With excerpts from news.ontario.ca: https://news.ontario.ca/mag/en/2016/09/ontario-appoints-five-new-human-rights-commissioners.html
MNO citizen Karen Drake. Click here to view a
larger version of the picture.
A well-known and influential figure within the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) recently received a prestigious appointment. On September 30, 2016, MNO citizen Karen Drake was among the five individuals appointed as a part-time commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Commissioner Karen Drake is an assistant professor at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. Her teaching and research interests include Canadian law as it affects Indigenous peoples, Anishinaabe law and Métis law. She is the co-editor-in-chief of the Lakehead Law Journal and was previously Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Indigenous Law Journal. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Indigenous Bar Association.
At the 2016 MNO Annual General Assembly, it was announced that Karen was appointed a Commissioner with the MNO’s Commission on Métis Rights and Self-Government. Karen is the past Chair of the MNO Thunder Bay Métis Council and is currently a member at large. She previously served on the board of directors for the Métis Voyageur Development Fund and clerked with the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Canada.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code. Its mandate includes developing public policy on human rights, conducting public inquiries and promoting a culture of human rights in the province. The commission may also monitor and report on anything related to the state of human rights in Ontario.
Appointments to the Ontario Human Rights Commission are made by the Lieutenant Governor with the advice of the Executive Council of Ontario, in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Members of the commission meet approximately five times per year to provide strategic leadership and advice to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, evaluate its impact and performance, and engage with the public and diverse communities across Ontario.
Published on: October 3, 2016