Vaughan’s mayor specifies meeting to exclusively address anti-racism efforts this November

To continue with reconciliation efforts, mayor Bevilacqua also proclaimed Sep. 30 to be Orange Shirt Day

Yorkregion.com
October 5, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua is going to have a Committee of the Whole meeting solely addressing anti-racism, inclusion and diversity efforts this November, the City said on Oct. 2.

The virtual meeting “will include a fulsome agenda with presentations by staff and community stakeholders,” the City said in a statement. “The public is invited to participate virtually.”

The date for the meeting will be made available in the coming weeks.

“The ideas exchanged” during the meeting “will help to further inform the mandate of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and the work undertaken by the new Diversity and Inclusion Officer,” the City said.

No change to city’s name, but Vaughan civic holiday now honours anti-slavery advocate
Vaughan is currently recruiting members for its new Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. However, the deadline to recruit these members has been extended until Thursday, Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m.

“The task force is made up of Members of Council as well as City staff and members of the public,” the City said.

Since July 20, public recruitment efforts began to select a “successful candidate” for the new role.

“The role will influence the corporation's activities, provide strategic guidance and advice on policies, processes and procedures related to diversity,” the City said. “This position will help facilitate a renewed mandate for the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer.”

After the Black Lives Matter protest in the United States, protests bringing about awareness of anti-Black racism took place locally here in York Region.

This increased awareness also includes how Vaughan was named after a slave owner Benjamin Vaughan. This has pushed York Region District School Board trustees to vote unanimously to rename Vaughan Secondary School after consultations with the public.

However, the City of Vaughan still stands by its name, with the mayor explaining that that the city was built by “hardworking” people who come from all around the world and have nothing to do with Benjamin Vaughan.

The news about the November meeting comes after the mayor proclaimed that Sep. 30 to be Orange Shirt Day in Vaughan during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Sep. 29.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake in the spring of 2013, which was inspired by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s account of losing her shiny new orange shirt on her first day of school at the Mission. The Orange Shirt is now used as a vivid reminder of the need for ongoing discussions and work towards Truth and Reconciliation.