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HB NEWS RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO BOOST INCLUSIVITY Continued from page 1 in an effort to explore what can be done to better pro- vide Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) in with a survey respondents, 20 per cent were male while 78 per cent were female. Eighteen per cent ‘dent. fied as Black, wl 27 per com identified as white, 10 it identified as First Nation, Inuit, Métis, 12.5 per cent identified as South Asian and 33 per cent were listed as "other." The respondents were asked various questions on topics ranging from edu tion, to health care, the jus- tice system and the work- where they feel most and least included within Hal- ton Region. i respon- dents said they felt comfort- able in their residential ar- eas and some said they feel comfortable and included everywhere in Halton this was not univers: "For those who | self-iden- tified as racialized, they in- dicated some neighbour- hoods feel particularly inac- cessible, especially Oakville (south east) and Burling- ton, " the report reads. rgetown was also noted as extremely exclu- sionary for racialized indi- viduals." On the other hand, the survey found some respon- dents who identify as white, indicated they felt a greater sense of exclusion as racial- ized and other "non-English ing" families moved eir" neighbourhood, particularly in Milton. Other survey findings included most respondents feeling their local munici- pality could do a much bet- ter job of having cultural events, festivals, sporting events, ethnic food vendors and hair salons more repre- sentative of them. The survey reportedly found considerable division among respondents on the subject of education. "Some respondents felt that the education: systemin plicitly and explicitly iL ased against those who are non-white, non-heterosexu- al and from non-nuclear families. Their interpreta- tion is that racism is sys- temic through the educa- tion system," the report reads. "Some respondents ar- gued the 'All Lives Matter’ rhetoric and stated 'woke- ness has gone overboard.’ These individuals argued are prone to more prejudice and hate. Multiple respon- dents lashed out at allowing gender. sexual diversity to be brought into the class- room, arguing that children to believe it was OK to be ‘not normal’ will ‘ruin’ the family unit." On the subject of health care, respondents pointed to the need for care butside of regular business hours, especially for people living who cannot af- ford to take time off work to seek medical attention. — Providing free and im- mediate access to mental health care workers was al- so described by respon- dents as a crucial part of having a healthier society. When it comes to the workplace, most ‘respon- dents recog tials — other than North American — are underval- ued. “The Belonging and Ra- cial Identity in Halton re- port is both timely and re- vealing," said Andrew Tyr- rell, president of the Cana- Caribbean Association of Halton. “It validates what we al- ready know at the CCAH based on the lived experi- ence of our members — BI- POC residents feel less _ a sense of belonging an: clusion in Halton than oth, ers for multiple reasons. We believe that the recommen- dations in this report pro- vide a firm launch pad for institutions to rei what the municipal health care, political, justice and education systems, and workplaces look and feel like for BIPOC folks who of- fen! feel excluded and voice- in these spaces. bours, we all need to engage in dialogue to bridge 'ten- sions' and find a common ground to maintain harmo- ny in spite of our differenc- es." Some of the recommen- dations made by the survey respondents included: \datory workshops/ dee for all parents and children the Halton school system on issues of equity, diversity and inclu- sion. + Expanding recreation and leisure centre classes to include different forms of dance such as Bollywood, farang folk, calypso, hopal, ances and music classes such as Afric: or Hindi singing lessons. + More sl green space at publicly accessible parks for culturally anc nically diverse eats to come together in more or- ganic ways. This could in- ~dalOuL | Z + More transparency = from Halton police regard- x ing complaints and allega- 8 tions made against its offi- cers. To read the report i init iis entirety, www.ccah.ca/" cuploads/6/8) 6/ 0 V26e 68129185/ ‘belongingre- port-web-o. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With {he recent release of the mnging And Racial rsattied in Halton report, we wanted to examine the study's find- ings, local reaction and the ndations made to make the region more in- clusive. cs io} ‘SCAN THIS CODE is for more local B WHAT'S ON URBAN AND INDIGENOUS VOICES NEEDED Can you lend your thoughts to help make Halton more inclusive? Grandmother's Voice is seeking urban and In- digenous voices to partic- ipat conversation about “wransforming the region toward an inclu- sive, respectful and cul- turally healing communi- ty for Indigenous Peoples. Collectively: partici- ants can plan Seven Generations from now, determining what needs to be different and what needs to stay the same ata special gathering Nov. 21. The vision is for Hal- ton to be the place for In- digenous Peoples to live, work and heal together in community. Start planning your dream vacation with hand-picked travel deals and inspiration just for Canadians ») Visit travelalerts.ca Hosted by Grandmoth- er's Voice and facilitated by Mary Medcalf and Cheryl Taggart, the gath- ering is sponsored by Her- itage Canada. 2 takes place from 7 to 9 the Grambel Barna at Country Heritage Park (8560 Tremaine Rd., Milton). Registration be- gins at 6:30 p.m. Light re- freshments will be pro- ided. To register or for more mation, visit grand- mothersvoice.com/gath- ering. a NOP TONG INN AULONN| STARTS-HERE