Contact(s)
Thank you to all of those who expressed interest in taking a leadership role in the EDI Roundtable
The City of Orillia is helping to support the development of a community-based roundtable that can act as a sounding board for Council and the community on matters related to equity, diversity and inclusion; address acts of hate, discrimination and racism, inform municipal policy and practices; and give voice to the needs and ideas of equity deserving members within the community.
Its first step is to establish a Leadership Team to take on the responsibility of supporting the work of the roundtable and act as a coordinating body between meetings of the full Roundtable. This involved an open call for members from a broad range of perspectives and lived experience, particularly persons who identify as being marginalized, underserved and underrepresented; with knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion matters; and a commitment as a change-agent in equity, diversity, and inclusion matters in the community.
As a new group looking to set its own direction, experience in the following was considered an asset:
- Team Leadership
- Advocacy Work
- Strategic Planning & Goal Setting
- Administration
- Legal Knowledge
- Fundraising/Grant Writing
- Budgeting/Financial Planning
- Meeting Facilitation
To ensure a fair and equitable process, an Expression of Interest (EOI) form was developed and promoted widely, with a deadline of February 4, 2023.
Next steps in the process include:
- Finalize a process to review the EOI
- Seek input from Roundtable members
- Review Expressions of Interest
- Select Leadership Team members
As the group evolves in its mandate to operate outside of the municipality, it will be developing its own listserv. Click on this link to be included.
| Background Information |
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November 2022: Residents and organizations took part in a public forum on the results of the benchmarking and public consultation process reported in reported BDCT-22-06, and next steps in the establishment of a community-led Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Roundtable.
Click here for the presentation
October 2022: The City drafts a diversity, equity and inclusion procedure to ensure principles of equity and inclusion are applied to all aspects of City business including the delivery of services, interactions with employees, and employee recruitment.
July 2022: Staff report back to Council via report BDCT-22-06 on the results of the benchmarking and public consultation process and recommendations on a structure to advance equity, diversity and inclusivity within the City of Orillia. Council provides staffing resources to help with the establishment of a community-led Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable that can:
The Roundtable functions outside of the municipal committee structure, at the grassroots level, and will require leadership and commitment from the community to guide, support and advance its work.
September 2021: Council directs staff to proceed with public consultation and benchmarking to inform the establishment of an advisory body in accordance with the process set out in report BDCT-21-08, appointing two members of Council as liaisons to the process. The group included Alasoba Kelsey- Braide, Wesley Erskine, and Tshweu Moleme.
June 2021: At its meeting held June 28, 2021, Council directed staff to prepare a report on the feasibility of establishing an Orillia Diversity Advisory Committee, guided by racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, with a mandate that includes but is not limited to:
January 2021: Local residents, Tshweu Moleme, Alasoba Kelsy-Braide, and Wesley Erskine, of the Orillia BIPOC (BIPOC refers to Black, Indigenous and people of colour) propose the establishment of an advisory body with a mandate to develop strategies, policies and programs to combat racism and discrimination that ensure Orillia is an inclusive and welcoming community. Their vision was to help the City of Orillia build an inclusive Orillia that is free of barriers to inclusion, reflects the City's full diversity, and is a place where all feel welcome, celebrated, and a sense of belonging.
December 2019: The City of Orillia’s Strategic Plan is adopted by Council, and serves as a roadmap for decision making and priority setting over the next several years. The Plan identifies the importance of the City actively pursue a welcoming, caring, inclusive, accessible and engaging community for all of its citizens regardless of age, ethnicity, orientation, physical ability and economic capacity to residents' quality of life. |
| Demographics |
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While only Thirty-four out of 119 respondents answered this section, the result was a rich collection of responses related to gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, physical ability, age, mental health, religion and many other personal attributes, demonstrating the deeply complex nature of those living within our community. Of note, many respondents identified with more than one of the following marginalized or underrepresented groups: • International students
The infographic provides a snapshot of Orillia’s diversity relative to the demographics above, and were sourced from Stats Canada. Below are the definitions used in the 2016 and 2021 Census.
1Aboriginal identity includes persons who are First Nations (North American Indian), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) and/or those who are Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada) and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band. The City of Orillia is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe peoples, specifically the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, a member of the Chippewa Tri-Council which includes the Chippewas of Beausoleil First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. These lands are covered by the Williams Treaties and Upper Canada Treaties.
22016 Stats Canada: Visible minority refers to whether a person belongs to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and if so the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons other than Aboriginal peoples who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.
32021 was the first year Stats Canada collected and published data on gender diversity from the national census. Results found that 1 in 300 Canadians 15 years and older identify as transgender or non-binary.
4The 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) provides a range of data on 10 different disability types: hearing, vision, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, mental health, memory and developmental. |
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Other Existing Policies and Programs |
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Demographic information can help the City improve its services to residents. The public survey described in reported report 
