New Westminster residents applying to serve on city committees in 2019 may find they’re being asked to provide more personal information in the past – and here’s why.
In an effort to better reflect New Westminster’s diverse community, the city is taking steps to try and identify individuals from a variety of backgrounds for the city’s advisory committees. With no way to identify individuals from the city’s diverse communities, staff suggested the recruitment form could ask applicants to identify their gender identity and their ethnic background, if they so desired.
“My request is for more – more information about people,” said Coun. Jaimie McEvoy. “I think that involves tick boxes or something like that.”
While the steps outlined by staff may help identify applicants from various cultural communities, McEvoy said it doesn’t indicate if a person is disabled or is LGBTQ, which socioeconomic category they fit into or whether they’re renters or homeowners.
“My request is that it be more specific in allowing people to provide more information about themselves so that when we are appointing our committees we can strive to achieve, with better information, that those committees start to look like the community as a whole,” he said.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said he wants the forms to be clear that the information is being collected solely for the purpose of helping the city address the issue of diversity on committees.
“I think it’s an important first step,” he said. “I think this is not the entire job to be making sure that our committees represent our community, but we have to start collecting this data or we are not going to get anywhere as far as moving in that direction.”
In November 2017, council approved a motion by Coun. Mary Trentadue directing staff to research, review and report back to council about embedding a diversity mandate into the city’s committee programs and policies. In February, council approved a motion by Coun. Chuck Puchmayr that the city allow for a minimum of one First Nations representative per committee.
Coun. Bill Harper said the city has had a laissez fair approaching to increasing diversity by including more cultures and women on city committees, but wants to formalize attempts of increasing diversity.
“I think it makes sense to reach out and reflect the diversity of the city,” Puchmayr said. “What a breath of fresh air.”
