WHEREAS the City of Mississauga operates on the traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes;
AND WHEREAS the City of Mississauga recognizes that a land acknowledgement invites responsibilities on the part of its residents and government in all the work we do on Dish With One Spoon territories;
AND WHEREAS the history of Canada has been such that Indigenous Peoples and Black communities have been severely impacted by the Canadian State and anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism are historically intertwined in Canada;
AND WHEREAS Mississauga is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and close to 60 per cent of all residents in Mississauga identify as members of racialized groups;
AND WHEREAS racism and discrimination, and in particular anti-Black racism and discrimination, are historic, pervasive, institutional and systemic issues in Mississauga that must be addressed;
AND WHEREAS racism and discrimination in our society and within our institutions is a public health crisis that leads to issues of precarious employment and unemployment, higher risks of poverty and homelessness, negative experiences within the education sector, health inequities, greater interactions with law enforcement and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, mental health, and child welfare systems;
AND WHEREAS institutions like the City of Mississauga, Region of Peel, the school boards, Peel Police, and others should employ and represent the people they serve and treat all residents with respect, dignity and fairness, free from racism and discrimination;
AND WHEREAS the City of Mississauga commissioned the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to develop its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and is currently in the process of implementing the recommendations;
AND WHEREAS the City of Mississauga has a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC) mandated to remove barriers to inclusion for all residents in our community, and review City policies and master plans through a diversity lens to ensure they are executed with an emphasis on improving all forms of diversity and fostering greater inclusion of all residents and stakeholders and that they meet the needs of all residents in the community;
AND WHEREAS the City recognizes the importance of intersectional frameworks, recognizing that Black, Indigenous and racialized identities intersect with many others social identities such as 2SLGBTQ+, disability, varied socioeconomic positions for example, and these interconnected dimensions greatly impact and diversify experiences of racialization;
AND WHEREAS anti-racism, and civic and community inclusion is the business of the City as equitable access to quality of life improves the lives of all residents;
AND WHEREAS the City of Mississauga recognizes that continual progress in advancing equity and anti-racism requires transparent and accountable processes, that centre the voices of communities most impacted by discrimination and race;
AND WHEREAS our work to be a more inclusive and diverse city where everyone is treated equitably is never done…
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. The City of Mississauga recognizes that racism, and in particular anti-Black racism and discrimination is a crisis in our community that requires immediate and sustained attention; and
2. The City of Mississauga reaffirms its commitment to address systemic racism and discrimination by creating and supporting policies and programs that address the inequities that Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, and in particular, Black communities continue to experience in the City of Mississauga; and
3. The City of Mississauga is committed to the safety and livelihood of its Black residents and names Anti-Black racism as a pervasive threat to the safety and enjoyment of life in this city; and
4. Under the direction of the City Manager, the City of Mississauga will:
• Name, condemn and stand against anti-Black racism in all its forms
• Review on an ongoing basis our internal policies and programs to ensure that all are free from racial bias and that they do not negatively impact Indigenous and racialized groups;
• Ensure the continued implementation and progress of the recommendations from the City’s Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, including proceeding with the planned Diversity and Inclusion Survey when business returns to normal and build public accountability and commitment to bring to life recommendations from the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy;
• Engage in a series of conversations on anti-Black racism with our Black
employees and their allies to understand their experiences in the workplace and build a plan to address systemic inequities; and
• Continue to educate all new and existing employees on the City’s Respectful Workplace Policy and Respectful Workplace Statement of Commitment, as well as maintain staff’s daily commitment to the compliance with the Respectful Workplace Policy.
5. Council directs the Mayor’s Office, in consultation with the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to:
• Convene a series of community-led consultations on systemic racism, anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and discrimination using an intersectional lens, and identify areas for systemic change in the community;
• Convene a Black Caucus to advise and on equity issues and priorities identified by Black communities in Mississauga, and report back to Council publically in 6 months;
• Review the terms of reference for the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to ensure it is fulfilling its mandate and that it focuses in part on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism; and
• Work with the Region of Peel to carry out the Region’s anti-racism public education/awareness campaigns at the City level.