Albertans consulted on ageism

As Edmonton grapples with the issue of adult-only condo buildings, the province is asking a select group of Albertans their thoughts on age discrimination laws.

On July 20, the Justice Ministry issued discussion guides about age laws to specific groups, including non-profits, condo and tenancy associations, Indigenous organizations and municipalities.

The government wants to make sure that including age in Alberta’s Human Rights Act won’t have unintended consequences for other legislation, government programs or the general public.

Not that the government has any choice but to fix the act. It was ordered by the courts to do so following a 2016 case that focused on the rights of seniors.

The Child-Friendly Housing Coalition of Alberta worries that changes won’t go far enough, leaving Alberta as the only province in Canada that allows management bodies to refuse housing to people on the basis of their age — or the age of their children.

The changes stem from a March 2016 court case that challenged Alberta’s Human Rights Act.

Ruth Maria Adria argued it let people discriminate against seniors when renting or selling, which is unconstitutional. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice R.P. Belzil agreed and gave Alberta one year to rewrite the act to prevent age discrimination.

The deadline is Jan. 6. According to the Justice Ministry, the tight timeline means the province doesn’t have time to expand its consultations to the general public — the nature of the changes means it is going to have to pass through the fall session of the Alberta legislature, set to run Oct. 30 to Dec. 7. The government is also considering opening up the act for a complete review in the near future, but no decision has been made.

The government wants answers to its discussion guide by Aug. 31.