Monday 28 October, Ontario Human Rights Commission Chair Barbara Hall, brought a big smile to the faces of immigrants, as she presented their new policy banning one of the biggest barriers to employment, the requirement for Canadian experience. Among the large audience at City Hall were Mayor Jim Watson, Ontario Fairness Commissioner Hon. Jean Augustine, Scotiabank Vice President Frank Bilodeau, La Cite Collegiale President, Lise Bourgeois, Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership Chair, Dick Stewart, representatives of immigrant settlement agencies and many new immigrants. The presentations and the lively discussions that followed, pointed to the illegality of excluding immigrants from jobs because they do not have Canadian experience and stipulated that potential employees should be judged strictly on the relevance of their qualifications and experience to the job requirements. Equally important is the fact that hiring immigrants makes sound economic sense, a point emphasized by Scotiabank and Pythian, two large employers with a proven track records of hiring new Canadians.
