580 CFRA – Access to vegan food a human right? Ontario firefighter says yes

An Ontario firefighter alleges his human rights were violated when he was not provided sufficient vegan food while battling a massive blaze in B.C.

In his application to the tribunal, Adam Knauff wrote that “The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry discriminated against my sincerely held ethical beliefs (creed) when it failed to provide me with food that accommodated my personal commitment to ethical veganism, and then disciplined me and suspended me because I attempted to assert my right to accommodation of that sincerely held ethical belief.”

Alex Lucifero is an Ottawa Employment Lawyer and partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. He joined Morning Rush host Bill Carroll on Newstalk 580 CFRA to discuss Knauff’s story, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and whether or not the argument is a valid one.