in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 11 ,2 02 1 | 10 oakville.ca Proposed E-cigarette and Vape Business Licensing Council meeting: Monday, February 22, 2021, 7 p.m. Live stream at oakville.ca Licensing By-law 2015-075 requires a number of businesses to have a licence to operate within the Town of Oakville. Oakville Town Council asked town staff to draft an amending by-law for their consideration to regulate e-cigarette and vapour retailers. Currently, retailers selling tobacco are required to obtain a licence to operate. Under the proposed by-law amendment, retailers selling e-cigarette and vapour products will also require a licence. To review the proposed by-law please visit oakville.ca. Register as a delegate Requests to speak at a meeting must be received by the Clerk by noon on the last business day before the day of the meeting by emailing townclerk@oakville. ca. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar. Can't make the meeting? Send us your questions or comments by email to enforcement@oakville.ca. As Halton's population grows, so too does its diver- sity. In this three-part series, we examine the experiences of diverse residents living in the region, how community services are responding to their needs and what else can be done to make life eq- uitable for all. At a time when relations between police services in North America and diverse communities appear to be at a crossroads, Halton po- lice say they are reaching out to learn how they can do better. Sgt. Ryan Smith, of the Halton Police Equity, Di- versity and Inclusion Unit, said one new initiative in- volves better connecting with diverse youth in the region. "It was important to have youth be part of this change because they are our future and now more than ever they are wanting their voices heard," said Smith. "I have made myself ex- tremely accessible to those who wish to connect and discuss some of the work we are doing and make sug- gestions how we can do bet- ter." Relations between po- lice services and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) commu- nities in North America saw considerable turbu- lence in 2020. The police-involved kill- ings of George Floyd, Bre- onna Taylor and others led to widespread protests throughout America along with calls to 'defund the po- lice.' In Canada the June 20 fa- tal shooting of 62-year-old Ejaz Ahmed Choudry by Peel police during a mental health call was pointed to by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh as an example of sys- temic racism in policing. Last year also saw Black Lives Matter demonstra- tions in Oakville, Burling- ton and Milton. Smith noted that while some of these tragedies, like the death of George Floyd, happened far away, they have still had an im- pact on the Halton police. "We are alive to the fact that tragedies such as these have a ripple effect and highlight how we as a po- lice service and individuals can do better," said Smith. "These incidents have provided us the opportuni- ty to connect with many di- verse individuals and groups and have challeng- ing conversations to truly understand how we as a po- lice service can evolve to better support the BIPOC community." The officer noted that while Halton police have al- ways had a strong relation- ship with the diverse com- munity in the region, he ac- knowledged there is still plenty of work to do and said Halton police are com- mitted to doing that work. According to the Halton police website, Halton po- lice receive ongoing equity, diversity and inclusion training throughout their careers. The training topics in- clude diversity and human rights, cultural awareness, anti-racism, racial discrim- ination, self-awareness, and internal/implicit bias- es. Halton police said they communicate with the lo- cal diverse community through roundtable discus- sions and consultations in- cluding through their Di- versity Engagement Table (DET). The DET is made up of community members and organizations that provide advice and insight on ways to improve relationships with the police service and diverse members of the community. "What makes our police service and region unique is that we have open lines of communication with the community we serve which is the starting point for any type of change," said Smith. "There is a true willing- ness to sit down at the table and work towards the fu- ture we all want to see." In addition to reaching out to the local diverse com- munity Smith said the po- lice service is also reaching out to its own diverse mem- bers through the expansion of the Halton police Inter- nal Support Networks. Smith said these net- works provide police from identified groups with the opportunity to regularly meet and discuss issues af- fecting them. He said these meetings also allow these members to work with the Halton po- lice Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office to develop programs that support the needs of the community. "It has really helped us better understand these needs through real lived ex- periences and ongoing feedback," said Smith. Late last year then Hal- ton Police Board Chair Rob Burton also said Halton po- lice would continue to eval- uate body cameras in trials across the region during 2021. Andrew Tyrrell, presi- dent of the Canadian Carib- bean Association of Halton (CCAH), has previously said CCAH would support a Halton police investment in body cameras noting this would make police actions more transparent. 'MORE THAN EVER THEY ARE WANTING THEIR VOICES HEARD' Const. Ken MacDonald during the 2019 Emergency Services Introduction to New Canadians (ESINC) event. Halton police photo DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS HALTON POLICE REACHING OUT TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES "We are alive to the fact that tragedies such as these have a ripple effect and highlight how we as a police service and individuals can do better," - Sgt. Ryan Smith, of the Halton Police Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit