Nova Scotia Gym Faces Legal Challenge Over Race-Based Pricing Scheme

R Studios, a boutique fitness gym in Halifax, Nova Scotia, sparked significant controversy by implementing a race-based pricing policy that charged white customers double the fee of BIPOC clients, with white visitors paying $30 for a drop-in class versus $15 for BIPOC individuals. This pricing scheme, which also included discounted unlimited memberships for BIPOC customers, has been widely criticized for violating Section 5(1) of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination. Jeff Evely, a retired Canadian Armed Forces veteran and People’s Party of Canada candidate, has challenged the policy legally, accusing the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and its CEO Joseph Fraser of failing to enforce human rights protections properly. Evely plans to appear before the Nova Scotia Court of Appeals seeking a legal remedy for what he described as an institutional failure and a racially divisive practice that would cause unrest if reversed. The controversy gained traction after Evely's viral social media post was amplified by conservative media in Canada and the United States, prompting widespread public backlash. In response, R Studios removed all references to the race-based pricing from its website and disabled comments on social media, fueling speculation they were retracting the policy amid the uproar.