Plain and simple, governments shouldn’t treat people differently based on race.

Seems like a simple concept, but that is not what’s happening at the federal government’s new Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Yes, you read that right – a “human rights” museum is singling people out based on race. (Photo Canadian Museum of Human rights: AJ Batac/Flickr)

Recently, the Winnipeg Sun exposed how the new federal museum doesn’t charge First Nations, Inuit or Métis admission, provided they show ID. Why those three groups were chosen seems to be some kind of mystery.

The museum claims the three were selected – “to help ensure Indigenous People have access to expressions of their culture.”

What about Jewish people, Ukrainian people, Chinese people, members of the LGTBQ community, persons with disabilities and others who have faced discrimination in the past and want to view exhibits describing their challenges?

Are they supposed to just reach into their pocket and pay while the museum allows some other people to just walk right in free of charge? The museum would sheepishly say “yes.”

The museum doesn’t have a good response for aboriginal, Metis and Inuit people who may be offended by their freebie policy. Imagine being a first-nations Canadian, walking up to the museum with a group of friends (of all races) and then being singled out and told you didn’t have to pay.

Wouldn’t you be a bit embarrassed to be discriminated against by the museum while each of your friends had to fork over $15? The museum should be ashamed about the discomfort they’re causing to aboriginal, Metis and Inuit people who may find themselves in such a position.

Furthermore, the museum can hardly afford to let anyone in for free. In fact, it’s the last organization in Canada that should be encouraging customers not to pay the entrance fee.

Consider that each year the Canadian Museum for Human Rights receives $21.7 million in funding from the federal government. Why does it receive so much money? The subsidy is necessary because there aren’t enough paying customers willing to visit the museum each year. Thus, the museum’s annual expenses far exceed its revenues. The annual federal funding keeps the museum from going bankrupt.

The numbers are even more shocking on an individual level. The museum expects 250,000 visitors annually. Divide that into the $21.7 million grant from the feds and each person walking into the museum is subsidized by $86.80. You may only pay $15 to enter, but the true cost is about $101.80.

Expensive and discriminatory – clearly the museum has a lot of work to do.

But the discriminatory policy won’t change on its own. Taxpayers need to speak out and complain to the museum. Let museum officials know that you believe discrimination is wrong. At the same time, the public should be calling their Members of Parliament and urging them to take action. After all, the museum is a federal institution. If enough Members of Parliament hear blowback on the discriminatory policy, they’ll be quick to take action. Oh, and you might want to mention the $86.80 per visitor subsidy too.