I imagine greater information will be forthcoming on the INFACT home page about the following legal victory. This case took 7 _years_. What is most remarkable and joyful is the tone of the articles, editorials and the attitudes of the public interviews! Believe me this is the result of a tremendous amount of HARD work over the past years by people such as Renee Hefti and Frances Jones and Marina Green, INFACT, LLLCanada and countless others. Do not give up hope -- progess can be slow but isn't this wonderful. And note both papers quoted spelled breastfeeding as one word :) Vancouver Sun front page story: "A B.C. civil servant made Canadian legal history Monday when a human rights tribunal ruled that employers must give breastfeeding employees the time and opportunity to nurse at their desks or elsewhere. The case will have far-reaching implications for all employers in the public and private sector. It is the first ruling that says refusal to accomodate breastfeeding constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex. ........[the following is quoted in the paper from the ruling by the male adjudicator] 'In my opinion, a rule which is made to appear neutral but which is designed to discriminate on a ground prohibited by the Human Rights Code can not be said to be made for genuine business purposes,' Patch said. ......Rob Farvolden, Poirier's [the mother] lawyer, said while the decision is binding in B.C. 'there is no question it will have persuasive power throughout the country in terms of viewing breastfeeding as a protected act under the Human Rights Code.' " p A 11 the editorial Vancouver Sun "A Win Against Prudery, Why was breastfeeding fight necessary?" Michelle Poirier has won her case before a B.C. human rights tribunal. But the puzzling question remains: Why? Why would anyone in this day and age -- in fact, in any imaginable day and age -- object to a woman breastfeeding her child in the company of other people?.................... .....The ministry is apologizing. Good. Right. And proper. But it still challenges the mind. Who would be so narrow as to have been offended or annoyed by this most natural and wholesome of acts? Mrs Grundy and her prudish disciples apparently still live." Victoria Times Colonist had a huge front page story with lots of details, on Page A2 under a large type headline " Breastfeeding support proves overwhelming" "On the streets of Victoria there is overwhelming support for women who want to breastfeed their babies at work or in public. Not one of a dozen people interviewed on Douglas Street objected to a Human Rights Tribunal ruling which means businesses will have to pull out all the stops in efforts to accomodate breastfeeding employees. Most of the women interviewed were vehemently in favor of mothers breastfeeding wherever and whenever they need. But some men emphasized that nursing should be done discretely and others said they would have difficulty with a woman breastfeeding beside them in a restaurant or at the next desk at work. Helen Daley, retired, said breastfeeding is a sacred right and Canadians need to get a more European view of a natural process........T.C,employee,said she does not believe employers should have to pay to set up a special room, but women should be able to breastfeed where they want....R.D, hot dog vendor, said he could not set up space for a breastfeeding employee, but would be happy if someone sat on the sidewalk to breastfeed. 'Don't put your views and values on other people.'.........." The editorial in the Times Colonist was headlined "One Rights Battle Nobody Needed, fight against mother nursing at work was a waste of time and money There should be a citizens' remedy that gets us out of paying the bills for stupid government decisions. At least then we wouldn't be footing legal bills to fight against the scourge of breastfeeding....." it then goes on to rant about the waste of money this lawsuit was to the taxpayer (the employer/defendant involved was the provincial government) --"Without interest and passion nothing great has ever happened in history. Hegel" Rhoda Taylor, B.A., IBCLC Duncan, B.C., Canada--