Two new members of the Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion announced

OTTAWA, June 26, 2026

The Government of Canada is committed to building a more inclusive, equitable and united country where everyone feels a sense of belonging and can live free from racism and hate.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced the appointment of two new individuals to the Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion, bringing the total number of members to nine.

Announced earlier this year, the Advisory Council will bring together experts and community leaders from across the country to provide advice to the Minister on strengthening social cohesion, rallying Canadians around shared identity, and combatting racism and hate in all their forms, including but not limited to the forms of hate and racism outlined in Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

The following experts have been appointed today to the Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion:

• Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina
• Corrine Sparks, Judge (Retired)

They will join the following members already announced:

• Omar Alghabra, P.C.
• Aftab Erfan, Executive Director, Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University
• Marc Gold, P.C.
• Gary LaPlante, Indigenous Rights and Reconciliation Advocate
• Catriona Le May Doan, Two-time Olympic champion and advocate for the advancement of sport and inclusion
• Avnish Nanda, Litigator, Nanda & Company
• Martine Roy, 2SLGBTQI+ Advocate

The Advisory Council is composed of prominent Canadian experts and community leaders, with a mission to foster social cohesion, rally Canadians around shared identity, combat racism and hate in all their forms, and help guide the efforts of the Government of Canada.

As directed by the Prime Minister, the Council will begin by addressing antisemitism from four different directions:

1. Reassess the nature, scale, and drivers of antisemitism in Canada—across public institutions, workplaces, campuses, and online spaces.
2. Develop a whole-of-government approach to antisemitism to ensure federal policies, workplaces, public safety programs, and community initiatives are aligned in protecting Jewish Canadians and confronting hate.
3. Improve research and the collection of data on hate incidents and build stronger data-sharing systems so all orders of government, schools, and police services are working from the same facts.
4. Measure the impact of our efforts so that investments in education, prevention, training, and community safety are delivering real results and helping build a safer Canada for everyone.

The Advisory Council will help build a more inclusive and united Canada, grounded in our shared values, and rooted in the belief that far more unites us than divides us. The Council will meet shortly to begin its work to advance this objective.