Equal Opportunity - Anti-Discrimination Policy
Requirements for Suppliers
The Corporate Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following joint report (July9, 1998) from
the Commissioner of Corporate Services and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer:
Purpose:
To clarify the equal opportunity-non-discrimination policy requirements pending consideration of the
recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on Community Access and Equity and the Municipal Grants Review
Process which will be forthcoming.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None. The process for distributing declaration forms is in place and is jointly administered by the Equal Opportunity
Program with purchasing staff and grant administrators.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)in the purchasing and grants process, the use of the former City of Toronto Non-Discrimination Policy Declaration
Form which provides protection on the basis of race, creed, colour, national origin, political or religious affiliation,
sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship and disability, be continued and expanded to include all
other former municipalities;
(2)this report be forwarded to the Task Force on Community Access and Equity and the grants review process for
information and consideration in the preparation of their respective reports; and
(3)the appropriate City officials be authorised to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
Reference:
On March 4 and 5, and 6, 1998, City Council approved the Terms of Reference for the Task Force on Community
Access and Equity which specifically provided 'that the programs and policies on Access and Equity of the former
municipalities continue to be in effect until Council formally decides otherwise'.
Background:
Since 1984, the former City of Toronto adopted equal opportunity policies which were implemented through the
contract compliance program and established a condition of anti-discrimination regarding all expenditures. The
policies applied to all recipients of municipal grants, suppliers of goods and services as well as its Agencies, Boards,
Commissions and special purpose bodies. The non-discrimination policy provided specific protection on the basis of
"race, creed, colour, national origin, political or religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family
relationship and disability" and was implemented through a Declaration Form.
The Declaration Form completed by suppliers compiled data on designated group ownership of firms and was used to
prepare reports to Council on the participation rates of firms as well as to implement outreach activities.
Discussion:
The former City of Toronto implemented the completion of a Declaration Form as a formal mechanism for meeting the
equity requirements for suppliers. Although the other municipalities did not have formal requirements for suppliers,
the types of purchases required for municipal services are similar across all the former municipal structures. The Task
Force on Community Access and Equity and the Municipal Grants Review Process will be reporting later this year,
however in the interim it is necessary to have a consistent approach.
Conclusion:
The formalisation of an equal opportunity-non-discrimination policy as outlined in this report advances the
harmonisation of policies and programs across the new City, continues to integrate access and equity principles into all
municipal functions, and continues to place the City in a leadership role on equity and access issues.
Contacts:
Alison Anderson, 392-5028
Lou Pagano, 392-7312; Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, 392-6824