Canadian Sikh group reiterates legal protections for kirpan

By Asia Samachar  | Canada |

Sikhs may wear the kirpan at facilities offering services to the public, including gyms, says the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO).

In a social media post, the advocacy group said businesses must accommodate the Sikh article of faith unless they can demonstrate that doing so would cause undue hardship under human rights law.

WSO cited the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2006 Multani decision, which overturned a school board’s prohibition on a student wearing a kirpan. The court accepted an accommodation allowing the kirpan to be securely worn under specified conditions and rejected restrictions based only on speculative safety concerns.

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The organisation said Ontario’s Human Rights Code requires service providers to accommodate sincerely held religious or creed-based practices to the point of undue hardship. Ontario Human Rights Commission guidance states that such hardship must be supported by objective evidence and assessed through cost, outside funding, or health and safety requirements.

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WSO argued that a blanket kirpan ban imposed without evidence of a real risk could amount to discrimination. It noted that kirpan-wearing Sikhs are accommodated in schools, workplaces, courthouses, airports, government buildings and community facilities across Canada.

“Know your rights. Stand for equality,” the organisation said.

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