BC Liberal MLA Karin Kirkpatrick has introduced a private member’s bill to remove discriminatory covenants in land title documents that restrict people of colour from purchasing or occupying land.
“Any document that is clearly discriminatory against a person based on race, ancestry or place of origin is not only exclusionary and offensive, it’s a violation of the Human Rights Code,” said Kirkpatrick, MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano.
“It’s shameful that this decades-old and racially-charged language still persists on legal documents. Striking them out is not enough, as they are still visible and extremely hurtful to read. These covenants should be fully removed to rectify historical wrongs because no one should continue to experience bigotry and xenophobia today.”
Despite being void and unenforceable, racial covenants are still common across B.C. An example of such covenants reads, “no person of the African or Asiatic race or of African or Asiatic Descent (except servants of the occupier of the premises in residence) shall reside or be allowed to remain on the premises.” The Land Title Amendment Act, 2022 requires registrars to cancel and remove such discriminating covenants.
“Given the rise of hate crimes since the pandemic, it’s incumbent on our government to dismantle discrimination with all the tools it has,” added Teresa Wat, Opposition Critic for Multiculturalism. “Anti-racism shouldn’t be just a slogan. Removing these outdated and unlawful covenants is an important and necessary step in supporting a welcoming and inclusive British Columbia.”
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