IDEA Advisory Group (IAG)
IDEA Advisory Group (IAG)
In 2021, the District of Muskoka established an advisory body for Muskoka District Council called the IDEA Advisory Group (IAG). To learn who is on the IAG, please look under Important Documents for the IDEA Advisory Group Profile.
The main purpose of the IAG is to:
- Provide advice and make recommendations to District Council to support it in its goal to become a more inclusive, diverse, equitable and anti-racist community;
- Anticipate community needs in advance of current or relevant issues;
- Create opportunities for community engagement and public education to advance the goals of IDEA;
- Educate itself and its members on issues related to IDEA; and
- Promote the goals of IDEA to the Muskoka community at large.
Below is a snapshot of some of the IAG's activities since 2021.
On the right-hand side of this page are links to important documents such as the IAG's Terms of Reference, the IAG's multi-year strategic plan and the community report that was completed with broad community input in 2020/2021 to better understand local issues related to inclusion, diversity, equity and discrimination or hate.
On the right you will also find links to all reports to District Council on the IAG's activities, and IAG meeting minutes.
Please visit this page often for updates and announcements, and don't hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.
Diversity and Inclusion Training for Small Employers
Registration Now Closed
Thank you for your interest in the Diversity and Inclusion Training for Small Employers. Registration for all sessions is now closed.
We appreciate your commitment to fostering inclusive and safe workplaces.
If you'd like to stay informed about future training opportunities or initiatives, please feel free to reach out to the IDEA Advisory Group or follow our updates.
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Diversity and Inclusion Training for Small Employers
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Sponsored by the District of Muskoka’s IDEA Advisory Group
If you are a small employer in Muskoka who would like to promote diversity and inclusion within your team and business model, this opportunity is for you! In an effort to ensure workplaces in Muskoka are free from discrimination, the IDEA Advisory Group (IAG) is offering complimentary diversity and inclusion training for small employers (20 employees or fewer).
Virtual workshops will be offered between September 10 and November 14, 2024. Seats are limited for each session.
Sessions will include:
Safer Spaces: 2S-LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency with The Gilbert Centre
Tuesday, Sept 10 from 12:30–4:30 pm
Thursday, Sept 12 from 12:30–4:30 pmIndigenous Awareness with Kelly Brownbill
Wednesday, Oct 9 from 1–4 pmBystander Intervention with Julie S. Lalonde
Tuesday, Oct 29 from 1–3 pm
Wednesday, Nov 6 from 1–3 pm
Thursday, Nov 14 from 1–3 pmAll workshops will be led by subject matter experts with lived experience in real-time over Zoom. Space is limited, so sign up today for one topic, or all three!
Safer Spaces 2S-LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency with the Gilbert Centre
Developed and facilitated by the Gilbert Centre out of Barrie, Ontario, Safer Spaces is a 4-hour interactive workshop aimed at increasing organizational 2S-LGBTQ+ cultural competency to ensure your staff, clients, and customers not only feel safe in your workplace, but are able to thrive.
The workshop’s objectives are to:
- Reflect on the shared human experiences of sex, gender, expression, and orientation;
- Understand the ways in which 2S-LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionately impacted by violence, poverty, and health inequities;
- Explore barriers 2S-LGBTQ+ communities might experience to accessing your organization and services;
- Experience new perspectives and understandings through critical consideration of language, practices, and history;
- Identify strategies towards greater inclusion to implement moving forward; and
- Reflect and challenge the roots of our own biases.
Workshop topics include:- Why Inclusion Matters;
- Concepts, Language, and Pronouns;
- Gender-Neutral Language;
- History, Human Rights, and Impacts;
- Local Statistics & Experiences;
- Trans Experiences;
- Oppression & Microaggressions;
- Identifying Barriers;
- Strategies Towards Greater Inclusion; and
- Navigating Institutional Barriers.
Register for one of two workshops:
- Tuesday, Sept 10 from 12:30–4:30 pm
- Thursday, Sept 12 from 12:30–4:30 pm
Indigenous Awareness with Kelly Brownbill
This three-hour workshop lays a foundation upon which to build a working knowledge of Canadian-Indigenous relations and the issues facing Indigenous people today. This engaging workshop will involve a slide presentation and storytelling, and provides the opportunity for learners to ask questions and interact with the educator and each other.
High-level topics include:
- Predominant cultures in North America and Europe at first contact;
- Land usage, governance, family structures, and spirituality;
- History of colonization and a chronological history of significant events starting from the Royal Proclamation of 1763;
- Resulting conditions and realities in Indigenous communities; and
- Tools for engaging Indigenous people and communities
About the Trainer:
Kelly Brownbill’s spirit name, Wabunnoongakikwe, means Woman Who Comes from the East, and she is proud to be Waabizhashi Dodem, Marten Clan. She is a member of the Flat Bay community of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Newfoundland. Kelly currently resides in Simcoe County and is a member of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge.Kelly has over 20 years of experience working with organizations across Ontario and helping their staff become more culturally competent in offering services to Indigenous Peoples. Her work includes conducting cultural awareness programs across a wide range of sectors, including health services, municipalities, and social services. Kelly continues to follow the guidance of her elders, both here and in the spirit realm.
Register for Indigenous Awareness with Kelly Brownbill:
- Wednesday, Oct 9 from 1–4 pm
Bystander Intervention with Julie S. Lalonde
Join public educator Julie S. Lalonde for a two-hour interactive presentation on bystander intervention to create safer spaces for all. Together you’ll discuss the barriers to intervening in smaller communities and workplaces, and help create a toolkit of ways that you can step up when witnessing hate or harassment.About the Trainer:
Julie S. Lalonde is an internationally recognized women’s rights advocate and public educator. Franco-Ontarienne from Northern Ontario, she is based in Ottawa. For the last two decades, Julie has been working to improve the lives of women and girls in Canada with a focus on engaging bystanders to create communities of support. She has presented her work in six countries across four continents in two languages. Her memoir Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde won the 2020 Ontario Speaker’s award and was named one of the best books of the year by CBC Books and the Hill Times. Julie has won numerous awards for her advocacy work and is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case.Register for one of three workshops:
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Hate Free Muskoka 2022
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The IDEA Advisory Group was pleased to offer an opportunity for community members and partner agencies to come together to learn how to recognize and respond to hate in our community. This free event took place on November 5, 2022 at the Rene Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge and featured four leading anti-hate speakers and a panel on Rising Up to the challenge.
