Man brings complaint against Mississauga for racially insensitive team names
TORONTO — A Toronto-area man who filed a human rights complaint against an Ontario city in an effort to prevent local hockey teams from using indigenous names and symbols said Monday that he doesn’t want his children to grow up feeling ashamed of their heritage.
Brad Gallant, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation, brought his complaint against the City of Mississauga, saying it should not provide funding to teams with racially insensitive names and logos, like the Mississauga Chiefs or Lorne Park Ojibwa.
He also wants the city to remove banners featuring the teams’ names and logos from municipal buildings, arguing they contribute to a harmful and discriminatory environment.
Gallant’s case came before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on Monday, where he argued the team names and logos demonstrate institutional racism.