For the sixth consecutive year, the City of Ottawa has been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in a competition that recognizes organizations for their exceptional workplace diversity and inclusion programs.
The winners were selected by editors at Mediacorp and are featured in a special section of today’s Globe and Mail. The competition judges recognized the City for its commitment to reflect, in its workforce, the diversity of the Ottawa community, including the following initiatives:
- Hosting an annual AccessAbility Day event to offer residents an opportunity to provide feedback on issues related to accessibility and learn about City initiatives and programs;
- Ensuring that all City owned and operated spaces and facilities are inclusive and accessible, with its Accessibility Design Standards;
- Championing diversity internally by having each City department create and implement their own diversity plan;
- Welcoming new Canadians through an immigration strategy that includes employment initiatives and economic development programs such as the Annual Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards, to recognize the achievements of new Canadians, and the Professional Internship for Newcomers Program, which provides temporary work placements for newcomers.
Quotes
“We’re honoured to be selected once again as a national leader in workplace diversity. We are continuously striving to offer a workplace that is as inclusive, welcoming and diverse as this great city we live in, where individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds are recognized and valued.”
Mayor Jim Watson, City of Ottawa
“Our employees deserve congratulations for this recognition. They are exceptional, hard-working people who represent every facet of our City’s diverse population, and together we are constantly developing new ways to enhance inclusion and remove barriers.”
Steve Kanellakos, City Manager
Website
Canada’s Best Diversity Employers