'Merry Christmas' bus complaint will go to human rights commission

A Saskatoon man who's upset with the city for displaying "Merry Christmas" messages on city buses says he will take his complaint to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.

Ashu Solo says he's taking that step after Saskatoon's executive committeewhich is city council in committee formdecided Monday not to take any further action on the issue.

Solo says because the illuminated messages celebrate a holiday for a single religion, Christianity, it's a form of religious discrimination.

Since Solo complained about the matter last December, it has gone back and forth to different groups at City Hall.

The messages continued throughout the holiday season.

Earlier this month, the city's cultural diversity and race relations committee had a look at the issue, but couldn't come to a consensus and sent the matter back to the executive committee.

On Monday, that committee simply voted to receive and file the latest report, essentially ending the matter.

Solo says he hopes to combine the Merry Christmas complaint with another complaint he has made to the human rights commission about Christian prayer at city-sponsored events.

If the two complaints can be amalgamated, it might cut costs, he said.