THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF GEORGINA IN THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF YORK
GEORGINA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
May 12th, 2011 4:30 p.m. Council Chambers 1. ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS:
The following Committee members were in attendance:
Karen Mell, Chair Courtney Baumhard Karen McGill Brad Andrews Brian Schouten Tim Laliberte Danny Wheeler, Regional Councillor Ken Hackenbrook, Councillor Cathy Tustin, Vice Chair Cheryl Daniel Suzanne Howes Gord Wallace Gary Eustace Dawn Zimmermann Ricky Veerappan, YRP
The following Committee member was absent with regrets:
Dave Szollosy, Councillor
The following Staff members were in attendance:
Phil Rose-Donahoe, Manager of Culture Claire Marsden, Human Resources Manager Michele Vandentillaart, Committee Secretary
2. INTRODUCTION OF ADDENDUM ITEMS AND DEPUTATIONS:
None.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Moved by Karen McGill
Seconded by Courtney Baumhard
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0029
THAT THE AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
Carried…
GEDAC- MINUTES 2 May 12, 2011
4. DECLARATION OF PECUNIARY INTEREST:
None.
5. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES:
5.1 Minutes of the meeting held on April 21st, 2011.
Moved by Ken Hackenbrook
Seconded by Brad Andrews
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0030
THAT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON APRIL 21ST, 2011 BE ADOPTED AS PRESENTED.
Carried…
6. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES:
Karen Mell, Chair, noted that her recent schedule had not allowed enough time for her to contact Suzanne Howes regarding arranging a meeting with the Chippewas of Georgina and the Georgina Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (GEDAC) to discuss relationship building. Suzanne Howes, Member, agreed to open a conversation with the Chippewas to see if this is possible in the future. Ms. Howes noted that she is currently working on the history of the Chippewas and will provide that to the Committee once it is complete. Ms. Howes also noted that the Chippewas annual Pow-wow will not be happening this year due to the renovation of the Pow-wow grounds but that they expect the 2012 Pow-wow to be a larger two day event.
Karen Mell, Chair, reminded the Committee members to contact Mary Baxter, Director of Library Services/CEO if they are going to volunteer to be a ‘living book’ for the Living Library event.
7. DEPUTATIONS:
None.
8. PRESENTATIONS:
None.
9. COMMUNICATIONS:
9.1 Matters for Routine:
9.1.1 Article by Kelly McParland, National Post Re: “Ruby Dhalla’s free money for elderly immigrants”. GEDAC- MINUTES 3 May 12, 2011
9.1.2 E-Mail Correspondence from Cynthia Lacasse, UNESCO Re: CCMARD News.
9.1.3 Georgina Advocate Town Page Ad “International Day Against Homophobia – May 17th, 2011”.
Moved by Brad Andrews
Seconded by Courtney Baumhard
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0031
THAT ITEMS 9.1.1 TO 9.1.3 BE RECEIVED FOR INFORMATION.
Carried… 9.2 Matters for Disposition:
9.2.1 E-Mail Correspondence from Karen McGill, Member Re: Youth Panel/Committee and Social Networking.
Moved by Karen McGill
Seconded by Ricky Veerappan
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0032
THAT ITEM 9.2.1 BE RECEIVED FOR INFORMATION.
Carried…
9.2.2 E-Mail Correspondence from Karen Mell, Chair, Re: Freedom of Expression in Broad Strokes Exhibit.
The GEDAC Committee members discussed that some of the images included in the Freedom of Expression in Broad Strokes Exhibit could be offensive to certain members of the public as well as not being age- appropriate.
Moved by Courtney Baumhard
Seconded by Brad Andrews
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0033
THAT THE GEORGINA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GEDAC) NOTIFY THE TOWN OF GEORGINA COUNCIL THAT THE GEDAC WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN BROAD STROKES EXHIBIT, ORGANIZED BY THE CANADIAN COMMISSION FOR UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL GEDAC- MINUTES 4 May 12, 2011
ORGANIZATION) AND THE CANADIAN COMMITTEE FOR WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DUE TO THE CONTROVERSIAL NATURE OF THE CONTENT OF THE ARTWORK INVOLVED AND THAT THIS EXHIBIT DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE MANDATE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
Carried…
10. STAFF/COMMITTEE REPORTS:
None.
11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
11.1 Work Plan-updated – See highlighted items to be addressed.
Work Plan Item No. 6 – Georgina Multicultural Festival:
Ricky Veerappan, Member, noted that on June 24th, 2011 there is an event called “Multiculturism Day Festival” to be held in the Markham Vets Hall.
Mr. Veerappan also noted that the Town of Markham, City of Vaughan, Town of Newmarket and the Town of Georgina all currently have equity and diversity committees and that the Town of Aurora and the Town of East Gwillimbury are planning to set up similar committees of their own. Mr. Veerappan suggested that the Georgina Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (GEDAC) contact Aurora and East Gwillimbury to share experiences and initiatives. Further, Mr. Veerappan posed the idea of the GEDAC hosting a regional Equity and Diversity Committee meeting. Claire Marsden, Manager of Human Resources offered to compile a list of contact people for such an event.
The Committee members discussed including a diversity speaker series for the proposed regional meeting and that Ricky Veerappan would be an excellent resource person to arrange this. Brad Andrews, Member, noted that those who volunteered for the Human Library Event at the Georgina Libraries would also be a good source for the speaker series as well as a representative from the Chippewas of Georgina Island.
The GEDAC members agreed that the Fall of 2011 would be an ideal time for the proposed regional equity and diversity meeting since the GEDAC is regularly scheduled to meet on October 20th, 2011.
Claire Marsden, Manager of Human Resources, suggested that the proposed diversity speaker series be offered to the members of the Georgina community prior to a formal regional meeting. Ms. Marsden noted that formal invitations to the public could be made via the Town page in the Georgina Advocate which would outline different speakers throughout the fall at each of the GEDAC’s meetings in September, October and November of 2011. The GEDAC members agreed that the topics for the speaker series should tie in with specific
GEDAC- MINUTES 5 May 12, 2011
events as outlined in both the York Regional Police’s Community Calendar and the Multicultural Calendar.
Moved by Courtney Baumhard
Seconded by Cheryl Daniel
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0034
THAT THE GEORGINA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (GEDAC) WILL PLAN THE DIVERSITY SPEAKER SERIES TO COMMENCE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2011 AT THE GEDAC’S REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING AND THAT A FORMAL INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC FOR EACH SPEAKING EVENT WILL BE ADVERTISED IN THE LOCAL MEDIA AND THAT THIS ITEM IS TO BE ADDED TO THE GEDAC WORKPLAN AND PLACED ON THE GEDAC JUNE MEETING AGENDA.
Carried…
Moved by Courtney Baumhard
Seconded by Cheryl Daniel
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0034
THAT THE GEORGINA EQUITY AND DIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL PLAN AND HOST A REGIONAL EQUITY AND DIVERSITY MEETING IN THE SPRING OF 2012 AND THAT THIS EVENT BE PLACED ON THE GEDAC’S WORKPLAN.
Carried…
Work Plan Item # 7 – Monthly Cultural Display at Libraries:
Cheryl Daniels, Member, noted that because of her position with the public school board she is quite certain that the ten schools in the board would be very excited to participate in a monthly cultural display at the Georgina Public Libraries. Ms. Daniels noted that clear and concise instructions for participants must be provided in order that the schools can coordinate their activities well in advance. The Committee members discussed approaching the library staff to assist with this proposed program and that logistically one art display should be assigned to one school for the year, therefore, covering ten months of the year. Ms. Mell, Chair, noted that if details are prepared well in advance, hopefully the schools’ curriculum will be inclusive of this initiative.
Work Plan Item #9 – Places of Worship Bus Tour:
Ricky Veerappan, Member, noted that the York Regional Police Bus is accessible for a bus tour of the places of worship either for just Georgina or a GEDAC- MINUTES 6 May 12, 2011 larger area. Karen Mell, Chair, suggested that August 2011 would be a good time for the proposed bus tour and requested that all GEDAC members compile
their suggestions for sites, only in Georgina, to be included on the tour and e- mail them to the Committee Secretary.
Gord Wallace, Member, noted that the Keswick Christian Church located at 2 Old Homestead, is to be included as a site on the tour and that he is the contact person for that site.
Work Plan Item # 13 – Peace Tree Day:
The Committee Members noted that Peace Tree Day being June 1st, 2011, there is very little time to prepare any celebration and requested that Michele Vandentillaart, Committee Secretary, obtain Peace symbols from the Peace Tree Day website and prepare them for Town staff members to place on the Peace Tree located at the Civic Centre.
Work Plan Item #11, 22 – Newcomer Champion Award, Canada’s Citizenship Award:
The Committee Members discussed publicizing a request for nominations from Georgina residents for these awards in 2012 and requested that this be placed on the Work Plan.
The Committee Members requested that Work Plan Item #8 – Diversity Doll Project be removed from the Work Plan.
Claire Marsden, Manager of Human Resources, suggested that the Work Plan be condensed in order to focus on those tasks that the GEDAC would like to accomplish. Brad Andrews, Member, suggested organizing the Work Plan in chronological order so that the Committee Members can better prepare for the upcoming tasks.
11.2 Peter Van Loan, MP, Candidate Mailing – draft letter update.
Karen Mell, Chair, noted that the draft letter responding to Peter Van Loan’s Candidate Mailing has not been prepared as yet and she will be contacting Dave Szollosy, Councillor, to discuss further.
12. OTHER BUSINESS:
None.
13. NEXT MEETING: Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
14. ADJOURNMENT:
Moved by Gord Wallace
GEDAC- MINUTES 7 May 12, 2011 Seconded by Karen McGill
RESOLUTION NO. GEDAC-2011-0035
THAT THE MEETING ADJOURN AT THIS TIME (6:14 p.m.)
______Karen Mell Chair
______Michele Vandentillaart Committee Secretary