TAMRMS#: B06
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Diversity & Inclusion Declaration
Presented by: Cindy de Bruijn, Manager
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RECOMMENDATION(S)
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That “St. Albert’s Declaration to be a Welcoming & Inclusive Community” provided as an attachment to the June 11, 2018 report entitled “Diversity and Inclusion Declaration” be approved.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of creating such a Declaration is to publicly identify the City of St. Albert’s intention to enhance its capacity for social, cultural, and economic excellence due to the diversity of the community and inclusivity of all residents.
COUNCIL DIRECTION
On November 6th, 2017 Council passed the following motion:
(AR-17-426)
That the "St. Albert: A Welcoming & Inclusive Community Declaration", provided as an attachment to the November 6, 2017 agenda report entitled "Diversity and Inclusion Declaration" be received as information and be brought back to Council Q2 2018 and any Council feedback be forwarded to Administration by March 1, 2018.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The initial draft received valuable feedback and as such, the revised Declaration aims to be brief, in plain language, acknowledge the traditional territory of the First Nations and Metis peoples in this area, and does not attempt to identify who marginalized residents might include in order to avoid the possibility that someone might be overlooked.
If supported, Administration would work to develop an implementation plan for the communication of the declaration.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
After the initial draft was shared with Council, feedback was received both from members of Council and residents. Resident feedback was received either through a member of Council or through the Social Master Plan annual engagement session.
Furthermore, both the Director and Manager of Community & Social Development (CSD) met with Councillor Joly directly, as she had received a significant amount of feedback. CSD staff also discussed the declaration with Mlle. Weis’ grade 4/5 class at Ecole Father Jan in order to better understand what diversity meant to the students and what plain language could be used.
Finally, staff consulted with the Diversity & Inclusion community working table to seek their wisdom on the Declaration and invited/received feedback from organizations such as The Family Resource Centre (Indigenous support contact), Michif Cultural & Resource Institute, and Inclusion Alberta.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial: None
Legal / Risk: None
Program or Service: None
Organizational: Will need collaboration amongst multiple departments to display the declaration.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
Council can determine that it does not want a Declaration and direct staff not to pursue this initiative.
STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS
Social Master Plan Value #2: Communities are strongest when they bring together a diverse set of voices, perspectives and backgrounds. There are long-term impacts when people are excluded from participating in the community, be it as a result of social, societal or economic pressures. By addressing these issues, we ensure that St. Albert is a community where everyone feels welcome and has an opportunity to contribute to the overall well-being of the community.
City of St. Albert’s Community Vision Social Pillar: We are a friendly and inclusive community of passionate equals, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We believe that community starts with the person next door.
Report Date: June 11, 2018
Author(s): Cindy de Bruijn
Committee/Department: Community & Social Development
Acting General Manager: Kevin Scoble
City Manager: Kevin Scoble