Awards celebrate progress towards greater Diversity and Inclusion

The City’s Diversity and Inclusion Awards honouring staff who have had significant impacts in promoting inclusion for employees and residents were presented today at City Council by Mayor Jim Watson and City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick.

“These annual awards recognize individual City employees and teams that provide services promoting a positive and respectful work environment and a diverse and inclusive city,” said Mayor Watson. “We are proud of the exceptional work of our City employees who demonstrate a strong commitment to making our city a better place for everyone.”

The 2014 Diversity and Inclusion Award in the Individual category was presented to Parks and Recreation Program Coordinator, Anne Goodchild, for her efforts enhancing the City’s ability to provide a variety of inclusive and accessible recreational services to residents. Ms. Goodchild was recognized for her dedication to finding innovative ways to provide opportunities for physical activity and sport within Ottawa’s diverse communities.

Honourable mentions in the Individual category were awarded to Jo-Anne Moore from Infrastructure Services for her efforts to improve access and increase awareness of accessibility issues on construction sites, and to Greg Davis from Transit Services for her leadership in fostering a learning environment that is sensitive to the diverse training needs of employees.

The 2014 Diversity and Inclusion Award in the Team category was presented to the By-law and Regulatory Services Inclusion Team, comprised of 10 staff members who are recognized for developing, coordinating and promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives within the branch and through community engagement. Team members participated in a variety of events and activities to promote diversity and inclusion, including Women in Uniform, Gay Pride, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Day of Pink, Employee Respectful Workplace training, as well as numerous community outreach and recruitment sessions.

An Honourable Mention certificate was awarded in the team category to Paul McCann and Leslie Vanclief from the Public Works Department for implementing and promoting the City’s Snow Angel Recognition Program. This program recognizes residents who have volunteered to assist others who are elderly or have a disability by clearing snow or ice from their property in order to improve their accessibility and mobility during the winter.

“The 2014 nominees have all demonstrated a strong commitment to developing innovative ways to engage staff and members of the community producing great results,” said City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick. “We are proud of the award winners and all the nominees for the progress we are making to promote diversity and inclusion in our city.”

The City of Ottawa is committed to providing quality services to the diverse population it serves  A tool called _ the Equity and Inclusion Lens _ is available to all staff to support them in their efforts to be inclusive in all their work, including  policy and program development and client service. Nominees for the Diversity and Inclusion Awards reflect this commitment in their daily work.