I, Ashu M. G. Solo, filed the following:

1. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Mayor's Office) and Councillor Randy Donauer for prayer recitations at government organized events

2. Code of Conduct complaint against Mayor Don Atchison for potential online campaign advertising violations

3. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for promoting holidays from only one religion on city buses

4. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Executive Committee) for retaliating against me by not reappointing me to the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee and not appointing me to another civic committee or board

5. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (City Solicitor’s Office) for retaliating against me by trying to deprive me of my right to directly communicate with members of City Council and by telling employees of other City of Saskatoon departments to not talk to me

6. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office) and City of Saskatoon (Living in Harmony Ad Hoc Subcommittee of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee) for retaliating against me by not considering my submissions to the Living in Harmony Contest

This site contains my media releases, some case documents, emails to City Council, etc.

I don't waste my time arguing with opponents.

The backlash makes me much more determined to fight against bigotry and shows the need for these civil rights cases, so I'll be filing more civil rights cases. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hate Message from City of Saskatoon Employee Jason Lagacy

A City of Saskatoon employee named Jason Lagacy sent me a hateful and harassing message about my complaints against his employer, City of Saskatoon.  It is highly inappropriate for a City of Saskatoon employee to be sending me hate messages because I've made complaints against his employer, but that's what Jason Lagacy did.  After Jason Lagacy was disciplined by his manager, he sent me another message that affirmed his earlier opinion. 

This hate message was received on March 6, 2013 from City of Saskatoon employee Jason Lagacy during his working hours:

Jason Lagacy (https://www.facebook.com/jason.lagacy)
take your non religious ass out of the spotlight. You dont like the way it works here in Saskatoon find somewhere else to pollute with your bull shit. your opinion does not matter and your an ass whole.


Note:  You must be logged onto Facebook to see Jason Lagacy's profile at the link above.

As you can see, Jason Lagacy could use some lessons in manners, spelling, grammar, punctuation, writing style, and civil rights.  What kind of employees does the City of Saskatoon hire?

Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas Messages on Programmable Bus Signs


Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas Messages on Programmable Bus Signs

By Ashu M. G. Solo

I saw that the programmable signs for the #6 Broadway bus and a Special bus of Saskatoon Transit Services had a “merry Christmas” message.  The signs alternated between displaying the bus number/route name and “merry Christmas.”  I was extremely surprised, offended, and angered that a municipal government organization like Saskatoon Transit Services would display a message pertaining to a religious holiday on its main bus sign.  I found out that many more buses displayed a “merry Christmas” message.  This violates the freedom from religion inherent to freedom of religion, violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

I talked to a bus driver about this.  He said that Saskatoon Transit Services management programmed the bus signs to give drivers the option of having a “merry Christmas” message.  He said the bus signs are not programmed to display a message for a holiday for any other religion.  If they did, I'm sure there would be a public backlash from conservative Christians. 

Author David Barrett has documented 10,000 different religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html.  This article is attached.  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

It is extremely inappropriate and extremely discriminatory to have a Christmas message displayed by Saskatoon Transit Services, which is owned by the City of Saskatoon and funded by taxpayers.  People are free to put “merry Christmas” bumper stickers on your personal vehicles, but the City of Saskatoon is not free to put “merry Christmas” signs on Saskatoon Transit buses or other City of Saskatoon vehicles.  If the “merry Christmas” message were from a private advertiser on one of the internal bus signs, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for Saskatoon Transit Services to display this message on its own.  If the “merry Christmas” message were by a private organization or individual, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for a government organization like Saskatoon Transit Services to display this message on its own.

Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make religious minorities, atheists, and agnostics who do not celebrate Christmas feel excluded and like second class citizens.  Many new immigrants use these buses and a large percentage of them are not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas.  Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like Christianity is the religion of Canada and like they need to convert to Christianity to be first class citizens.  Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.

The Christmas messages on buses are a more important issue than the Christian prayer recitation at the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet because the Christmas messages are on numerous buses and are a yearly occurrence whereas I only witnessed the Christian prayer recitation once.

Religion is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and a fundamental freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.

The same sections of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code that were violated with the Christian prayer recitation at the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on April 18, 2012 were also violated by Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit programmable bus signs.  The Christmas messages on programmable bus signs discriminated on the basis of the prohibited grounds of religion and creed contrary to section 2 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.  Also, the Christmas messages on programmable bus signs violated freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.  Furthermore, the Christmas messages on programmable bus signs violated section 12 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code by discriminating against people who aren’t Christian with respect to the services provided by Saskatoon Transit Services.   It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code includes freedom from religion. 

It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes freedom from religion, that section 15 of the Charter guarantees religious equality, that the Charter forbids attempts to coerce, limit, or otherwise influence the choice of religious observance, and that section 27 of the Charter on multiculturalism forbids conferring special privileges or benefits on any particular religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates these sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion.  Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  This is to protect people of all religions including Christians.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion. 

In a free society, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  We need to protect the rights of the minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

If Saskatoon Transit Services were not owned by the government, I wouldn’t make this complaint.  I am not seeking any money.  I just want this discriminatory practice stopped.

It extremely offended me and extremely angered me that the City of Saskatoon would have Christmas messages on programmable bus signs for Saskatoon Transit buses.  It made me think that Christianity is treated as the religion of Canada.  Furthermore, it made me think that people who aren’t Christian are treated as unequal and second-class citizens in Saskatoon. 

The City of Saskatoon’s promotion of a Christian holiday through Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses sent the message that Christianity is treated as the religion of Canada, that there is a priority given to Christian values, that Christianity is more valued than other religions or a lack of religious beliefs, that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while others are marginalized, and that citizens have second-class treatment if they’re not Christian.  Also, the retention of the Christmas messages make Saskatoon look like an archaic city of religious intolerance.  This is absolutely disgraceful.

The City of Saskatoon’s promotion of a Christian holiday is a coercive attempt at Christian indoctrination because this sends the message that Christianity is treated as the religion of Canada, that Christianity is more valued than other religions or a lack of religious beliefs, that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while others are marginalized, that citizens are considered second class if they’re not Christian, that one needs to convert to Christianity if he wants to fit into the city, and that one needs to convert to Christianity if he wants to be a first-class citizen whose rights are respected.

Furthermore, because none of the members of Saskatoon City Council had the courage to reject the discriminatory Christmas messages on buses for fear of voter backlash, this sent the message to me that a politician needs to accept Christian privilege and superior treatment of Christians to be elected to public office.  I was approached last September by a progressive political party represented in the House of Commons to be a candidate for the federal parliament in the next federal election, but it will be harder to get elected in Canada because I’m not willing to give preferential treatment to Christianity and Christians as can be seen with my civil rights complaints.

I am offended and angered that my taxpayer money is funding city buses that promote a religion I don’t believe in.

Christmas messages strongly violate my conscience because I am not a Christian, I absolutely do not believe in a Christian God, I absolutely do not believe that any Christian books are the word of a God or a prophet, I absolutely do not believe in any Christian stories, I absolutely do not believe in many Christian values, I strongly oppose many Christian values, I absolutely do not practice any Christian observances, I absolutely do not do Christian prayers, and I absolutely do not attend Christian religious institutions.

There was a strong public opposition to getting rid of the Christmas message.  My opponents are being extremely petty by insisting on having “merry Christmas” instead of a more inclusive greeting like “happy holidays" on the programmable bus signs for Saskatoon Transit buses.  The only reason that there would be so much backlash and such a petty position by my opponents is because they want to use the state to promote Christian holidays, to promote Christian traditions, to promote Christianity, and for Christian proselytization. 

I understand that Christians have a religious requirement to push their religion onto others.  That’s why there is so much opposition to removal of Christmas greetings from buses.  They should not be using the state for proselytization.  If Christmas greetings are so important to them, they can put them on their own personal vehicles instead of on city buses.  “Merry Christmas” might be a secular greeting to many, but it is also a religious greeting to many.  Otherwise they would not oppose getting rid of the greeting or replacing it with a more inclusive greeting like “happy holidays.”  Many Christians say “merry Christmas” to push their religion onto others and that’s why some of them boycott retail stores where clerks are told to not say “merry Christmas” to customers. 

“Merry Christmas” on programmable bus signs doesn’t offend many people who are of Christian ancestry because their families celebrate it and they're accustomed to it.  Some people argue that Christmas is secular to non-Christians, but the people that they’re talking about are mostly of Christian ancestry and the same can be said about all religious holidays.  Eid al-Fitr is secular to non-Muslims who are of Muslim ancestry and Hannukah is secular to non-Jews who are of Jewish ancestry, but the bus doesn't display messages for Eid al-Fitr or Hannukah.  It can't display messages for all religions because there are over 10,000 religions, 150 of which have 1 million or more followers (http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html).  This doesn't include branches of each religion.  Therefore, it shouldn't display messages for any religions.   Saskatoon Transit Services is giving preferential treatment to the Christian holiday.

It has been claimed by some that this issue is petty.  If it’s petty, why did I get massive media coverage, numerous hate messages, and threats?  This is a yearly occurrence on Saskatoon buses.  I’m not the one being petty.  My opponents are the ones being petty by insisting on having “merry Christmas” on Saskatoon buses instead of a more inclusive greeting like “happy holidays.”  This issue isn’t petty to my opponents; it’s extremely important to my opponents.

There was an extremely racist and bigoted backlash against me.  This shows how important it is to make complaints like this.  Numerous people told me to go back where I came from.  I was born here, served in the army reserve here, and don’t have to accept religion in government here. 

The idea suggested by City Council of allowing greetings for other holidays in addition to Christmas greetings is not a practical idea.  There are over 10,000 religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers.  This doesn’t include branches of each religion.  This has been documented by author David Barrett in the World Christian Encyclopedia (http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html).  Most of these religions have multiple holidays.  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

Are they going to have greetings for Scientology holidays and Voodoo religion holidays?  Are they going to have messages for L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday, a holiday that is as important for Scientologists as Christmas is for Christians?  They would have to hire a staff just to figure out all of the religious holidays and program all of them into each of the 110 buses with programmable messaging signs.  They can’t display messages for all religions, so they should display messages for no religions.  Also, nobody’s taxpayer money should fund city buses that promote a religion he doesn’t believe in or that he opposes.

The bus drivers can choose which programmed messages they want to display at their discretion, so I doubt if many of them will display messages for religions that they don’t believe in.   Do they think bus drivers are going to display messages for Diwali or Ramadan?  A bus driver told me that most drivers said that they will not display messages for religions that they don’t believe in.  Are they going to force bus drivers to display messages?  How is this going to be enforced?  Are they going to discipline bus drivers who refuse to display messages?

If “merry Christmas” messages are so important to people, they can stick them on their own personal vehicles or even pay for private advertisements inside the bus containing this message.  The city shouldn’t be displaying this message on its own along with the route name and number on programmable bus signs.

Christmas is a statutory holiday, but I intend to challenge this too in the future.  Instead of being forced to take holidays on Christmas and Easter, people should be free to take a few holidays every year according to their own religions or convenience.  Instead of being forced to close on Christmas and Easter, if a company or organization doesn't have enough people willing to work on a particular day, such as Christmas, it can close for that day.

In direct response to my Christmas message complaint and my prayer recitation complaint, Mayor Don Atchison has said at least five times to the media or City Council that Saskatoon was founded on Christianity.  As you know, it’s completely irrelevant how Saskatoon was founded.  Atchison is clearly implying that he still believes Saskatoon is a Christian city.  This clearly shows the forces of discrimination and bigotry at work here.  As you know, today Saskatoon is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country.  The latest examples of Atchison responding to my complaints by saying that Saskatoon was founded on Christianity can be seen at these links: 





I didn't serve in the Cdn. Army Reserve to defend religious discrimination and bigotry.  It's hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for secularism in Kabul when this doesn't fully exist in Saskatoon.

A Christmas message on a city bus is analogous to going to a restaurant where there is only one menu option and the restaurateur force feeds you with that single menu option.  Secularism is analogous to going to a restaurant and being able to eat whatever you want.  The former is suitable for some people.  The latter is suitable for all people.  My opponents are fighting for some people.  I’m fighting for all people.

In a constitutional democracy like Canada, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  This is not a Christian city or a Christian country.  This is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics, and atheists.  We need to respect everybody.  We need to protect the rights of the minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

I would like to amalgamate my prayer recitation complaint and Christmas message complaint into one case.  I believe that this is best because both complaints have to do with religious discrimination, both discriminatory acts violate the same sections of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, both complaints are against the City of Saskatoon, and both discriminatory acts show a pattern of ongoing religious discrimination by the City of Saskatoon.

I am attaching the demand letter that I sent by email on December 12, 2012 to Bob Howe, Saskatoon Transit Services manager, Harold Matthies, Saskatoon Transit Services operations manager, and Murray Totland, Saskatoon city manager.  I gave the City of Saskatoon ample time to agree to not have the Christmas messages on buses or replace them with a more inclusive greeting like “happy holidays.”  They refused to do so.



From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:11 PM
To: 'bob.howe@saskatoon.ca'; 'harold.matthies@saskatoon.ca'; murray.totland@saskatoon.ca
Subject: More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Dear Mr. Bob Howe, Mr. Harold Matthies, and Mr. Murray Totland,

I saw that the programmable signs for the #6 Broadway bus and a Special bus of Saskatoon Transit had a “merry Christmas” message.  The signs alternated between displaying the bus number/route name and “merry Christmas.”  I was extremely surprised, offended, and angered that a municipal government organization like Saskatoon Transit would display a message pertaining to a religious holiday on its main bus sign.  This violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

I talked to a bus driver about this.  He said that Saskatoon Transit management programmed the bus signs to give drivers the option of having a “merry Christmas” message.  He said the bus signs are not programmed to display a message for a holiday for any other religion.  If they did, I'm sure there would be a public backlash from conservative Christians. 

Author David Barrett has documented 10,000 different religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html.  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

It is extremely inappropriate and extremely discriminatory to have a Christmas message displayed by Saskatoon Transit, which is owned by the City of Saskatoon and funded by taxpayers.  You're free to put “merry Christmas” bumper stickers on your personal vehicles, but you're not free to put “merry Christmas” signs on Saskatoon Transit buses or other City of Saskatoon vehicles.  If the “merry Christmas” message were from a private advertiser on one of the internal bus signs, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.  If the “merry Christmas” message were by a private organization or individual, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for a government organization like Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.

This is not a Christian city or a Christian country.  This is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics, and atheists. 

Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make religious minorities, atheists, and agnostics who do not celebrate Christmas feel excluded and like second class citizens.  Many new immigrants use these buses and a large percentage of them are not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas.  Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first class citizens.  Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.

Religion is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and a fundamental freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and creed.  It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code includes freedom from religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and discriminates against people on the prohibited grounds of religion and creed.

It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes freedom from religion, that section 15 of the Charter guarantees religious equality, that the Charter forbids attempts to coerce, limit, or otherwise influence the choice of religious observance, and that section 27 of the Charter on multiculturalism forbids conferring special privileges or benefits on any particular religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates these sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  This is to protect people of all religions including Christians.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion. 

In a free society, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  We need to protect the rights of the minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

When Saskatoon Transit displays a Christmas message on buses, it sends the message that there is a priority given to Christian values, it sends the message that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while marginalizing others, it sends the message that a citizen is second class if she’s not a Christian, and it makes Saskatoon look like an archaic city of religious intolerance.  This is absolutely disgraceful.

I didn't serve in the Cdn. Army Reserve to defend religious discrimination and bigotry.  It's hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for separation of religion and state in Kabul when this doesn't fully exist in Saskatoon.

I previously filed a civil rights complaint against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon for a Christian prayer recitation at a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet organized by the Mayor's Office.  This complaint is currently being processed by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  See http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca for details.  I’m seeking a judgment that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at civic events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

Before filing a claim in Saskatchewan Provincial Court, a plaintiff is required to give the defendant a demand letter with her legal demands, a date by which those demands must be met, and a statement that a claim will be filed against the defendant if the demands are not met by that date.  Typically 10-14 days are given to meet the legal demands.  I am following a similar procedure here by sending you this email, despite not being required to do so for a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. 

I'm giving Saskatoon Transit 10 days until December 22, 2012 to agree to not display a Christmas message or religious message again unless it is from a private advertiser and to make an apology to anyone who was offended including me.  If these demands are not met, I will file a civil rights complaint against Saskatoon Transit, its management, and individual bus drivers displaying this message with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  If this case goes to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, I will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by government organizations throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too.

If Saskatoon Transit were not owned by the government, I wouldn’t make this complaint.  I am not seeking any money.  I just want this discriminatory practice stopped and I want an apology for this discriminatory practice to everyone who was offended.

There might be a backlash against me from conservative Christians and pushover progressives if I'm forced to make a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, as there was with my previous civil rights complaint, but I'm willing to deal with that because the advancement of liberty is more important than the advancement of my popularity.  The backlash from conservative Christians and pushover progressives just shows how much religious bigotry and social apathy there is and motivated me to make this complaint.

Furthermore, City of Saskatoon employees should be ordered to not say “merry Christmas” to members of the public while performing their jobs.  This year, I have already heard two City of Saskatoon employees wish a “merry Christmas” to members of the public who aren’t Christian while performing their jobs.  This was extremely inappropriate and offensive.

A Christmas message on a city bus is analogous to going to a restaurant where there is only one menu option and the restaurateur force feeds you with that single menu option.  Secularism is analogous to going to a restaurant and being able to eat whatever you want.  The former is suitable for some people.  The latter is suitable for all people.  My opponents are fighting for some people.  I’m fighting for all people.

Although I'm a representative on the City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, I'm not speaking on behalf of the committee because its mandate is restricted to education and awareness, not civil rights advocacy.  I’m speaking independently in this email as a civil libertarian because I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.

I am blind copying this email message to the media.  I will also post this message on the Internet at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo


Monday, March 4, 2013

MEDIA ADVISORY: Solo Files Civil Rights Complaint with Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission against City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas Messages on Programmable Bus Signs



MEDIA ADVISORY:  Solo Files Civil Rights Complaint with Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission against City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas Messages on Programmable Bus Signs

SASKATOON, SK, Mar. 4, 2013 – Ashu M. G. Solo has filed a civil rights complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) against the City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for Christmas messages on programmable bus signs.  Solo filed the complaint after Saskatoon City Council decided to retain the messages and not add messages for any of the other over 10,000 religions.

Solo believes that these Christmas messages discriminate on the basis of the prohibited grounds of religion and creed contrary to section 2 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code,  violate freedom of conscience in section 4, and violate section 12 by discriminating against people who aren’t Christian with respect to the services provided by Saskatoon Transit Services.

“There are over 10,000 religions not including branches of each religion, so they can’t have messages for all religions on the buses and should have messages for no religions,” Solo said.  “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees religious equality.”

March is the City of Saskatoon’s Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Month.  “On one hand, they spend a lot of money on events promoting respect for cultural diversity.  On the other hand, they retain Christmas messages on buses and don’t include holiday messages for any of the other over 10,000 religions,” Solo said.  “Government actions like this make people mistakenly think that this is a Christian city and Christian country.”

Solo is attempting to amalgamate his prayer recitation complaint and Christmas message complaint into one case to reduce costs.  He believes that this can be done because both complaints are against the City of Saskatoon, both complaints are for religious discrimination, and both complaints allege violations of the same sections of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, but SHRC will decide if the complaints can be amalgamated.

An attempt at mediation will not be made with the prayer recitation complaint until after SHRC determines if Solo’s complaints can be amalgamated.  The City of Saskatoon won’t receive any correspondence about either of these complaints from SHRC until there is an attempt at mediation.  Solo doesn’t believe that mediation is possible for either complaint because he won’t change his positions and he doubts if the respondents will too.  If mediation fails, SHRC can refer a case for a hearing by the Court of Queen’s Bench.

Solo believes that he’ll eventually win with both complaints.  “He who is clad in the armor of a righteous cause can defeat the armies of intolerance,” Solo said.

For further information:

Ashu M. G. Solo