Version française

By Mathieu Rompré

The year 2024 marks the 40^th anniversary of the tabling of the final report of the Royal Commission on Equality in Employment, also known as the Abella Commission. It was named after Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, who presided over it. (You can consult the electronic version of the report in three parts.) This federal commission of inquiry was established in 1983 by the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Minister of Employment and Immigration in the then-Liberal government.

The social context of the early 1980s and the workforce outlook at the time explain the creation of the Abella Commission. It was already expected that women and people from other target groups would make up the majority of entrants to the labour market in the coming years. The Commission was tasked with investigating and reporting on the most effective and equitable ways to promote employment opportunities, eliminate systemic discrimination, and ensure equal employment opportunities for all. Its first task was to examine employment practices in major federal Crown corporations (Petro-Canada, Air Canada, Canadian National Railway Company, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Canada Post Corporation, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Export Development Corporation, Teleglobe Canada, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, and Federal Business Development Bank). In its second phase, the Commission would investigate ways to address shortcomings in employment practices, which included the study of a mandatory affirmative action program.

The Commission held hearings in 17 Canadian cities between August 1983 and March 1984, receiving a total of 274 submissions. Although not widely known to the general public today, the Abella Commission had a significant impact on Canadian society. The federal government took advantage of the establishment of the Commission to extend an affirmative action program across the Public Service of Canada. In the following years, many private companies implemented similar programs, and today, initiatives aimed at promoting the employment of women or certain minority groups have become common practice.

Although much work remains to be done regarding workplace equality, the Abella Commission significantly improved the situation for women and several minority groups in Canada. It was through the Commission that the concept of “employment equity” and theories on equality and discrimination, which form the foundation of the final report, were created. The report’s recommendations were implemented not only in Canada, but also in New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. Given this influence, it is not surprising that Justice Abella was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004.

For more information about the Abella Commission and its critiques, please visit the Commission of Inquiry on Equality in Employment fonds (RG33-133, R1066-0-3-E, which includes approximately 5.5 metres of textual records) held at Library and Archives Canada, as well as the texts below.

Additional resources

• Rapport de la Commission sur l’égalité en matière d’emploi, Rosalie Silberman Abella (OCLC 16024519)
• Research Studies of the Commission on Equality in Employment, Rosalie Silberman Abella (OCLC 503015915)
• Focus on Employment Equity. A Critique of the Abella Royal Commission Report, Walter Block and Michael A. Walker (OCLC 300593021)

---

Mathieu Rompré is an archivist with the Government Archives Division of Library and Archives Canada.