The New Brunswick legislature in Fredericton. (Image: Brad Perry)
The province will be getting a commissioner to address systemic racism.
According to a release from the government of New Brunswick, the commissioner will have a year to produce a final report.
“We acknowledge that systemic racism exists here in New Brunswick and we want to better understand people’s experiences, its impact and what we can do about it,” said Aboriginal Affairs and Immigration Minister Arlene Dunn.
“The appointment of an independent commissioner will result in timely recommendations, which will allow us to take prudent action to address this problem. We expect a report from this process within 12 months that will provide the government with specific actions to build a foundation for meaningful change.”
That report will include recommendations on a provincial strategy and an action plan to address concerns of barriers to opportunity and equitable access to programs and services.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us in terms of addressing systemic racism that has been ingrained over many generations and within our institutions. But we are confident that this work is an important step in the right direction,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder.
The cost of the commissioner and their work is estimated to be $500,000 and will be covered by the provincial government.
A commissioner is expected to be identified and placed in the next three months.
