BC Civil Liberties Association

09/18/2026

Join the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline for an informative online workshop on Islamophobia and your legal rights. September 23, 2026 at 6:30 PM PST

In this session, BCCLA staff lawyer Jerome Igbokwe, Legal Counsel at the BC College of Nurses and Midwives Natalie Chan, and human rights and labour lawyer Hasan Alam will examine common forms and manifestations of Islamophobia in policing, including racial and religious profiling, surveillance, discrimination, and barriers to reporting incidents. The workshop will also provide an overview of the rights and protections available to Muslim community members when interacting with law enforcement.

Register to receive a Zoom link:

Join the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline for an informative workshop on Islamophobia and your legal rights.

09/17/2026

Press Release: BCCLA Calls for Passage of Bill S-2 to Address Discriminatory Provisions in Indian Act

“For 75 years, Canada has refused to recognize the Indigeneity of First Nations people without Indian status, while at the same time creating rules for status eligibility so that the recognized population will shrink and, eventually, disappear. These rules, informed by archaic European ideas, divide families and communities while their effects fall mainly on women and their descendants. Years of work by those affected and legislators have produced Bill S-2, which would stop the attrition caused by the second-generation cutoff. Any further delay in its passage is unconscionable.”

Read more:

Unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations (Vancouver) — The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is urging the Government of Canada to accept the Senate’s amendments to Bill […]

09/03/2026

From automated enforcement of traffic and transit-priority regulations to the use of AI surveillance tools and techniques to identify security risks, organizations are deploying AI technologies at a serious cost to privacy and civil liberties.

Join BCCLA Policy Staff Counsel Aislin Jackson and expert panellists for ‘Where do we draw the line? Protecting Civil Liberties' at Translink Tomorrow’s New Mobility Forum, Secure & Free: Security, Privacy, and Civil Liberties in the Age of AI, on Friday, September 11 - online, and in person in New Westminster.

Register – online: https://ow.ly/3Bkj50ZJ0UZ
Register – in person: https://ow.ly/AiU750ZJ0V0

New Mobility Forum 2026

09/02/2026

BCCLA's new Communications, Outreach & Events Coordinator will produce reel content for social media, carry out BCCLA's Annual Youth Conference, and triage the organization's general contact and supporter-focused inboxes.

Learn more and apply!

Application deadline: September 13, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. About the Position: BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is a non‑partisan national leader with a mission to promote, defend, sustain, and extend […]

09/02/2026

Portage students protested unfair work-permit denials. They should have received justice. Instead, Calgary Police called CBSA and ten students now face removal orders.

Migrants have the right to protest without fear.

Today, BCCLA along with 250+ organizations, are making four demands:
1. An independent investigation into the actions of Calgary Police and CBSA on August 12.
2. Immediate suspension of the removal orders.
3. Clear public policies so that peaceful protest never leads to immigration enforcement, whatever a person’s status.
4. A resolution for the Portage College students under the rules that applied when they enrolled.

Join us! Sign the petition (individuals), open letter (organizations), and read/share the guide (migrants): https://ow.ly/PU3N50ZHY34

On September 20, join migrants and allies taking action across Canada — or organize an action in your community: https://ow.ly/43WU50ZHY33

Migrant Rights Network

08/27/2026

Are security guards becoming private police? How can we hold them accountable? What can we learn from Indigenous Law about restoring dignity after harm has been caused?

We explore these questions and more in Scrutinizing Private Security Powers with a Civil Liberties Lens, a new commentary that grew out of a case that was settled before it went to a hearing — the human rights complaint brought by Heiltsuk citizens Richard and Dawn Wilson about discrimination they faced while shopping at Canadian Tire.

Despite the Wilsons’ receiving a satisfying settlement and resolution, their case highlights broader civil liberties concerns with consumer racial profiling and lack of accountability when security guards exercise quasi-policing powers.

Private security guards often have powers that can look like policing — detaining people, using physical force, searching people’s belongings, and conducting surveillance — but are not subject to the same constitutional accountability.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read the full piece and feel inspired to join BCCLA in calling for better training and greater accountability in the private security sector.

On May 19, 2026, I attended a C̓úx̌va, a Haíɫzaqv  (Heiltsuk) washing ceremony, held for Heiltsuk citizens Richard and Dawn Wilson. This traditional healing ceremony followed the settlement of a […]

08/21/2026

Do you have a talent for producing video content for social media and experience in communications, event management, or community engagement? Are you passionate about social justice?

BCCLA is hiring a Communications, Outreach & Events Coordinator!

If this sounds like you or someone you know, apply by September 13.

Application deadline: September 13, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. About the Position: BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) is a non‑partisan national leader with a mission to promote, defend, sustain, and extend […]

08/19/2026

08/18/2026

BCCLA is hiring a Campaign's Manager to design, develop, run and manage impactful and engaging awareness, public opinion change, advocacy, and legal campaigns.

The role will focus on three core campaign areas: our Shelter is Survival campaign around the right to daytime sheltering; our We’re Not(with)Standing For This campaign around Section 33 of the Charter (the notwithstanding clause); and our work on trans youth rights advocacy.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position from Sept/Oct 2026 – Sept/Oct 2027 that may be extended, subject to funding and agreement with our union.

Time is running out. Apply by tomorrow, August 19 at 11:59pm!

Application deadline: August 19, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.Term: Sept/Oct 2026 – Sept/Oct 2027 fixed-term position, 1.0 FTE. This fixed-term position may be extended, subject to funding and agreement with union. […]

08/17/2026

We're hiring!

BCCLA's Campaigns Manager will design, develop, run and manage impactful and engaging awareness, public opinion change, advocacy, and legal campaigns.
Application Deadline August 19.

Our new Communications, Events & Outreach Coordinator will oversee our social media presence, plan public events, and support the Association’s outreach efforts.
Application Deadline September 13.

Learn more and apply!

Campaigns Manager Application deadline: August 19, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.Term: Sept/Oct 2026 – Sept/Oct 2027 fixed-term position, 1.0 FTE. This fixed-term position may be extended, subject to funding and agreement […]