several publications dealing with civil liberties, access to information, human rights, discrimination, equality and related topics. Linda received the 2001 Suzanne Mah Award and an Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005 for her work in human rights in Alberta.

Age Discrimination in Long Term Disability Plans: Reasonableness Not Required in Alberta

By: Linda McKay-Panos

PDF Version: Age Discrimination in Long Term Disability Plans: Reasonableness Not Required in Alberta

Case Commented On: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1007 v Epcor Utilities Inc, 2016 ABQB 574 (CanLII) (IBEW ABQB)

This case demonstrates grievance arbitration panels’ shared jurisdiction with the Alberta Human Rights Commission on human rights issues. It also shows one of the fairly rare circumstances when individuals (or their employers) can effectively contract out of human rights protection. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1007 represented Darrell McGowan in a grievance wherein he asserted that he was forced to resign and access his pension instead of being able to access his long term disability (LTD) benefits. The LTD Policy negotiated between McGowan’s employer (Epcor) and its third party benefits provider (Sun Life) expressly excluded access to LTD benefits for people “who retire or those who are eligible to retire with a full pension” (Re Epcor Utilities Inc. and IBEW, Local 1007 (McGowan), 2015 CarswellAlta 1657 (IBEW Arbitration) at 2).

McGowan had worked for Epcor for 36 years and had been receiving LTD payments for about a year when his payments ceased as he reached pensionable age. McGowan’s Union argued that the provision in the LTD Policy constituted discrimination against McGowan on the basis of age and/or disability. The Union reasoned that the policy was discriminatory because those who are disabled and thus eligible for LTD benefits, but who intend to and are potentially able to return to work, or who may recover from a disability and be accommodated by the employer, are not eligible to receive LTD benefits (IBEW Arbitration at 2). Continue reading →

Sexual Harassment at the University of Calgary Food Court

By: Linda McKay-Panos

PDF Version: Sexual Harassment at the University of Calgary Food Court

Case Commented On: Pham v Vu’s Enterprises Ltd, 2016 AHRC 12 (CanLII)

On some occasions, there is an Alberta Human Rights Tribunal (AHRT) case where the respondent may have been far better off settling the complaint in private, instead of steadfastly denying discrimination occurred, or refusing to settle even after an investigation, thereby experiencing what should be embarrassing publicity inherent in a reported AHRT decision against them. This may be one of those cases. The Director of the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had carriage of the complaint before the AHRT (at para 6), which indicates that the AHRC had previously determined that the complaint had merit and that the parties were unable to settle or unwilling to accept the terms of a proposed settlement. Continue reading →

BCCA Unfortunately Chooses Not to Follow Alberta’s Lead on the Issue of Whether the Charter Applies to Universities

By: Linda McKay-Panos

PDF Version: BCCA Unfortunately Chooses Not to Follow Alberta’s Lead on the Issue of Whether the Charter Applies To Universities

Case Commented On: BC Civil Liberties Association v University of Victoria, 2016 BCCA 162 (CanLII)

There are a number of ABlawg posts dealing with the issue of whether the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) applies to universities (see: Face-ing the Charter’s Application on University Campuses; University Campus is not Charter-Free; Freedom of Expression, Universities and Anti-Choice Protests). Many of these decisions involve freedom of expression, which is considered to be a very important element of university life (e.g., for academic freedom, free discussion and debate of ideas). Recently, I posted about a case involving the University of Victoria (see Does the Charter Apply to Universities? Pridgen Distinguished in U Vic Case) in which the British Columbia Supreme Court did not follow the judgment of Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Paperny in Pridgen v University of Calgary, 2012 ABCA 139. Although the case law synthesized by Justice Paperny was not determinative in Pridgen, her judgment provides an excellent, logical synthesis of how the precedents on the application of the Charter should be applied in various contexts, including universities. This post discusses the BCCA decision on the University of Victoria case. Continue reading →

Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Overturns Discrimination Decision on Foreign Trained Engineer

By: Linda McKay-Panos

PDF Version: Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Overturns Discrimination Decision on Foreign Trained Engineer

Case Commented On: Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta v Mihaly, 2016 ABQB 61 (CanLII)

In an earlier post with Jason Wai, we discussed the decision of the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal (AHRT), in which Mr. Ladislav Mihaly succeeded in arguing that the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) discriminated against him on the grounds of place of origin, when it refused to recognize his education as the equivalent of an engineering degree from an accredited Canadian University, and by requiring him to write certain examinations to confirm his credentials. The AHRT also concluded that APEGA could not justify its registration requirements. Thus, Mihaly was successful in his claim of discrimination and was awarded $10,000 for injury to dignity. The AHRT declined to award lost wages to Mihaly.

APEGA appealed the finding of discrimination by the AHRT, and Mihaly cross-appealed, asking for $1,000,000 for lost wages and registration with APEGA, or $2,000,000 if not registered with APEGA (at para 2).

Continue reading →

Can We Keep the Horses in the Barn? Investigation Report on Alberta Environment’s Destruction of Records after the 2015 Provincial Election

By: Linda McKay-Panos

PDF Version: Can We Keep the Horses in the Barn? Investigation Report on Alberta Environment’s Destruction of Records after the 2015 Provincial Election

Report Commented On: Information and Privacy Commissioner, Public Interest Commissioner, Investigation Report on Alleged improper destruction of records by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development

On January 7, 2016, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) and the Public Interest Commissioner (PIC) released their Investigation Report on alleged improper destruction of records by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development after the 2015 Provincial Election (Investigation Report). When reading the highlights of the Investigation Report’s recommendations, one hopes that the current government might implement and retain some rules and practices that deter future events of this nature.

After the Alberta provincial election in May, 2015, there were a number of media reports about destruction of records during the transition to a new government (Investigation Report, at para 2). The OIPC issued a news release on May 7, 2015 to inform and remind Albertans of the provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSA 2000, c F-25 (FOIP Act) dealing with record destruction, while noting that some of the records were not subject to the same rules (Investigation Report, at para 6). On May 12, 2015, a disclosure of wrongdoing was made to the PIC under the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act, SA 2012, C P-39.5, alleging that staff members of the Department of Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) were instructed to move all briefing material into the Action Request Tracking System (ARTS), and all records would then be deleted (Investigation Report, at para 3). On May 13, 2015, the OIPC and the PIC announced that they would jointly investigate allegations that records within ESRD may have been destroyed in an unauthorized manner (Investigation Report, at para 9).

Continue reading →