Municipal Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reconciliation Sharing Platform

With the growing diversity of municipal populations, there is a pressing need to adopt governance models that are both inclusive and reflective of this demographic change. And yet, the landscape remains complex, marked by varying levels of readiness, capacity and resources among municipalities to effectively implement equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation (EDIR) strategies. This inconsistency presents significant barriers to achieving inclusive governance and ensuring equitable service delivery. In response to this issue, the City of Kingston, in collaboration with the Diversity Institute and with the support of the Future Skills Centre, created the Municipal Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation Sharing Platform and Pilot Program. This project addresses the challenge of embedding EDIR principles into local governance across Canada. 

The project engaged 144 individuals, including representatives from 66 urban and rural municipalities, as well as community organizations and universities. Through consultations, participants were introduced to the Diversity Assessment Tool, received training, and contributed to a national dialogue on EDIR in local contexts, directly informing the development of the toolkit. Ongoing engagement and user-driven updates were essential to maximizing the platform’s long-term impact, relevance, and support for collaboration and cross-municipal learning. Participants also highlighted the need for practical resources—such as legislative links, training materials, budgets, and case studies (both successful and unsuccessful)—to support effective EDIR implementation and informed decision-making.

Feedback from municipalities and other stakeholders during the survey phases of the platform rollout indicated high levels of satisfaction, with the platform receiving a recommendation score of 8.58 out of 10. A large majority of respondents (92.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that the platform is valuable and comprehensive, and 87.5% found it to be a unique and centralized source of information. Slightly fewer (77.5%) agreed that the resources directly addressed the needs of their municipality.

Insights gained from this project have implications for enhancing EDIR practices in local governance. Key takeaways include the value of comprehensive resources, the emphasis on reflective learning, the necessity for user-driven platforms that facilitate real-time engagement and the importance of fostering cross-regional collaboration.