The start of Black History Month reminded me again of one of the finest gentlemen I’ve ever been privileged to meet — Dan Hill.
Sitting across from him in his Toronto office he unfolded the story of a Windsor motel operator with whom he had a recent enforcement discussion. He was Dr. Dan Hill then, recently appointed as the first full-time chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
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In his 40s, he devoted nine years (1962-’71) to establishing not only that Blacks but native Canadians had rights identical to all fellow Ontarians.
Dan’s office was located in the old Ontario Department of Labour building in Toronto. I was employed as a summer research assistant with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. We shared the same floor of that long-gone old building with the OHRC.
The story Dan recounted exemplified his personal soft-response approach to handling allegations of racism filed with the Ontario’s human rights commission.
An American Black couple had booked a motel room in Windsor. When they attended the motel they were told rooms weren’t available. In a heated conversation that ensued the motel host used the infamous “N“ word several times and threatened to call police if they did not leave the premises.
The couple filed a formal complaint with the commission. Dan’s own office booked him a room in the same motel. Dan drove to Windsor and visited the motel.
Requesting his reserved room, the motel proprietor told him no rooms were available and once more used the “N’ word. He told Dan Hill to get out of his motel.
Dan then produced his credentials as chair of the OHRC and urged the motel operator to re-consider his language or face penalties available under the Ontario Human Rights Act.
A discussion ensued and the motel host agreed to reconsider. A week or so later Dan arranged for the original American couple to once more book a room at the same motel. This time they experienced neither friendliness nor hostility but they had a room.
Dan Hill and wife Donna May Bender enjoyed a mixed-racial marriage at a time when both in the U.S. and Canada such inter-racial marriages were widely reproached.
Open bigotry was still far too common. They came to Canada from the U.S. and Hill enrolled as a PhD student in sociology at the University of Toronto.
His doctoral thesis was a landmark study focusing upon Black people living in Toronto during the 1950s. The title of his thesis was: “Negroes in Toronto: A Sociological Study.”
Dan and Donna had three children, all bringing credit to their family. Singer-songwriter Dan G. Hill’s hit 1977 ballad ”Sometimes When We Touch” peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the U.S.
Younger brother Lawrence Hill is a novelist and essayist of eleven books, including his noted 2007 novel “The Book of Negroes.” Lawrence is a professor of creative writing at Guelph University. Their sister Karen Hill is a noted poet and writer.
Dan Hill himself published two books: “Human Rights in Canada: A Focus on Racism” (1977, 1986) and his better-known: “The Freedom Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada”(1981). His partner Donna May became active in rights issues.
In his years at the OHRC helm, Hill’s soft enforcement earned him widespread respect and admiration. A famous case in Chatham illustrated that approach.
A business owner refused to rent a boat to two Black fishermen and what followed was another example of Dan Hill’s soft enforcement technique. He hosted a public hearing and invited the offending boat owner to attend. An overwhelmingly Black audience was then invited en masse to rent fishing boats from the offending owner.
This tactic for dealing with discrimination and bigotry was widely respected throughout Canada. When he departed the OHRC, Hill established his own human rights’ consulting firm.
Later, from 1984 to 1989, he became Ontario’s provincial Ombudsman, where he strove to make that office reflect the “new Ontario” with a forceful outreach program towards traditionally excluded groups and, in particular, Canada’s aboriginal peoples.
Dan Hill, who died in 2003, was an amazing gentleman and human rights pioneer in Ontario and in Canada. It was a privilege to have known him.
Lloyd Brown-John is a University of Windsor professor emeritus of political science and director of Canterbury ElderCollege. He can be reached at lbj@uwindsor.ca.
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Brown-John: Human rights champion Dan Hill a remarkable person
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10.02.2024
The start of Black History Month reminded me again of one of the finest gentlemen I’ve ever been privileged to meet — Dan Hill.
Sitting across from him in his Toronto office he unfolded the story of a Windsor motel operator with whom he had a recent enforcement discussion. He was Dr. Dan Hill then, recently appointed as the first full-time chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don't have an account? Create Account
In his 40s, he devoted nine years (1962-’71) to establishing not only that Blacks but native Canadians had rights identical to all fellow Ontarians.
Dan’s office was located in the old Ontario Department of Labour building in Toronto. I was employed as a summer research assistant with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. We shared the same floor of that long-gone old building with the OHRC.
The story Dan recounted exemplified his personal soft-response approach to handling allegations of racism filed with the Ontario’s human rights commission.
An American Black couple had booked a motel room in Windsor. When they attended the........
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