Mississauga is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada. But its city council is all white.

In an effort to make its government more reflective of its residents a unique initiative has just been introduced: a new diversity and inclusion committee that will soon begin reporting back to council.

The committee will, “Review city policies through a diversity lens to ensure they are meeting the needs of all residents in our community,” according to the mandate announced by city hall. There will be an “emphasis on improving diversity and fostering greater inclusion of all residents and stakeholders.”

On Friday, the city released a statement, inviting residents to apply to sit on the new advisory committee.

Successful applicants will join two councillors, Carolyn Parrish and Sue McFadden, who put their names forward to sit on the new committee.

Parrish, who as a Mississauga MP was known in Ottawa for defending the rights of Palestinians, and as a Peel District School Board Trustee took on her own board to help Sikh students wear their religiously significant kirpans, says the need for the new committee is unfortunate.

“In a way, I’m part of the problem. The city is almost 60 per cent visible minority, but members of all these diverse communities can’t get elected.”

With October’s election a fourth council term in a row will feature an exclusively white group of councillors, twelve in total. This despite census data from 2011 that showed 54 per cent of Mississauga’s residents identified as being a visible minority.

“A lot of their issues don’t even get represented at council,” says Parrish, adding that she hopes the new advisory committee can begin to change things.

“This committee is a first step at getting all these voices heard. It’s a toe in the water, it’s untried territory.”

But at least one long-time Mississauga advocate who has taken on institutions that poorly reflect the city’s demographics is skeptical of the new advisory committee.

“One of the biggest obstacles to bringing about real change is when you have institutions that are the problem, pretending to address the issue,” says Ranjit Khatkur, a director and co-founder of the group E-Race, which challenges institutional discrimination. She is also a member of the group Toward Social Justice. Khatkur will begin co-hosting a new TV show at the end of January on Rogers Peel called Insight, which will focus on social justice and social change from a diversity perspective.

As a former vice principal with the Peel District School Board Khatkur tried unsuccessfully for years to get a promotion to a principal’s job. She filed a systemic discrimination case against the board with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and the Board eventually decided to settle with her, avoiding a public hearing process. Shortly after, in 2013, following a highly critical independent survey of the board’s practices it introduced sweeping new changes to better reflect the region’s diversity among staff and to fairly hire and promote candidates.

Khatkur says she sees a lot of similarities between the school board and city hall.

“Obviously, people can vote for whoever they want. But you have to wonder how widespread the lack of diversity throughout city hall is if they need a special committee. I hope this isn’t a token move. I’m already hearing that certain politicians are asking their old friends to apply. Are these people who will quietly go to meetings without rocking the boat? But I will absolutely put my name forward after doing some homework, if I find there’s a clear desire to change things.”

Parrish says that’s the idea.

“If some people around city hall think just striking a token committee is good enough, they’re in for a surprise. I want to see human rights lawyers, immigration consultants, people who understand the complexities of diversity and inclusion (on the committee). We need two people on staff looking at by-laws on the books and ones to be debated, to see how they affect all residents from all cultural perspectives.”

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Parrish says she would also like to possibly see the committee evolve from an advisory one to a full-standing committee that meets monthly, has recorded minutes and takes votes on issues that are then ratified by full-council.

“Let’s see how this works at first. But if we say we want to become a standing committee I don’t think council will fight it. That wouldn’t look very good, would it?”

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