The Task Force on Community Access and Equity has not completed its mandate but is no longer active. The following information is provided for archival purposes.

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity was absorbed by the Roundtable on Access, Equity and Human Rights.

INTRODUCTION:

On March 4, 1998, City Council adopted the Terms of Reference for the City of Toronto Task Force on Community Access and Equity as proposed by Councillor Joe Mihevc, chair of the Task Force. The Terms of Reference identified a need for consultation with various stakeholders to consider the roles and responsibilities of the City of Toronto for the implementation of access and equity policies and programs.

The purpose of the consultation is to discuss the best ways to ensure the voices of the City's diverse communities continue to be heard; and strategies on issues of concern to racial minorities, people with disabilities, women, Aboriginal peoples, lesbians/gays/bisexual and transgendered communities, ethnocultural groups, immigrants and refugees.

The initial consultation with stakeholders and research on best practices are taking place simultaneously. This document is for the consultation strategy with communities, City councillors and staff. It

1. Identifies models on access and equity and puts forward questions for discussion;
2. Provides an overview of the research plan as stakeholders may wish to suggest additional areas that should be explored; and
3. Reviews the submissions on access and equity made to the Toronto Transition Team.

The Task Force consultations will be held on a sectoral basis with specific sessions focussing on women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, lesbians/gays/bisexual and transgendered communities, racial minorities, immigrants and refugees, City councillors and staff. The guide will be used for all discussions and reports on the consultations prepared by the Task Force members.

The Task Force will be using the submissions to the Transition Team as the basis for further discussion. As well, consultations should focus on solutions which preserve and enhance community access to programs, services and decision-making within City Council and the broader Toronto community.

The models and options identified in the guide are the main points raised in the submissions to the Toronto Transition Team in 1997. They reflect the sincere and dedicated interests of stakeholders who believe that access and equity must be a core feature of the City of Toronto, that City Council must play a clear, visible and high profile role in supporting access and equity, and that a good part of the City's role should be to support its communities in taking action on access and equity issues.

These concerns, beliefs and feelings are used as starting points for discussion.

Structural Models for Discussion:

Three common themes are evident in all of the submissions to the Toronto Transition Team: (1) Support for Community Participation/Advocacy; (2) City Council Commitment; and (3) City Department and Service Delivery. These themes, along with structural options, are discussed below. Each theme is accompanied by a series of questions to form the basis for consultation.

1)  Support for Community Participation/Advocacy

The City must play a strong advocacy and leadership role on access and equity issues. Community leadership and initiative have been a hallmark of Toronto's ability to address equality issues. Community organizations have consistently taken lead roles, on behalf of the City, to address key equality issues and have been effective in raising issues at the political level as well as networking with other community organizations and institutions to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage. Maintaining and building community capacity will require increased attention in the City of Toronto, particularly given the withdrawal of resources from senior levels of government toward community capacity building. The options proposed in the guide take these issues into consideration in addressing models for the consultation.

City of Toronto Council set-up a number of citizen advisory committees at a City-wide level to specifically address women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, ethno-racial minorities, immigrants and refugees, and lesbians/gays/bisexual and transgendered communities. The advisory committees may also address key access and equity issues such as hate crimes, business development within equity-seeking communities and policing issues. While focussing at a City-wide level, these committees would require links to local Community Councils. They would also need to interact with each other. Members of City Council may be involved and nominated by Council to the advisory committees. The advisory committees could report to a committee of Council which is set-up to specifically to address access and equity issues and/or to the appropriate standing committee(s) of Council to address issues that fall within the committees' mandate.

City of Toronto Council set-up a combination of Options A and B. Such a structure would require these bodies to report to a committee of Council established to address access and equity issues or to the appropriate Standing Committee.

To address these options, the following questions are proposed:

1. What should the City of Toronto do to support advocacy by communities on access and equity issues?
2. Where does support for advocacy work best in the City?
3. What previous structures assisted you in advocating for your community? How do you want to see that work continued in the City?
4. How can the City play a catalyst role with the community in addressing critical access and equity issues?
5. What resources should the City provide to support community capacity building and to ensure communities are able to combat disadvantage and discrimination?
6. Should the City support partnerships between the public, private and voluntary sectors on access and equity initiatives?
7. Should the City's community grants programs develop partnerships for community access and equity advocacy?
8. How should the City administer grants to support advocacy on access and equity issues?
9. Should the City establish citizen advisory committees to address issues impacting on women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, ethno-racial minorities, lesbians/gays/bisexual and transgendered communities, immigrants and refugees? If yes, how should they be established? City-wide or coordinated with Community Councils? Or both? How should they relate to each other and the broader equity-seeking communities?
10. Which model best reflects your opinion on this topic? Are there other models you think should be explored?

1.  City Council Commitment

City Council must be committed to access and equity and be able to demonstrate its leadership on these issues. To do this Council will need to play a high profile, visible and consistent leadership role within the community and in relation to the City departments and their decision-making, as well as with other levels of governments and institutions. Over the years, many Toronto communities have become accustomed to this type of leadership and see it as a necessity for addressing equality issues in Canada's most diverse city. A number of options for political involvement can facilitate discussion on how City Council can continue this role. These include:

Toronto City Council establish a committee of councillors, an Access and Equity Committee, to address access and equity issues. Reporting directly to Council, this committee would demonstrate Council's commitment and provide a focal point for community issues and concerns. This committee would also ensure that the City's departments and special purpose bodies are actively integrating access and equity initiatives into their day-to-day operations.

City of Toronto Council standing committees need to integrate access and equity issues into their day-to-day decision-making. Departments and special purpose bodies would be then held accountable for appropriate implementation of access and equity issues and, in turn, be answerable to Council on these issues. Each standing committee would also be required by Council policy to ensure its decision-making processes (eg., deputations, consultations and presentations) were accessible to and utilized by all the City's diverse communities.

City of Toronto Council should establish a committee of Council to focus on access and equity issues as well as require each Standing Committee to integrate access and equity issues into its day-to-day decision-making. To achieve this the City of Toronto Council would set-up a combination of Options A and B.

To address these options, the following questions are proposed:

1. How can the City ensure that the standing committees give high priority to access and equity issues?
2. Should all reports to standing committees consider access and equity impacts? And should communities be made aware of, consulted and involved in initiatives being reported on?
3. How should the City of Toronto ensure overall compliance and commitment to access and equity issues?
4. Should access and equity language be included in the terms of reference of each standing committee?
5. Are there any benefits to having a specific standing committee whose sole mandate and function is to address access and equity issues?
6. If a specific access and equity committee is beneficial, how should it relate to the City's community councils, standing committees, departments and diverse communities?
7. Should the standing committees be monitored to ensure they implement access and equity initiatives? If so, how?
8. Which model best reflects your opinion on this topic? Are there other models that should be explored?

2.  City Departments and Service Delivery

The City administration must be committed and accountable for implementing appropriate access and equity policies, programs and plans. This was a feature of all the former municipalities. Diverse communities had developed strong relations with the civic administrations, providing input into city planning and service delivery through consultations and working jointly on policy and program development, communications and program delivery. Maintaining and enhancing the City's capacity to engage communities in this way is seen as essential. The City must also ensure it has the expertise to promote access and equity within the organization and community. A catalyst function is considered essential to the ongoing development of the City's capacity to address access and equity issues. To be effective, such a catalyst function must be able to play a high profile, visible leadership role.

Each department and special purpose body should be required to integrate access and equity issues into their day-to-day operations, policies, programs and decision-making. This could be done by having each department retain expertise to advise and support the development, implementation and monitoring of departmental and special purpose body access and equity initiatives. Each department and special purpose body would also need to be accountable to their standing committee for the implementation of access and equity initiatives.

City of Toronto Council establish a catalyst function, an Access and Equity Unit, within the corporation to enable its departments and special purpose bodies to integrate access and equity initiatives. Set-up as a corporate function, the City's catalyst would provide advice on the development of accessible and equitable policies, programs, services and decision-making. The catalyst would also provide education and training and assist in the resolution of employee and community complaints.

Toronto City Council establish a catalyst function as well as require departments and special purpose bodies to integrate access and equity initiatives into their work. This option combines Options A and B.

To address these options, the following questions are proposed.

1. How can the City avoid duplication of staff, programs and services serving the different equity groups?
2. What is the most appropriate structure to provide advice, research, training and promotion on access and equity issues?
3. Should there be an access and equity function? If so, what should it do?
4. What should City departments do to integrate access and equity into their work?
5. What should departments and special purpose bodies do to ensure that their workplaces, services, programs and decision-making are responsive to and reflect the City's diverse communities?
6. How should complaints on access and equity issues be handled (e.g., human rights, service delivery)?
7. To whom should staff report to in each administrative model?
8. Which model best reflects your opinion on this topic? Are there other models you think should be explored?

The options discussed in the guide form the basis of the Task Force's research plan which will explore how the proposed models can accommodate the concerns expressed to the Toronto Transition Team, particularly relating to policies, structures and strategies for City Council. In this context, research reports addressing the following issues will be submitted to the Task Force:

1. Models of municipal access and equity policies and practices;
2. The access and equity accomplishments and achievements of the former municipalities within Toronto;
3. Analysis of proposed program and structural options, i.e., Community Advisory Councils (including an Aboriginal Councillor, community council and office), Equity Commission, Equity Council, municipal staff internal and external units, municipal political body, municipal ombudsman;
4. Developmental business plans and workplans for implementing options;
5. Performance indicators on access and equity.

In response to the proposal by Councillor Mihevc, City Council has adopted the Terms of Reference for the Task Force on Community Access and Equity. The Terms of Reference identify key elements of a research plan and consultation strategy with specific timeframes. The guide summarizes the input provided to the Toronto Transition Team on access and equity issues and, based on this, puts forward several questions for consultation with the stakeholders. The consultations will take place at the same time as the research.

Based on the research and consultations, required City actions will be identified for the Task Force's consideration. This will enable informed discussion on the most appropriate form(s) (i.e., structures, policies and programs) to support the identified actions. Both the research and consultations will enable the Task Force to have informed discussions on the most appropriate course of actions for the City of Toronto to employ to demonstrate its leadership on access and equity issues and to ensure that equity-seeking communities are able to participate in Council and community decision-making.

Taskforce on Community Access and Equity

Chair

Councillor Joe Mihevc

Co-Chairs Fallick, Gloria
Maracle, Sylvia

Members

Shaheen Ali
Councillor Elizabeth Brown
Dennis, Fong
Sonja Greckol
Councillor Peter LiPreti
Councillor Pam McConnell
Karen Mock
Charles Ng
Khan Rahi
Duberlis Ramos
Jenny Ratansi-Rodrigues
Al Reeves
Carole Riback
Kenn Richard
Councillor Sherence Shaw

How To Contact Us:

Task Force on Community Access and Equity
55 John Street, 6^th Floor
Station 1060, Metro Hall
Toronto, ON M5V 3C6

E-Mail: AccessandEquity@toronto.ca

Submissions to the Toronto Transition Team

Submissions to Toronto Transition Team:

There were numerous submissions to the Toronto Transition Team on access and equity issues. These can be divided into two categories: (1) submissions to the Team during its consultation phase; and

(2) those submitted following the release of the Team's Interim Report.

Submissions During Consultation Phase:

Formal reports were submitted to the Transition Team, with many of them being received during its consultations in the civic centres of the former municipalities, last summer.

The majority of the submissions identified that the City of Toronto needs to play a lead role on access and equity issues and they proposed a number of models on how this could be achieved. The models recommended the City of Toronto establish:

• a political committee comprised of chairs of local community and race relations committees reporting directly to City Council and appropriately staffed;

• an arms length compliance body, like an Equality Rights Commission or Equity Council, be established comprised of community members and City councillors, to ensure City Council and its departments were accountable for implementing access and equity initiatives and to conduct, when needed, systemic investigations in those areas where there was non-compliance;

• six measures of equality which addressed the City as an eimployer, the City as a purchaser of goods and services, representation, participation, accessible services and programs, and support for community-based organizations and activities;

• a political committee of Council comprised of councillors and supported by staff with mechanisms for community involvement;

• an arms length special purpose body, like an Equity Council, comprised of City councillors and community leaders from different institutional sectors, to provide a catalyst and leadership role in consolidating and directing access and equity initiatives in the City of Toronto;

• city-wide citizen committees to address issues of concern to women, people with disabilities, lesbians and gays;

• an administrative unit to take responsibility for being a catalyst for organizational change and facilitating community involvement and advocacy on access and equity issues;

• an Aboriginal councillor, community council and office to formally recognize the right to self-determination of First Nations peoples in the Toronto area, and to enable the Aboriginal community to have an effective voice in the City of Toronto;

• an independent municipal ombudsman's office to manage complaints by City residents dealing with the administration of City services; and

• mechanisms and procedures to ensure each City department and special purpose body is accountable for implementing access and equity policies and plans.

Several submissions discussed current challenges in the access and equity community related to funding for community-based agencies, the impact of racism and other forms of discrimination, as well as hate crimes and the potential impact on Toronto if City Council were to take no action on these matters.

Responses to Transition Team Interim Report:

Following the release of its Interim Report, a number of submissions were received by the Transition Team. Many of these submissions expressed disappointment that the Transition Team failed to reflect any of the models proposed during the consultation phase. In addition, a number of common points were expressed from those responding to the Interim Report. These included:

1. City Council should establish a committee of Council (eg., Anti-Racism, Access and Equity Committee) comprised of councillors and with clearly established mechanisms for community involvement on access and equity issues in Council's decision-making;
2. the City should establish an Access and Equity Centre to support the Anti-Racism, Access and Equity Committee, to initiate work with City departments and special purpose bodies on integrating access and equity policies and programs, and to enable communities to play an effective advocacy role with City Council on access and equity issues; and
3. the City should ensure that there is two-tiered (a centralized and decentralized) approach to addressing anti-racism, access and equity issues by both City Council and the local community councils.

In addition to the above, concerns were expressed about:

• the need to deal with Aboriginal self-determination and economic development;

• the need to focus on people with disabilities and to ensure this community has access to the new City Council;

• the importance of the work of the former City of Toronto Equal Opportunity Program and the former Metro Toronto Access and Equity Centre; and

• the need for an access and equity audit and systems analysis to be instituted in the new City's hiring practices and conducted by arms length expertise.

(In Chronological Order)

No.	Submission from	Organization	Date
1.	Bev Salmon	Metro Councillor - North York Centre South	October 17, 1997
2.	Charles Novogrodsky	Charles Novogrodsky & Associates	October 27, 1997
3.	Jane Beecroft	CHP Heritage Centre	October 18, 1997
4.	Diane Patrick Anmarie Webb Frank Predergast Avaneil John	Metro Access and Equity Working Group	October 28, 1997
5.	Rochelle Wilner	League for Human Rights of B'Nai Brith Canada	October 29, 1997
6.	Clarry Browne Rick Gosling Ron Rock Wendy Kwong Charles Smith Ceta Ramkhalawansingh Anne Marie Nasr Dale Dreher August Mathias	Service Equity/Human Rights/Race Relations Staff Work Team, City of Toronto	October 29, 1997
7.	Salome Lukas Judy Vashti Persad	Women Working with Immigrant Women Cross Cultural Communication Centre	October 29, 1997
8.	Gus Ashawasega Diane Patrick	Metro Aboriginal Working Group	October 29, 1997
9.	Gina Severino	Councillor, City of North York Advisory Committee for Persons with disabilities	October 29, 1997
10.	Efe Louis	Canadian-African Newcomer Aid Centre of Toronto and Black Voices	October 30, 1997
11.	Ellen T. Cole	Community Relations Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress	October 30, 1997
12.	Myrtle Powell	The Black Voices in the Megacity Coalition	October 31, 1997
13.	Alison Kemper	The 519 Church Street Community Centre	October 31, 1997
14.	Bev Salmon Roger Obonsawin	Urban Aboriginal Economic Development Seminar	October 31, 1997
15.	Nora Angeles	Community Reference Group on Ethno-Racial and Aboriginal Access to Metropolitan Services	October 31, 1997
16.	Catherine Leitch	Service Equity Committee	October 31, 1997
17.	Catherine Leitch	Toronto Committee on The Status of Women	October 31, 1997
18.	Hazel Webb	Multicultural and Race Relations Committee of the City of Etobicoke	November 1, 1997
19.	Linda Cornwell	Women's Health in Women's Hands	November 3, 1997

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