MINISTER OF JUSTICE APPOINTS FULL-TIME COMMISSIONER OF THE CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

OTTAWA, June 16, 2006 – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Vic Toews, Q.C., today announced the appointment of David Langtry to the position of full-time Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Langtry is an accomplished senior executive and lawyer with more than 23 years of combined progressive experience in the private practice of law and public sector administration. In his home province of Manitoba, he has served as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Child and Family Services, where he led five program areas: Child, Family and Community Development (child welfare), Family Conciliation, Family Violence Prevention, Children’s Special Services, and Child Day Care. Prior to that, Mr. Langtry served as Executive Director of the Multiculturalism Secretariat in Manitoba, responsible for implementation of the province’s Multicultural Policy. In this role, he helped develop the Multiculturalism Act proclaimed by the province in 1992, as well as a Multicultural Internship in Government program to facilitate the entry into government by individuals from specific ethnocultural communities. In addition, Mr. Langtry has served as Vice-President and President of the Folk Arts Council of Winnipeg/Folklorama festival on a volunteer basis. Other roles have included membership of the Canadian Multiculturalism Advisory Council, Chairperson of the Multicultural Grants Advisory Council, and Treasurer of the Manitoba Bar Association. He earned his LLB from the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba in 1976.

Established in 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Commission is empowered by the Canadian Human Rights Act to settle complaints of discrimination in employment and in the provision of services within federal jurisdiction. Under the Employment Equity Act, the Commission ensures that federally regulated employers provide equal opportunities for employment to women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. The Commission is also mandated to develop and provide information and discrimination prevention programs.

For more information on the Canadian Human Rights Commission, visit www.chrc-ccdp.ca.

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For more information:

Mark Quinlan, Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
(613) 992-4621