Mayor Crombie, Councillor Sue McFadden (Ward 10), and Councillor Ron Starr (Ward 6), with members of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, during the inaugural meeting in Council Chambers at Mississauga City Hall.
For Immediate Release
June 9th, 2015
Statement: Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee Inaugural Meeting
The following statement was delivered by Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie during the inaugural meeting of the City of Mississauga’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. During the meeting Ward 10 Councillor Sue McFadden was elected chair and Ward 6 Councillor Ron Starr was elected vice-chair.
“I am so pleased to be here today to participate in the inaugural meeting of the first ever Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee at the City of Mississauga.
“Today is a step forward to ensuring that your City listens to the voices of all residents.
“I want to congratulate and welcome all of the committee members; let me say how excited I am to have the opportunity to work alongside all of you on this committee.
“As you may know, striking this committee was one of my top campaign priorities – in fact, it was the first piece of policy I announced, in May of last year, and the first order of business I brought forward in December.
“At the City, we celebrate the diversity of our citizens because it is one of our biggest strengths – culturally and economically.
“As our City’s demographics change, it is critically important that we adapt and ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our citizens.
“The outcomes of elections are decided by voters, but regardless of the composition of City Council, your City must be responsive to you; it must reflect your needs; and it must be able to effectively address your concerns.
“Make no mistake: this is not a symbolic committee. It is meant to do real work and to focus Council decisions through the lens of diversity, with a goal to ensure all residents feel included.
“I have no doubt we will do this given the caliber of the committee members – in fact, we had so many qualified applicants that it was decided we would expand the number of members to ensure we had the right voices around the table.
“You are an impressive group!
“It is my hope that over the next three and a half years that we can affect change and ensure your City is leading the way when it comes to embracing diversity and ensuring all residents feel included and heard.
“To that end, we have also asked four stakeholders to join this committee.
“These individuals are experts in diversity and inclusion and have a great deal of experience working in this area
“They will provide their feedback and expert opinion and help us to shape the direction and decisions of this committee.
“I do not want to take up too much time because we have a crowded agenda, but I do want to thank you in advance for your time, and for your commitment to making our City a better place to live.
“Together, we can ensure that Mississauga truly embraces our diversity and is made stronger because of it.
“Thank you.”
-30-