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City of Red Deer

City Council to develop implementation strategies for 80 recommendations from Diversity and Inclusion plan

Published

1 year ago

15 minute read

Red Deer’s Community Informed Diversity + Inclusion Plan

The following nine priorities were developed from engagement with diverse and marginalized community members in Red Deer. They represent a beginning point for action to enhance community wellbeing through increasing equitable access and celebrating diversity. The expectation is that City staff and leaders, and community organizations and members, will collaborate together and assume joint responsibility for progressing actions which address these priorities. This will be done in an equitable way, recognizing that the City has more access to structural power and the resources needed to mobilize these actions, and that marginalized communities have more insight into which actions will provide an effective outcome. It is recommended that a Diversity and Inclusion Framework will be developed to expand on and further plan to address these priorities and recommendations.

Priority One: Address Mistreatment in Communities, Workplace and Education Systems

1. Develop a hate and discrimination response model for the city, including bystander behaviours and responses.

2. Work with school boards to track and respond to experiences of discrimination and mistreatment against marginalized people in education.

3. Create more opportunities for English language training, as well as opportunities to learn to embrace and support speakers of English with diverse accents and for whom English is not a native or first language.

4. Encourage the enforcement and enhancement of employment policies and standards that address mistreatment and inequity in the workplace.

5. Reduce barriers to gaining employment for marginalized groups by increasing knowledge and education among recruiters and employers, and encouraging the adoption of best practices to end discriminatory in hiring processes.

6. Lead with hiring diversity, valuing divergent perspectives and appropriately responding to cultural communication and work ethic differences in workplaces.

7. Provide more opportunities for business training, education and support for historically marginalized people struggling to access the labour market.

8. Review bylaws and develop and implement programs which reduce the mistreatment of people experiencing houselessness, homelessness and addictions in the community and when accessing services and healthcare.

9. Work with policing and extremist prevention groups such as the Alberta Hate Crimes Committee and the Organization for the Prevention of Violence to understand the factors causing vulnerability to recruitment into hate-based organizations and develop an action plan to prevent this.

10. Provide resources to the Welcoming and Inclusive Community Network to generate educational opportunities for programs such as Radicalization Leading to Violence.

11. Recognizing the value of addressing the unique context and needs of Indigenous people specifically, create pathways for interaction and collaboration between efforts to improve Indigenous people specifically, create pathways for interaction and collaboration between efforts to improve Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and broader Diversity and Inclusion.

Priority Two: Address Inequity

12. Increase and grow relationships, connections and representation from members of Indigenous communities, and members with intersecting identities from historically marginalized communities in decision-making and program development that impact their wellbeing, access and participation.

13. Encourage and incentivize marginalized communities to evaluate how they are responding to the needs of the even more marginalized people within their communities (e.g. 2LGBTQ+, disabled, women, etc.) by linking this value to funding and program development

14. Facilitate increased representation of marginalized people on council committees, community boards, service club memberships, and other similar structures

15. Challenge ‘tokenism’ by recruiting for multiple representatives from historically marginalized communities, encourage their relationship-building with each other, and plan to support their needs.

16. Include a diversity of organizations represented in engagement and partnerships, and grow this network.

17. Partner with marginalized communities and voices in the development and implementation of initiatives and programs.

18. Increase diversity in hiring, beginning with employment with the City.

19. When hiring, value Indigenous knowledge and lived experience, and lived experience of inequity, alongside or instead of educational experience; and create preferences for these experiences.

20. Explore and promote ways to recognize value in qualifications from other countries that are not currently validated by the Canadian system.

21. Address dominant culture advantage in interviews.

22. Support diverse cultural behaviours and responses, and challenge expectations for complete assimilation to the dominant culture.

23. Facilitate and incentivize employers to create organizational cultures capable of properly supporting the needs of employees with lived experience of marginalization in every level of an organization, and ensuring access to opportunities.

Priority Three: Increase Accessibility and Community Participation

24. Increase access to support for English language learning and understanding, including at shelters and drug court, and by providing translation tools for the City website and service materials.

25. Hire people with lived experience of marginalization who can provide their lens in planning and development. For example, hire people with disabilities who can provide a disability lens on planning and programming.

26. Provide clarity of the system for accessing services and create pathways to communicate this clarity to historically marginalized communities.

27. Increase resources to support accessible participation of marginalized people in all aspects of life.

28. Ensure full mobility access in the community, including sidewalks during the winter, washrooms, parking and transportation.

29. Create places for practicing faith, culture and Indigenous ceremony – in City workplaces and other community areas.

30. Ensure the City’s support for Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion is visible and celebrated, for example the subsidized bus passes for newcomers and marginalized people.

31. Create access to social agency support outside of work hours, to facilitate people who cannot call for support services during their work hours.

32. Provide resources to the City supported Red Deer Welcoming and Inclusive Community Network.

Priority Four: Increase Baseline Levels of Essential Knowledge Needed to Support Diversity and Inclusion

33. Inform the mainstream community of the value of making an effort with language for newcomers.

34. Inform Red Deer residents of inclusivity definitions and how to participate in creating inclusive environments.

35. Provide the community with humanizing stories of marginalized people. Examples could be demonstrating the impact of intergenerational trauma on experiencing addiction or how any individual is ‘a pay cheque away from being on the street’.

36. Support staff and community members to be cognizant of the power of words, use clear and inclusive language and take effective actions.

37. Support the people of Red Deer to know the true history of colonization in Canada and Red Deer, racism in Canada and Red Deer, what are Treaty 6 and 7 obligations, and what legislative and structural barriers to equity are currently affecting the lives of Indigenous people and other marginalized people.

38. Increase awareness among staff and community of systemic oppression, and the roles of systemically privileged identities and positions in both enforcing and challenging that oppression.

39. Educate City staff at all levels on issues of diversity, inclusion and equity.

40. Create opportunities to learn from community members and experts with lived experiences of marginalization, including lived experience of disabilities.

41. Support workplace learning events like ‘diversity conversations’.

42. Address the root causes of fear, ignorance and miseducation about ‘others’.

43. Increase community and staff skills in respecting and listening to diverse ideas, opinions, and cultural points of view.

44. Understand that one’s impact towards another is not limited to one’s words but is also affected by tone and one’s ability to connect with each other.

45. Uphold standards for media reporting in relation to issues of diversity and inclusion and stand against reinforcing incorrect stereotypes and discriminatory ideas.

46. Clearly understand and promote the difference between ‘equality’ and ‘equity’, favouring working towards equity.

47. Facilitate community and staff understandings of the lived experiences, needs and issues of transgender people, HIV positive people, and people living with homelessness and/or addictions, in order to effectively respond to these needs.

Priority Five: Create Opportunities to Nurture a Greater Sense of Connection

48. Take actions that increase empathy for people from diverse identities, in community and workplaces.

49. Increase coordination between service agencies.

50. Share resources, including being reciprocal about engagement and research, sharing information, and facilitating exchanges for the ‘things’ people need.

51. Create opportunities and ways for all people to come together. For example, through the downtown market place, monthly community events at performing arts centre, open hub on Ross, community marketplace, a ‘Culture fest’ centring children and food, community gardens, potlucks. *

52. Support workplace culture events. *

53. Provide grants for community events.

54. Provide a sense of belonging and connection through the lights at City Hall.

55. Support increased connection and communication between neighbours

56. Provide community dinners to all people, and including people living with homelessness.

57. Support resource allocation and access to services for mental wellbeing and healing from trauma for people from marginalized communities.

* Note: These community suggestions are multicultural solutions; intentional equity-focused and intercultural event planning is also needed.

Priority Six: Develop and Communicate a city Culture of Diversity and Inclusion

58. Consciously develop Red Deer’s culture of diversity and inclusivity, including shared values, principles, beliefs and expected behaviours.

59. Promote this inclusive culture through a communication strategy and campaigns that increase awareness, encourage examples of positive behaviours and provide opportunities for the people of Red Deer to get involved and show their alignment.

60. Encourage the buy-in of local businesses and organizations into Red Deer’s culture of inclusivity and the Diversity and Inc.

Priority Seven: Build Trust by Acting Visibly and with Accountability Community Recommendations for City of Red Deer

61. Visible participation of City Mayor, Councillors, leadership and managers in taking action for diversity and inclusion.

62. Seek facilitated diversity and inclusion education for City Mayor, Councillors, leadership and managers so they can participate as informed champions and models of inclusive work.

63. Work with communities in the development and implementation of proclamations and events.

64. Coordinate planning around honouring Black History Month, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, Indigenous Heritage Month, Truth and Reconciliation, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Trans Day of Remembrance, and other important events.

65. Ask applicants for their hiring and diversity policies as part of funding applications and through the procurement process.

66. Solicit buy-in for the Community Informed: Diversity and Inclusion Plan and Framework across businesses and organizations in the city.

67. Produce an internal diversity survey to be administered annually or biannually.

68. Re-enact the City of Red Deer Diversity and Inclusion Team.

69. Community Recommendations for all Red Deer Corporate Entities

70. Undertake an internal review of policies, procedures, and programs for inclusive language and lens.

71. Provide Respect, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion (READI) and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) education for all internal staff to impact both internal relationships and external engagement.

72. Appoint a READI Coordinator position that works systemically or interdepartmentally, thereby reducing the silo effect.

Priority Eight: Address Inequities and Mistreatments Within and Between Marginalized Communities

73. Provide accurate education and information for newcomers on the colonial history of Canada, structural racism against Indigenous peoples, the legislations currently contributing to the oppression against Indigenous peoples, and Treaties 6 and 7 and the Metis Nation.

74. Provide information and context for Land Acknowledgements, and in language easily understood by people for whom English is not a primary language.

75. Support community-driven healing, relationship building and restorative justice practices within and between marginalized communities.

76. Addressing mistreatment within and between marginalized communities requires insight, awareness, humility and the ability to listen to and collaborate with the most marginalized and impacted in any situation. The City of Red Deer is committed to supporting healthy relationships within and between marginalized communities.

Priority Nine: Be a Powerful Advocate

77. Advocate to reduce wait times for services.

78. Advocate for the health services needs of marginalized people, especially Indigenous people, asylum seekers and refugees, transgender people, 2SLGBTQ+ people, HIV positive people, children, people with disabilities and people living with homelessness and/or addictions.

79. Advocate for an increase in resources and impactful diversity and inclusion policies and programs from the province.

80. Recommit to fulfilling the obligations of the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities.

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Published on January 15, 2025

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City Council approves first reading of updated Traffic Bylaw and General Penalty Bylaw

Red Deer City Council completed first reading of updated Traffic Bylaw (3707/2025) and General Penalties Bylaw (3036/A-2025) that will provide clarity and consistency in application of the bylaws as well as eliminate challenges in enforcement.

Key updates to the bylaws include:

  1. Ticket Pre-Payment:
    • Removing the option to pay a parking ticket early to receive a reduced fee from the General Penalty Bylaw and adding it to the Traffic Bylaw.
  1. School and Playground Zone Start Times:
    • Through investigating requests from schools to have school and playground zones start at 7 a.m., rather than 8 a.m., Administration determined that almost all school and playground zones in the city have students on the street prior to 7:30 a.m. To be consistent across the city, the start time is being moved to 7 a.m. providing an added measure of safety for all students.
  1. Salt on Sidewalks:
    • Removing the provision prohibiting the use of salt on sidewalks as this provision was rarely reported and it is difficult and costly to enforce.
  1. Permits:
    • More structure was added to the bylaw to clearly articulate conditions and requirements of Use of Streets Permits, as well as Excavation Permits and Alignment Permits.
    • Lastly, fees for closures impacting on-street and off-street stalls have been adjusted to reflect the actual revenue in each parking zone rather than the flat fee.
  1. Penalties:
    • Penalties have been reviewed and updated.
    • During the last bylaw adoption, the penalty associated with vehicles being towed due to snow or street sweeping operations was inadvertently missed. This penalty has been added back in at a slightly higher amount due to an increase in the cost to tow a vehicle through The City’s contractor. This prevents the costs associated with towing vehicles during these operations from being subsidized by the tax base.

“These updates streamline the bylaws to create clarity for residents and administration,” said Erin Stuart, Inspections and Licensing Manager with The City. “They also help to eliminate regulations that are challenging to enforce and bring penalties in line with other City Bylaws.”

Second reading of both bylaws is anticipated for January 27, 2025.

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City of Red Deer

City Council suspends payments on Westerner’s $19 million loan

Published on January 15, 2025

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Westerner Exhibition Association (WEA) loan agreement adjusted

City Council passed second and third reading of a loan amendment bylaw to suspend interest and principal payments related to a $19 million WEA loan with the goal to further support WEA’s financial sustainability.

The item was back in front of Council today after first reading occurred in December 2024, at which time Council expressed the need for a more detailed report on the impacts of WEA’s loan on the City’s financial position.

“Today’s decision is all about providing WEA additional time to achieve financial stability while recognizing its role in generating significant economic activity in the region. WEA hosts 1,500 events annually and welcomes 1.5 million visitors each year,” said Mike Olesen, Growth and Finance General Manager.

Between September 2021 and today, City Council has continued to adjust and respond to the evolving needs related to the loan agreement.

Recently, The City of Red Deer, Red Deer County, the Westerner Park Foundation and the Donald family each contributed $500,000 to the sustainability of WEA. Normally under the existing terms of the loan agreement and loan bylaw, this injection of cash would trigger a loan payment back to The City. However, the intention is to give WEA the time and funds to recover and reach sustainability and today’s decision to suspend interest and principal payments on the $19 million loan responds to this need.

With these adjustments to the conditions of the loan, WEA must still pay the loan in its entirety by the end of the loan’s term. This decision has an impact on the City’s financial position in the short term, but as WEA ‘s financial performance stabilizes, payments on the loan are anticipated to return. This is some of the additional information provided to City Council today.

“To reiterate, this does not mean that the $18.7 million remaining debt is forgiven, but rather that The City must temporarily report a change to our financial statements to better reflect the real value of the loan at a point in time,” said Mike Olesen, Growth and Finance General Manager.

“Westerner has a three-year business plan, and its success is contingent on the changes made today, and the involvement and contributions of partners, including the Province. We still need to continue to recognize the realities and time it takes to recover being a major agriculture society and event centre in our Province and region,” said Tara Lodewyk, City Manager. “The Westerner is working hard to make positive changes that improve its financial situation and the experience for our community. We can all help. It is as easy as choosing to attend one of the many events at the park, and we encourage our citizens to do just that.”

With today’s decision, loan payments will be paused until April 1, 2027, enabling WEA to focus on its recovery plan. This suspension aligns with ongoing financial contributions and recovery planning efforts by The City, Red Deer County, the Province of Alberta, and other stakeholders.

During this period, Westerner Exhibition Association will present annual financial updates to City Council.

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