Advancing Vaughan’s diversity and inclusion efforts

July 19, 2022 1:00 p.m.
​City task force recommends ways to strengthen relations with Vaughan’s diverse communities


Public representation and involving citizens in matters that impact them remain top priorities for the City of Vaughan. That’s where the 2018-2022 Term of Council task forces have stepped in to address a range of policy areas that are important to the community. At the inaugural meeting for this term, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced the creation of new taskforces related to transportation, economic development, older adult issues, diversity and governance.

Now that these task forces have wrapped up this year, the City will be sharing highlights from each of them. This includes the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.

This task force was approved by Council in October 2020, and Ward 2 Councillor Tony Carella and Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman were appointed as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Eighteen community members also sat on the task force.  

The task force had an overall mandate to provide the City with guidance in the development of policies that promote fairness, mutual respect and an undoubted sense of inclusion among the diverse individuals, communities and stakeholder groups that make up its population.

Following careful research, consideration and dedication to this mandate, the appointed members developed the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Findings and Recommendations Report, which was presented to Council in April 2022. It outlines steps the City can take to foster an inclusive, equitable and accessible community for all – including applying a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to corporate policies, practices and services.

To achieve this vision, the City must apply a diversity lens to all municipal initiatives and operations. Diversity considerations must also be embedded in City by-laws, policies and practices, now and into the future. The following areas were recommended:

  • Employee Recruitment. Steps include ensuring diverse representation in the hiring/decision-making process, collecting race-based staff data, promoting career opportunities via ethnic avenues, reducing barriers for interviewees, creating a hiring policy and more.
  • Employee Retention and Development. Steps include having representation of equity-deserving groups and females in senior management positions, offering annual diversity, equity and inclusion training, conducting a Diverse Workforce Survey and providing a range of workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities.
  • Procurement and Purchasing. Steps include integrating diverse suppliers into the City’s supply chain and ensuring all qualified companies have equal opportunity to compete for business. This can be done by conducting a baseline audit, setting diversity targets, requiring potential vendors to submit their diversity practices, creating a diversity-based peer mentoring program and more.
  • Programs and Services. Steps include updating policies and procedures to ensure people with accessibility needs are serviced appropriately, offering recreational programs for people with disabilities, recognizing heritage-related celebrations, targeting promotions to all equity-deserving communities, including immigrants and newcomers of diverse backgrounds, and more.

The report also outlines additional recommendations, including establishing a permanent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, installing a plaque featuring the Territorial Acknowledgement at City Hall, flying the Indigenous flag at City Hall, strengthening the line of communication with diverse community groups and much more.

Learn more in the Committee of the Whole (2) Report: Diversity And Inclusion Task Force. View a complete list of recommendations in the Findings and Recommendations Report.

QUOTES

"The goal of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force was to guide the City in developing policies that promote fairness, mutual respect and an undoubted sense of inclusion among the diverse individuals, communities and groups that live and work in our community. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of all our city-building efforts. I want to thank the task force members for their important work, including my Council colleagues, the Chair and Vice-Chair, Councillor Carella and Councillor Shefman. While the task force has concluded, our work is not done. It was just one step toward consciously building a more accepting and inclusive society."

- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

"I want to thank the task force for their contributions. It was an honour to serve as Chair for such a remarkable and capable group. The work of the task force will support the City of Vaughan's efforts to foster an inclusive, equitable and accessible community for all. It will align with the roadmap created by our 2022-2026 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan. Our city is home to citizens from around the world and is where more than 105 different languages are spoken. People of all expressions, faiths, religions, cultures and creeds are welcome to actively participate in civic life, be treated with dignity and live free from discrimination. Diversity has been, is, and will always be one of Vaughan's greatest strengths."

- Ward 2 Councillor Tony Carella, Chair

"As we forge ahead to build our city where everyone feels a sense of belonging, we understand we cannot move forward when some of us are held back. The committee's work will support our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. We will continue working to create a barrier-free community with universal access to programs, services and facilities to help ensure people from all walks of life are treated in a way that maintains their dignity and independence. All people have the right to live, worship and love without facing persecution, intolerance or discrimination. By providing opportunities for citizens to get involved, increasing visibility for equity-deserving groups in our communities and rejecting all forms of racism and discrimination, we will help lay the foundation for a more just and inclusive society.”

- Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman, Vice-Chair

QUICK FACTS

  • On Dec. 4, 2018, at the inaugural meeting of this Term of Council, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua announced the creation of new taskforces to address a range of important policy areas, including transportation, economic development, older adult issues, diversity and governance.
  • Eighteen members – both technical and citizen representatives from equity-deserving groups – were recruited for the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.
  • This task force was approved by Council in October 2020, and Ward 2 Councillor Tony Carella and Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman were appointed as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.
  • The task force had an overall mandate to provide the City with guidance in the development of policies that promote fairness, mutual respect and an undoubted sense of inclusion among the diverse individuals, communities and stakeholder groups that compose its population.
  • Following careful research, consideration and dedication to this mandate, the appointed members developed the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Findings and Recommendations Report, which was presented to Council in April 2022.
  • The task forces for this Term of Council are as follows: Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, Economic Prosperity Task Force, Effective Governance and Oversight Task Force, Older Adult Task Force, Smart City Task Force and Transportation and Infrastructure Task Force.

LEARN MORE

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