The Municipality of North Grenville is inviting community members to help develop North Grenville’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy.
“The Municipality is committed to strengthening its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The creation of and EDI Strategy is an important step in ensuring North Grenville is a vibrant, safe, and welcoming community,” emphasized Mayor Nancy Peckford.
“We appreciate the discussions and feedback to date and encourage individuals and families to share their ideas and perspectives by attending the upcoming forum and/or completing the survey,” added Mayor Peckford.
Community members are invited to attend the EDI Community Engagement Session taking place on Wednesday, March 1 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Catered Affairs, located at 820 Heritage Drive, Kemptville Campus.
“Our community is growing and becoming more diverse – and so are the needs of North Grenville’s residents and businesses,” emphasized Deputy Mayor John Barclay.
The session will be facilitated by external EDI expert and facilitator, Amorell Saunders N’Daw, a seasoned organizational leader with extensive experience in equity and diversity, and organizational transformation.
The establishment of a Municipal-wide EDI strategy began in March 2022. An external expert was retained, staff training was held, and updates were made to several policies that were adopted by Council.
“Moving forward with the development of an EDI strategy is an exciting opportunity for the Municipality and our community to better understand and respond to residents of all ages and stages of life,” highlighted Councillor Strackerjan.
Interested participants are required to pre-register for the session at www.northgrenville.ca/equity or phone 613-258-9569 ext. 177. For those who require accommodations or transportation to attend the session, please phone 613-258-9569 ext. 177 or e-mail vision@northgrenville.on.ca.
A survey is also available online at www.northgrenville.ca/equity until March 15 at 4:00 pm. Hard copies of the survey are available at the North Grenville Municipal Centre, North Grenville Public Library, Community Living, Kemptville Youth Centre, and Seniors’ Community Services.
Immediately following the 2022 Municipal Election, Mayor Peckford initiated two Council-specific training and education sessions in November 2022 and January 2023. Both sessions were attended by all members of Council and were delivered with the guidance of equity and diversity experts.
Background:
Equity, diversity, and inclusion is defined as the ability to embrace and celebrate differences in ways that provide equal opportunity and contribute to inclusive and safe community spaces.
The EDI Strategy will consider the diverse needs and perspectives of community members including women, francophones, new Canadians and refugees, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, seniors, youth, persons with disabilities, members of the black, Indigenous, and people of colour communities, rural residents, and those facing socioeconomic disadvantage.
The EDI Strategy will align with the Municipality’s 10-year Community Strategic Plan, which speaks to improving EDI by evaluating policies to ensure they are not exclusionary, completing the Reconciliation Framework, and increasing engagement with equity and inclusion-seeking groups.
Feedback from the community engagement session and the survey will be incorporated into a Municipal EDI Strategy and shared later this Spring.
For more information visit: www.northgrenville.ca/equity.