Seven new members have been appointed to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, including a new Chief and Vice-Chief Commissioner. Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre says the new appointments replace members whose members have retired. However, one was a resignation last fall. Heather Kuttai said at the time she resigned because of the provincial government’s pronoun policy for schools.
The new Chief Commissioner is Treena Sikora of Saskatoon. She is a lawyer and former Chair of the Saskatchewan Police Commission. Previously, she has served as a hearing officer with the Office of Residential Tenancies, lecturer in the Department of Justice at the University of Regina, and worked in Namibia with the Canadian Lawyers Association for International Human Rights.
The rest of the new members of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission are:
- Rish Malhotra, Deputy Chief Commissioner, Saskatoon
Currently, President and CEO of International Road Dynamics Inc., Rish is a professional engineer. Amongst other Boards, he currently serves on the Board of Hope Restored Canada in Saskatoon and is a passionate advocate for action to address human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
- Judy Desjarlais, Northern Hamlet of Michell
From Buffalo River First Nation, Judy is Dene and currently the town administrator for Michell Village. She has been a justice worker and has extensive knowledge of the justice system.
- Darlene Cooper, Saskatoon
Darlene is employed at Express Employment Professionals, a staffing agency supporting both job seekers and businesses. She has served on a number of boards, including Global Gathering Place, St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, Parkland Regional College and is board chair of a condo corporation.
- Melissa Ong, Casa Rio
A prominent member of the Filipino community in Saskatoon, Melissa has been a coach, board member and executive director of the non-profit Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate Association. She is committed to fostering informed and engaged citizenship across Saskatchewan.
- Mubarik Syed, Saskatoon
A member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat community, Mubarik was involved in building the largest Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in North America (Vaughan, Ontario). He has previously served on the boards of the Saskatchewan Police Commission, and currently serves as a member of the CN community board. Mubarik is passionate about building bridges between races, ethnicities and faiths.
- Alan Thomarat, Thode
Alan has a Masters degree in political science/public administration. He is a former chair of Saskatchewan Polytechnic and is the president and founder of Galt Resources Strategy Group, which specializes in policy research, board governance and human resource management. Alan has also served on various boards and councils and in municipal government for over 18 years in the Village of Thode.
