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Reconciliation
June is Indigenous Peoples Month, a time to learn, reflect, and celebrate the diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. It’s also a reminder to reflect on our commitment to advancing truth, justice and reconciliation, as well as our obligations under the Reconciliation Action Plan. I encourage you to review the action plan and remind you of the Indigenous learning opportunities available to staff. Resources are also available on the City’s Indigenous Peoples Month webpage to continue your reconciliation journey.On June 21, a good way to start your day is the National Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Ceremony in Nathan Phillips Square. It’s always a moving event and a chance to learn a bit more about Indigenous cultures. I also encourage you to take part in divisional events and activities.

Cultural Heritage and Awareness Months
There’s lots to celebrate this month with Indigenous Peoples Month, Pride Month, Filipino Heritage Month, Italian Heritage Month, Portuguese Heritage Month and Seniors Month. We also just celebrated Asian, Armenian and Jewish heritage months, as well as National AccessAbility Week, and a number of other days of significance throughout the year.

Pride Month
Perhaps you attended one of the Progress Pride flag-raising ceremonies at City Hall and civic centres across the City last week, or the Solidarity Sunrise Ceremony held by the Ambe Maamowisdaa Employee Circle and Pride Network to kick off Indigenous Peoples Month and Pride Month. I hope you will join me and many of your colleagues to ensure a strong TPS showing when we march together in the Pride Parade on June 25 – there’s still time to sign up! And I encourage you to check out the Pride Network’s many events throughout the month.

Communities of Inclusion
Communities of Inclusion are another way we foster an inclusive and diverse workplace culture, which bring together employees who share a common identity, lived experience and/or set of interests to meet regularly to network, dialogue, share best practices, build capacity, learn and develop. I’m excited that our Communities of Inclusion program is expanding. As shared with you this week, two new groups currently accepting members: The Jewish Staff Network and the Muslim Staff Network.

And of course, staff can continue to join and participate in events held by existing Communities of Inclusion: Ambe Maamowisdaa Employee Circle (for Indigenous staff), Black Staff Network, Employee Disability Network, Pride Network and Toronto Network of Women (TOnow). These are great ways to connect and build community with colleagues of shared identities and experiences.

Learning and Resources
A number of resources are available to staff to help continue their growth and educate themselves on best practices related to equity, diversity and inclusion.

• The Equity Lens Tool helps staff identify and remove barriers to support best practices
• The Toronto for All Learning program offers e-learnings, instructor-led courses, and resources to advance equity, reconciliation and inclusion, including the Toronto for All Foundations Curriculum on ELI
• The Gender Inclusive Practices guide provides City staff with promising practices and key resources to incorporate gender inclusive considerations in all City services and programs
• The new Equity and Reconciliation: Important Distinctions guide helps staff understand the important differences between equity and reconciliation, and how to navigate using the terms in their work

These are just some of the ways we are acting on our workplace culture theme of embracing diversity and inclusion, as well as living up to our commitments to advance truth, justice and reconciliation. Especially in times when the world can seem so polarized and divisive, it’s important to celebrate the many diverse groups that make valuable contributions to our city – and to our workplace. By working together, and listening and learning from each other, we can ensure that employees feel safe to bring their whole and authentic selves to work each day – and the Toronto Public Service is stronger because of it.

Thanks for everything you do.

Paul