It's still a problem for Barker, and I don't want at all to discount that his situation is unjust. However, the non-conviction records will not necessarily show

It's still a problem for Barker, and I don't want at all to discount that his situation is unjust. However, the non-conviction records will not necessarily show up on his report. If the employer requests the base level of a background check, the records will not show up. If the employer instead requests a more in-depth check (a PIC), the records may or may not show up. Not all employers would request the more in-depth check. Barker is therefore not at a disadvantage for all jobs for a non-convicted charge, but it is completely unjust that he can potentially be at a disadvantage for a fair number of jobs. Barker deserves recourse and more awareness of his case. But at the same time, the potential impression that any Canadian resident that is charged-but-not-convicted will have a publicly-available record that bars them from work, is not a correct one.