Gary Malkowski v. The Matty Eckler Community Centre et al., 2008 HRTO 107

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

Between:

Gary Malkowski Applicant

-and-

The Matty Eckler Community Centre and Suzanne McCormack Respondents

Gary Malkowski Applicant

-and-

Elections Ontario and John L. Hollis Respondents

Gary Malkowski Applicant

-and-

Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and Andrea Calver Respondents

Gary Malkowski Applicant

-and-

John L. Hollis and Elections Ontario Respondents

Interim Decision

Adjudicator: Kaye Joachim Date: September 25, 2008 Citation: 2008 HRTO 107 Indexed as: Malkowski v. The Matty Eckler Community Centre

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario 655 Bay Street, 14th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2A3 Phone (416) 314-8419 / Fax (416) 314-8743 / Toll free 1-866-598-0322 TTY (416) 314-2379 / (toll free) 1-800-424-1168 E-mail HRTO.Registrar-Transition@ontario.ca Website www.hrto.ca

1These are four applications filed September 15, 2008 under section 53(3) of Part VI of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, as amended (the "Code"). The Respondents have not yet filed their responses (Form B) which are due 35 days after they received the applicant's application (Form A).

2The applications are briefly summarized as follows:

T-0236-08: The Matty Eckler Community Centre and Suzanne McCormack are alleged to have violated section 1 of the Code in failing to provide a sign language interpreter at an all candidates meeting organized by the Centre on March 22, 2006.

T-0238-08: Elections Ontario and John L. Hollins are alleged to have violated section 1 of the Code in failing to provide guidelines to organizers of all candidates meetings of their obligations under the Code to make appropriate accommodations for persons with disabilities.

T-0239-08: The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and Andrea Calver and are alleged to have violated section 1 of the Code in failing to provide a sign language interpreter at an all candidates meeting organized by the Coalition on September 26, 2007.

T-0237-08: Elections Ontario and John L. Hollins are alleged to have violated section 1 of the Code in failing to provide guidelines to organizers of all candidates meetings of their obligations under the Code to make appropriate accommodations for persons with disabilities.

3The Tribunal's Rules for Applications under section 53(3) of the Code are to be interpreted and applied in a way that ensures a fair, just and highly expeditious process for the determination of these applications.

4These applications, although made in respect of separate all candidates meetings, involve similar facts and appear to raise similar legal issues. Accordingly, I find, pursuant to Rules 1.1, 4.1 and 4.3 (m), that in order to ensure a fair, just and highly expeditious process for their resolution, these four applications should proceed together for the purposes of mediation.

5In order to assist in scheduling the mediation expeditiously, all parties are requested to provide, within 10 days from the date of this decision, a list of available dates for mediation in November and December 2008.

6I am not seized of these matters.