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September 11, 2019

City Council endorsed the Use of Indigenous Images/Themes in City Sports Facilities Policy. The policy promotes a positive and inclusive experience at City sports facilities, while supporting a climate of understanding and mutual respect.

“Mississauga prides itself on being one of the most culturally diverse and welcoming cities in the world,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “It’s important that our facilities reflect our commitment to inclusivity and are places where everyone feels welcomed, safe and respected. We are proud of our City’s rich history and the Indigenous communities past and present who have helped shape Mississauga into the world-class city we are today. This policy is an important step on the path to reconciliation and demonstrates our continued commitment and respect for First Nations people and all visitors to our sporting facilities.”

The new policy supports enhancements to the City’s diversity and inclusion staff training. It also addresses actions related to municipal government within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

“We are committed to continuously improving the diversity and inclusion training that we make available to all City of Mississauga employees to ensure they understand the perspectives, goals and interests of Indigenous people,” said Janice Baker, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). “This policy will help us by defining the roles and responsibilities of the City and our staff as we continue to build this important relationship.”

The policy was developed to meet the requirements of a settlement made by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). The City committed to a number of objectives laid out by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario in December 2018.

The new policy lays out objectives and processes for the City:

• Will not permit the display of Indigenous images in the City’s indoor and outdoor sports facilities that are related to non-Indigenous sports organizations; this includes displays during events
• To engage with Indigenous groups and non-Indigenous community sport organizations to build awareness of this policy
• To continue to educate non-Indigenous sport organizations and clubs who are still using Indigenous images
• To enhance its diversity and inclusion staff training with material addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

“With the support of Council and staff I am committed to working with Indigenous organizations and sport groups within my Ward to proactively build awareness” said Councillor Stephen Dasko.

The policy was developed in consultation and collaboration with several Indigenous organizations. City staff will continue to engage with these stakeholders as the policy is implemented and through future policy reviews and updates.

September 11, 2019  

Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (MFES) has added a furry member to their Wellness-Fitness Initiative (WFI) team, Ajax – a facility dog who will support Mississauga firefighters’ mental health and help them process trauma. MFES is the first fire service in Ontario to have an accredited facility dog for their personnel.

“We’re beyond excited to welcome Ajax to the City of Mississauga family. Our furry friend will provide comfort to our fire team and promote open and honest conversations around mental health,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “As a leader in first responder mental health services, we’re hoping to set an example for other municipalities to follow. In the short time that Ajax has been on the job, we’ve already seen his uncanny ability to break barriers and encourage our firefighters to speak more freely about how they are feeling.”

Ajax is a new resource who will help MFES staff by normalizing difficult conversations, reducing anxiety, alleviating fears as well as encouraging firefighters to speak openly about their experiences and stressors. Ajax is inclusive to all staff, not just the first responders of MFES. He will also assist the Peer Support Team when they visit MFES staff.

“Ajax will not only help our staff with stress relief but also provide them with the mental health support they need in a high-stress environment,” said Tim Beckett, Mississauga Fire Chief. “We want our firefighters and staff to understand there’s no shame in asking for help. Having Ajax will provide the team the emotional comfort they need to get through difficult experiences.”

The City of Mississauga also offers a Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) training program. The program helps firefighters address stigmas and identify the signs and symptoms of occupational stress injuries. The R2MR training program uses a mental health model that identifies signs and symptoms associated with four stages of functioning: healthy, reacting, injured and ill.

Ajax was generously donated to MFES by National Service Dog where Ajax was bred and trained for two years. Ajax will provide Canine Assisted Interventions to those who need support and has already started making a positive impact with MFES staff.

BACKGROUND:

Ajax graduated from a National Service Dogs (NSD) for the purpose of reducing stress and providing mental health support by enhancing the ability of people to speak openly while providing emotional comfort in a high stress environment.

Facility dogs are specially trained to provide goal directed interventions which promote improvement in physical, social, emotional or cognitive abilities. A facility dog is directed by a professional with specialized expertise. These dogs may work in a variety of settings, groups or individual in nature. When not at work, the dog lives with their primary handler as part of their family.