City Making Progress on Implementing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan

Today, at General Committee, staff shared an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) progress report. The report outlines actions the City has taken as a corporation to increase advance its EDI agenda across the corporation, fulfill the recommendations of the City’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and increase and enhance the representation of racialized people in senior leadership.

“The City of Mississauga’s EDI journey reflects the needs of our diverse population and employee base. We are focussed on building collaborative partnerships between internal divisions, municipalities and external partners based on EDI best practices,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “As we do the work, we continue to learn and grow along the way. Our goal is to embed EDI into everything the City does to embrace diversity and promote greater inclusion in Mississauga.”

The City’s EDI report focuses on four key themes:

• Supporting change
• Supporting a culture of EDI learning and development
• Developing EDI policy and governance
• Identifying and addressing systemic barriers

“Our city and the residents we serve are changing. As an organization, it is our duty to adapt and change as well,” said Paul Mitcham, City Manager and CAO. “I am pleased with the efforts we have made to date in making our workplace and our city a respectful and supportive place that fosters a culture of inclusion for all. We will continue demonstrating our commitment to EDI through various initiatives planned for this year.”

To date, the City has actioned more than 20 items to support its EDI efforts, including:

• Launching a learning tool referred to as ‘Equity Alerts’ for employees to learn and engage
• The creation of an Employee Equity Advisory Committee (EEAC)
• Recruitment and leadership succession planning process reviews
• Hosting prominent EDI speakers for talks with employees across the corporation about racism and discrimination, and Truth and Reconciliation
• Developing EDI toolkits for staff on anti-racism and Truth and Reconciliation

In 2022, the City will continue to advance its focus on EDI through upcoming initiatives, including the launch of an Employee Engagement Survey and Employee Resource Groups.

Background
In September 2017, the City created a Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to ensure that its workforce was representative and inclusive of the population. Mississauga strives to foster a workplace and environment that is diverse and inclusive, where everyone has an opportunity at success, free from discrimination.

For a full list of the initiatives undertaken as well as those that are planned, visit Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – City of Mississauga.

Media Contact:
City of Mississauga Media Relations
media@mississauga.ca
905-615-3200, ext. 5232
TTY: 905-896-5151