Get Your Tickets Today for the Mayor's Forum on Diversity & Inclusion!
The "Mayor’s Forum on Diversity and Inclusion" is a transformative gathering aimed at catalyzing change and fostering inclusive environments in various sectors. This event brings together thought leaders, professionals, activists, and advocates from diverse backgrounds to engage in insightful discussions, share best practices, and forge meaningful connections.
The conference offers a dynamic platform for participants to engage in panel discussions, keynote addresses, and networking opportunities. Attendees will leave with actionable insights, a broader network of like-minded professionals, and a renewed commitment to driving positive change in their respective spheres of influence.
By fostering an environment of collaboration and learning, this forum strives to be a catalyst for lasting change, driving the collective effort towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Early Bird Tickets can be purchased for $50.00 by going to the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mayors-forum-on-diversity-and-inclusion-fort-erie-tickets-731229466017?aff=oddtdtcreator
Key Themes for the Event Include:
- What is Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
- The Benefits of EDI
- How to Action EDI
Speakers Include:
Jeff A.D. Martin 
A soul-stirring, thought-provoking, highly requested transformational speaker, who has been using his platform to inspire people from around the world.
Jeff is an award-winning professional speaker, a certified coach, University of Guelph certified leadership professional, Harvard University certificate recipient for public speaking, Diversity & Inclusion Trainer from Ashton College and the curator of Inspire Legacy Company Online Academy, where he teaches the art of public speaking and student character development.
With his career and life experiences, coupled with his benevolence and passion to inspire, Jeff A.D. Martin shares his gift of purpose in efforts to help others find their true potential.
Indira Naidoo-Harris
Indira Naidoo-Harris is a trusted public leader, policy-maker, journalist, and human rights advocate. She is currently the Associate Vice-President of Diversity and Human Rights at the University of Guelph, and previously served as Ontario’s first ever Minister of the Status of Women, Minister of Early Learning and Childcare, Minister of Education, Associate Minister of Finance, Member of Provincial Parliament for Halton, and was an award-winning national journalist.
As the first official voice for women in the province, Naidoo-Harris headed the Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy and the Strategy for Gender-Based Violence. She also worked on Ontario’s first ever Dementia strategy, Ontario’s Renewed Early Years and Childcare Policy Framework, anti-human trafficking legislation, led consultations across the province with women’s and Indigenous groups, victims of violence and social reformers, and worked with business and government officials on pay equity and other issues.
Naidoo-Harris currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy, Goodwill Amity, Reach Out Centre for Kids: Mental Health and is an Honorary Member for the Canadian Ethnic Media Association and Host of the Milton Film Festival. She has co-hosted the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial talks on the Status of Women, and is a former Board member of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Reelworld Film Festival. In 2022, Naidoo-Harris was named one of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network, and in January 2023, travelled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to advocate for gender equity in leadership and building a strong path forward.
Naidoo-Harris is considered an expert in education, equity, diversity, inclusion, women’s issues, immigration, economic recovery and COVID-19 supports and is a regular host and panelist on numerous national webinars.
Panel Speakers Include:
- Jennifer Dockstader - Executive Director of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre
- Lori Brant - Chair of the Fort Erie Accessibility Committee
- Tom Lewis - Town of Fort Erie, Councillor Ward 5
- Kathryn Rogers - Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Coalition.
- Moderated by Jennifer Pennell-Ajie - Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Coalition.
Entertainment: Strong Water Singers and Fort Erie School of Music
Light Snacks along with Coffee, Tea, Water will be available in the Morning
Full Lunch Menu: A variety dishes prepared by Local Chefs
Sponsorship Opportunities
Strength in Diversity: Elevate your Brand with Our Event!
You can choose from a range of sponsorship Packages that best accommodate your budget and objective.
DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR $5,000
- 5 Minute Speaking Opportunity to talk about DEI within your organization
- Company Sign/Banner (supplied by sponsor) AND your organization's kiosk displayed at event
- Placard with company logo placed on all tables
- 20 Tickets (2 full tables)
- Company logo recognizing your support in promotional materials - including social media correspondence
- Recognition of sponsorship during opening remarks
PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR $2,000
- Company Sign/Banner (supplied by sponsor) AND your organization's kiosk displayed at event
- Placard with company logo placed on all tables
- 10 Tickets (1 full table)
- Company logo digitally displayed on projector during event
- Company logo recognizing your support in promotional materials - including social media correspondence
- Recognition of sponsorship during opening remarks
GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR $1,000
- 4 tickets to the event
- Placard with company logo placed on all tables
- Company logo displayed in loop on projector during event
- Company logo recognizing your support in promotional materials
- Recognition of sponsorship during opening remarks
About the Diversity and Inclusion Coalition in Fort Erie
It is a fundamental principle in a free and democratic society that aspires to achieve its greatest potential that everyone is welcome and that there is a place for everyone.
We are the Diversity and Inclusion Coalition, a representative group of volunteers who live in Fort Erie. At the invitation of Mayor Redekop, we have come together to advise Town Council on the issues of diversity and inclusion as they affect our community. Our goal is to create a safe, inclusive, and equitable community where diversity and inclusivity are strengths that are enjoyed by every resident of and visitor to Fort Erie.
We invite you to share your experiences of exclusion and discrimination by filling out the short survey below. Your responses will be anonymous and will be put together in a confidential report for Coalition members only.
To provide suggestions on how to improve diversity and inclusion in our community please go to the Suggestions feature on this page. The results will assist the Coalition in creating goals and objectives on how to make Fort Erie a more diverse and inclusive community.
Thank you for participating and we look forward to your responses and suggestions!
Suggestions
Hello. I read with interest the article about the town's work on diversity and inclusion (The Fort Erie Post, March 24, 2022). I am happy that this important work is underway and that recommendations have been made. I read the Coalition documents on the Town's website and noticed that "ability" is one of the dimensions of diversity, which is great. Often, people only think about "race" when they hear diversity and inclusion. My suggestion is to consider helping raise awareness about the importance of inclusion for people with disabilities by embedding it in your work, training, public-facing communications, etc. This is aligned with the requirements of Ontario's accessibility legislation - but there's always more that can be done to go beyond meeting compliance. Thank you for your consideration.
The topic is inclusion and diversity and following seeing everyone with talent and as an asset....the survey should therefore also capture great experiences of inclusion...great experiences of diversity, not simply the lack thereof. There is an assumption starting out: inclusion and diversity is missing. Skewed format on any research instrument when you make assumptions prior to data collection.
Rainbow crosswalk, the lgbtq+ progress flag . Progress flag on the doors of town owned buildings. Equality mural painted by lgbtq+ & poc local artists
Installation of a rainbow crosswalk in Fort Erie and its communities (Ridgeway and Crystal Beach); raise awareness of Indigenous and Black history in the area.
