Video Transcript: 

Hi, my name is Jamie Leggatt and I am the Director of Communications with the City of Chilliwack and today it is my privilege to talk to you about the Action Plan for the Mayor’s Task Force on Inclusiveness, Diversity and Accessibility.

The Task Force was established in September 2019 with the goal to focus on the enhancement of accessibility, inclusivity and diversity for Chilliwack residents.

From October of that year until February 2020, we worked on the Task Force’s Terms of Reference and carefully selected a diverse group of committee members along with a consultant.

Under the Committee’s Terms of Reference, the Task Force has three Co-Chairs: Mayor Popove and Councilors Lum and Mercer.

It also has a diverse group of committee members that represent a wide variety of communities in Chilliwack, including youth, seniors, immigrants, LGBTQ2SIA+, First Nations, people with disabilities, and members of faith groups.

Now after many months of meetings and discussions the Task Force is ready to present their Plan. 

This Action Plan contains strategies to reduce social, psychological and physical barriers that prevent people from fully participating in all aspects of community life.

Continued commitment to this Action Plan will exist long after the task force concludes their committee meetings.

The Action Plan document was created with feedback from the Mayor’s Task Force on Inclusiveness, Diversity and Accessibility, other committees, community service providers, Chilliwack Healthier Community, and those with lived experience of systemic and social inequality in Chilliwack.

Adoption of this Plan will demonstrate that the City of Chilliwack recognizes that inclusion, diversity, and accessibility are necessary for a healthy and connected community and that we are committed to working toward a more equitable and inclusive city where all residents have an opportunity to thrive.

The Action Plan has six overarching goals:

• Improve the City’s facilities, services, parks, and public spaces for persons with disabilities.
• Prioritize the well-being of marginalized community members.
• Prioritize relationship building with our Indigenous neighbours.
• Prioritize opportunities for equitable and inclusive education for City staff.
• Create opportunities for marginalized voices and identities to have access to City of Chilliwack decision-makers.
• Explore and identify funding opportunities to support inclusion, diversity, and accessibility.

Accessibility is a large item to be addressed, and to assist with that, we have developed an Accessibility Advisory Panel.

I would like to thank Julia Lamb for the integral role she has played in coordinating this important group of volunteers and bringing forward items that need change.

Some action items related to increasing accessibility in Chilliwack will include:

• Reviewing the City’s draft Pedestrian Plan.
• Reviewing the City’s website.
• Reviewing the City’s Neighbourhood Grant Program.
• Working on creating more accessible playgrounds, similar to the playground in Promontory.
• Creating new guidelines for parking signage for people with a disability.

The City of Chilliwack will lead by example, demonstrating our strong desire to have an inclusive and diverse community where all residents have an opportunity to thrive.

Some action items under Inclusiveness and Diversity include:

• Drafting an “Equitable Practices Guideline” for City staff’s use.
• Continuing to use public art as an opportunity to celebrate the diversity in our community.
• Developing an Inclusive Engagement Strategy for City staff.
• Prioritizing youth leadership opportunities in the community.
• Creating guidelines to help committees prioritize diversity in membership.
• Creating opportunities for prioritizing collaboration with our Indigenous communities.
• Prioritizing diverse representation in decision-making, planning, policy and procedure creation, and
• Continuing to support organizations and grassroots initiatives for equity through CDI funding and other grant opportunities.

If you have thoughts, ideas, or needs surrounding inclusion, diversity and accessibility within the City of Chilliwack, we would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts at engagechilliwack.com/inclusion.

You can also view the entire Action Plan or download a brief infographic that outlines the six goals.

This concludes the presentation about the Action Plan for the Mayor’s Task Force on Inclusiveness, Diversity and Accessibility.