The Task Force on Community Access and Equity has not completed its mandate but is no longer active.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.

Interim Report Summary, "A Work in Progress"

"In just the past couple of years, we have seen the closing of the Ontario Welcome House; the dismantling of the Anti-Racism Secretariat..... and the elimination of numerous advisory committees ... This has hit communities hard. It's almost as if someone was turning the clock back..."
- From a community consultation session

Contents

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity was formed by Toronto City Council in January 1998.

The Task Force was given the mandate to develop recommendations on:

• how best to support communities concerned about access and equity; and


• how the principles of access and equity can be integrated into the City's role as a policy maker, an advocate, a provide and regulator of services, a contractor, and an employer.

In June and July, the Task Force held extensive consultations with community organizations, service agencies, advocacy groups, City staff, as well as representatives from agencies, boards and commissions.

What we heard

From communities

Toronto is changing. Communities highlighted the following changes which impact on access and equity:

• there are more single families headed by women who are living in poverty;
• there is a widening gap between rich and poor;
• there is high unemployment, especially for youth, Aboriginal people and people with disabilities and racial minorities;
• more and more immigrants and refugees make Toronto their home, but funding and staffing for settlement and integration programs have been reduced;
• there is increasing tension between certain communities and the police.
• there are nation-wide debates on providing equal rights for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders;
• there is no action on the Canadians with Disabilities Act;
• cuts to survivors' benefits under the Canada Pension Plan will affect women more than men;
• movement to address the challenges and needs of the Aboriginal peoples in urban settings is slow.

From City staff

City staff expressed how principles of access and equity have become entrenched in former municipalities which form the new City of Toronto.

What we are thinking

The Task Force recommends that the City of Toronto adopt the following recommendations with regard to:

• a vision statement;
• access and equity principles;
• political, community and departmental structures.

We also propose that these are implemented within recommended time frames.

Vision Statement

A vision statement will guide the City in incorporating access and equity in all its activities. We propose that Council adopt the following mission statement:

"The population of the City of Toronto is made up of people from diverse communities and equity-seeking groups, i.e., women, people with disabilities, ethno-cultural and racial minorities, immigrants and refugees, Aboriginal peoples, lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgenders. The City of Toronto will recognize the dignity and worth of all people through the treatment of its communities and its employees, its provision of services and through ensuring participation in its decision-making. The City of Toronto recognizes the First Nations status of Aboriginal peoples as well as the barriers of discrimination and disadvantage faced by equity-seeking groups.

To address this, the City will strive to create an environment of equality within the government and within the community for all people regardless of their race, creed, ancestry, language, nationality, place of origin, ethnic origin, Aboriginal status, disability, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation and socio-economic status. The City of Toronto will support positive changes within its workforce and communities to achieve access and equality of outcomes for equity-seeking groups and create a harmonious environment for all City residents as well as a City workforce and community that is free from harassment and discrimination."

Proposed principles of Access and Equity in the new City

We propose that the following principles be incorporated into all City policies, programs and operations.

1. City Governance
   The population of the City of Toronto and all its diversity should be reflected and represented through every aspect of its governance structures, including political, administrative and service delivery levels.
2. Delivery of Services and Programs in the new City
   All residents should be entitled to services and programs which meet their needs and, which are culturally and linguistically appropriate, accommodate disability, and adequately resourced to ensure equitable access and outcomes.
3. Participation in the City
   All residents of the City should have access to full and meaningful participation and consultation in decision-making, policy development, planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of services and programs.
4. City as an Employer
   The Council of the City should implement employment equity and set as a goal the achievement of a workforce which represents the population. Representation shall be at all levels including Agencies, Boards, Commissions and Committees.
5. The City as a Contractor
   City Council should establish procedures for contracting goods and services to ensure equitable access and allocation for the provision of goods and services.
6. City Support for Community-Based Organizations and Activities
   City Council should commit adequate resources to community based, non-profit organizations for the advancement of the principles of equity, access, anti-racism and full participation. Furthermore, Council should take a leadership role and allocate adequate resources to eliminate hate-motivated activity.
7. The City in Partnership
   The City should work in partnership with external agencies, institutions and community groups with the objective of strengthening and building community capacity.

Issues, Challenges and Work Plan

We heard many concerns from the community about City programs, services and decision-making processes. We recommend that City departments adopt the following:

• Each City department, agency, board and commission to be responsible and accountable for the identification of access and equity issues within their policies, programs, services and staffing and undertake to develop and implement access and equity plans to address these.
• Each City department, agency, board and commission include in their access and equity plans responses to the issues and concerns identified by the Task Force on Community Access and Equity.
• Access and equity action plans will be submitted to the Access and Equity Centre for review and comment, and then, forwarded to the Access and Equity Committee and City Council for approval.
• The City establish an Access and Equity Working Group, chaired by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and composed of senior staff from each department to coordinate access and equity plans and identify corporate issues.
• Cross departmental and corporate issues will be addressed by the CAO's Access and Equity Working Group and reported through the CAO to the Access and Equity Committee.
• Council provide tangible support for the City's grants programs to ensure that all grants promote access and equity goals.

Proposed Political Structure

• Council establish a standing committee, called Access and Equity Committee.
• The committee will be comprised of Councillors, one representative from each of the City's other standing committees, the Police Services Board, the Toronto Hydro Commission, and the Toronto Transit Commission, as well as representatives from each Advisory Committee proposed below.
• The Mayor will be an ex-officio member.

Structure for Community Involvement

• Establish Advisory Committees on issues on access and equity. Each committee will include community representatives and one City Councillor.
• The following Advisory Committees to be established as soon as possible:
  
  • Committee on the Status of Women;
  • Committee on Action for People with Disabilities;
  • Committee on Aboriginal Affairs;
  • Committee and Ethno-Cultural and Multifaith Issues;
  • Committee on Racial Minority Community Issues;
  • Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues;
  • Committee on Immigration and Refugee Issues;
  • Committee on Poverty and Literacy Issues;
  • Committee on Seniors Issues (to be discussed with the Seniors' Task Force).
• The committees will be supported by staff from the Access and Equity Centre.
• The Advisory Committee on Aboriginal Affairs will develop options for Council on how to address the implications of Aboriginal self-determination and relations between this community and the new City.
• Working Groups will be formed to address issues such as Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate; Policing; Business Development; and Employment Equity. Each working group will comprise at least one member from each advisory committee, and representatives from the community concerned about these issues.

Proposed Departmental Structures

• The City establish an Access and Equity Centre to coordinate the work of the City on access and equity. The Centre will be headed by an executive staff position reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer.

• The Centre will provide policy, secretariat and research support to the Mayor, Council, Standing Committees, the Access and Equity Committee, as well as the Advisory Committees and Working Groups.

• The Centre will provide advice and support to City's departments, agencies, boards and commissions, especially in the development and implementation of access and equity plans.
• The Centre will conduct research on cross-corporate and key community access and equity issues, and initiate public education activities.
• The Access and Equity Centre will establish offices to address the following issues:
  
  • Women;
  • Disabilities;
  • Aboriginal Peoples;
  • Ethno-Cultural and Multifaith Communities;
  • Racial Minorities;
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenders;
  • Immigrants and Refugees;
  • Poverty/Literacy;
  • Seniors (to be discussed with the Seniors' Task Force).
• Establish an audit and monitoring function on access and equity implementation within the City Auditor's Office. This function will act as an ombudsman to undertake audits and investigations of City programs, services and decision-making. The Auditor will report to the Access and Equity Committee.
• Departments, agencies, boards and commissions should report to the Auditor's Office annually on the complaints they have received and their disposition.
• A Human Rights Office should be established to manage human rights complaints by City staff and communities.

Conclusion

The Task Force on Community Access and Equity is putting forward several recommendations for consideration by City Council. These recommendations address the ways in which the new City can continue to support the principles of access and equity and ensure that the voices of its diverse communities are involved in all aspects of City life, particularly municipal services, programs and decision making.

We propose that the recommendations in the report be incorporated into the 1999 budget process, to ensure that the human resources plan and program budget are in place by March, 1999.

Membership of the Task Force on Community Access and Equity

Chair
Councillor Joe Mihevc

Co-chairs
Gloria Fallick
Sylvia Maracle

Council Members
Councillor Elizabeth Brown (Rexdale-Thistletown)
Councillor Peter Li Preti (Black Creek)
Councillor Pam McConnell (Don River)
Councillor Sherene Shaw (Scarborough Agincourt)

Community Members
Shaheen Ali
Dennis Fong
Sonya Greckol
Karen Mock
Charles Ng
Khan Rahi
Duberlis Ramos
Jenny Ratansi-Rodrigues
Al Reeves
Carole Riback
Kenn Richard

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