What we do

The Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD) works to eliminate systemic racism in government policies, decisions and programs, and advance racial equity in Ontario for Indigenous, Black and other and racialized populations. We’re committed to advancing a more inclusive and responsive Ontario government, to ensure all people are served equitably, with a plan that is grounded in evidence and research.

  • 42%
    of Indigenous people in Ontario are under the age of 25
  • 48%
    estimated racialized population in Ontario by 2036
  • 25%
    of Ontario’s labour force is racialized

Government has a leading role to play in eliminating systemic racism. We have zero tolerance for hate, racism or discrimination in all its forms and are committed to creating conditions to build a more inclusive province.

Anti-Racism Directorate established February 16, 2016
 
10 public meetings across Ontario July – December 2016
 
Ontario’s 2017 anti-racism strategic plan released March 7, 2017
 
Anti-Racism Act, 2017 is passed June 1, 2017
 
Inaugural anti-racism conference December 1, 2017
 
Ontario’s anti-black racism strategy is released December 14, 2017
 
OPS anti-racism policy is released February 22, 2018
 
Anti-racism data standards are released April 23, 2018
 
Youth Justice sector begins collecting race-based data in compliance with data standards July 2019
 
Targets and indicators are established to measure the strategy’s progress August 2019
 
Police services begin collecting race-based data about use of force January 2020
 
Annual progress report 2020 released September 20, 2020
 
Anti-Black racism conference October 21–22, 2020
 
Roundtable with CivicAction to advance racial equity in Ontario workplaces January 26, 2021
 
Annual progress report 2021 released September 20, 2021
 
Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant Program launched September 28, 2021
 
Annual progress report 2022 released September 20, 2022
 
Annual progress report 2023 released September 20, 2023
 
Annual progress report 2024 released September 20, 2024
 

Legislation

We administer the Anti-Racism Act, 2017, which focuses on eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity. Everyone deserves to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity. We’re committed to advancing racial equity because this supports the social, economic and cultural development of Ontario as a whole. Everyone benefits when individuals and communities are no longer marginalized.

Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant Program

The Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant is a $3.2 million program to support community-led initiatives that increase public education and awareness on the impact of racism and hate, in all its many forms.

Eligible organizations, including community-based, not-for-profit organizations, were eligible to apply for grants of $40,000 over two years for independent projects, or $100,000 over two years for partnerships between two or more organizations. The application period for this grant closed on February 14, 2022.

Learn more about the program.

Resources for employers

In January 2021, CivicAction and the Anti-Racism Directorate held a roundtable that brought together multi-sector leaders to discuss the way employers can enhance opportunities for Indigenous, Black and otherracialized talent. Read the summary report from that session.

Following the roundtable, we’ve been developing an employer resource hub to help employers identify actions they can take to:

  • advance racial equity in the workplace
  • enhance workplace opportunities for Indigenous, Black and other racialized talent

We will continue to add digital tools and resources to the hub to help people reach their full potential, experience true economic inclusion and build workplaces that work for all.

Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) Grant

Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) is a service and grant program to support Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs in Ontario with starting and scaling a business.

Successful applicants will receive:

  • a $10,000 grant to facilitate innovation and growth
  • online business development training
  • culturally responsive support services, including personalized business coaching

RAISE was developed and administered by:

What to do if you’ve experienced racial discrimination

Please note, the Anti-Racism Directorate is not a court and will not investigate individual cases or make legal decisions on cases of racism or discrimination under the law.

If you have questions or need support, contact the:

If you need legal help for other types of concerns:

If you have been a victim of a crime:

If you want to report a hate crime, call your local authorities

Public community meetings

Between July and December 2016, we hosted 10 public community meetings across the province to hear your perspectives and recommendations for fighting systemic racism.

  • 2,500+
    people attended in person
  • 2,000+
    watched online

What we heard:

  • anti-racism legislation is needed to ensure longevity and sustainability of anti-racism work within government
  • we need to mandate race-based data collection and public reporting
  • the need for government action to address systemic racism in the education, child welfare, health and justice sectors

Read the meeting transcripts to learn more: