Bill C-254

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples)

Sponsor

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Oct. 31, 2025

Subscribe to a feed (what's a feed?) of speeches and votes in the House related to Bill C-254.

Summary

This is from the published bill.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to create an offence of wilfully promoting hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system in Canada through statements communicated other than in private conversation.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-254s:

C-254 (2022) An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (change of political affiliation)

C-254 (2020) An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Official Languages Act and the Canada Business Corporations Act

C-254 (2016) An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (baby products)

C-254 (2013) An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Employment Insurance Act (severance pay)

1^st reading

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

October 31st, 2025 / 12:10 p.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-254, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples).

Madam Speaker, today I am deeply honoured to table my private member's bill, an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to promotion of hatred against indigenous peoples, to end residential school denialism.

I would like to thank the hon. member for Vancouver East for seconding my bill, a bill that I dedicate to all residential school survivors and our families. Survivors carry truths that this country needed to hear: truths of violence, loss and resilience. They shared their stories not to reopen wounds but to help this country heal.

As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reminded us, without truth there can be no reconciliation, yet today, denialism is spreading: twisting facts, denying genocide and reigniting harm. It is not only hurtful; it is dangerous. It endangers survivors, our families and our nations, who continue the work of truth-telling.

We owe survivors more than words; we owe them action, and the bill is about protecting their safety, honouring their truths and ensuring that the hard-won truth of what happened in residential schools is never erased or denied again.

I call on all members of Parliament to stand with survivors to protect truth, uphold dignity and walk the path of real reconciliation together.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)