Introduction

The Bringing an Equity Lens to Public Policy project in the Comox Valley was funded through a grant from BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) in partnership with the City of Courtenay.

Facilitator ~ Joanne Schroeder

Keynote ~ Jodi Mucha and Connie Allsopp, BC Healthy Communities

Graphic Recorder & Notes Compilation ~ Jill Banting, Star Quill Creative

Discussion Group Leads
Angela Fletcher, Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness
Betty Tate, Comox Valley Social Planning Society/Accessibility Committee
Danika Lawson, Comox Valley Community Health Network
Maurita Prato, LUSH Valley Food Action Society

Workshop Coordination & Final Report ~ Christopher Bate
Tech Support ~ Shasta Steadman

Agenda

9:15 Arrival
9:30 Welcoming / Territory Acknowledgement
9:45 Why are we here?
10:15 BC Healthy Communities – Using an Equity Lens in Public Policy
11:15 Facilitated Exercise
● Current policy initiatives that we might approach with an equity lens
12:15 Lunch
1:00 Small Group Discussions
● Experiences and ideas in specific areas led by Food Policy Council, Coalition to End Homelessness, Community Health Network, and Social Planning Society
1:45 Summary Presentation of each Table’s Discussion
2:00 Next steps
2:30 End of Day

What do we mean by equity?

Equity is the fair distribution of opportunities, power, and resources to meet the needs of all people, regardless of age, ability, gender, income, education level, culture, or background. This means providing support based on an individual’s level of need, instead of providing the same amount of support to everyone.

Equity considers the historical, current, and future barriers that negatively impact an individual’s opportunity to participate and prosper as a member of their community. It may be easier to understand equity when it is contrasted with equality: while equality suggests that we treat everyone the same, equity suggests that we identify populations most affected by social, economic, and political discrimination and provide them with a higher level of support so that they can fully participate in their community.

Graphic was found, uncredited, at What Fairness Really Means
Please contact the report writer if you can provide information about this graphic’s artist. comoxvalleysocialplanning@gmail.com

In practice, this requires that civic engagement processes are designed and delivered in an equitable manner to ensure that resulting benefits are accessible to the widest range of community members for generations to come.

Historically, government policy has contributed to and perpetuated inequity. Laws, bylaws, zoning requirements, and land-use decisions have excluded specific groups from participating in economic, political, and social systems. They have segregated and displaced Indigenous communities, racialized groups, and individuals experiencing homeless and/or poverty. However, the same laws and policies that have created these conditions can also be used to improve them for all community members.

Explicit and actionable statements of equity can support the planning and development of healthy and equitable communities. These statements can be guided by the following questions:
• Who will benefit?
• Who will be excluded?
• What contributes to or creates the exclusion?
• What promotes inclusion?

“Equality is giving everyone the same pair of shoes.
Equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fits.”
Naheed Dosani

What are some of the key issues in the Comox Valley that might be approached with an equity lens?

Small group discussions in the morning involved discussions about what is working well and where government and social sector agencies and communities need to do better.

What is working well?

● engaging with people who have lived experience
● collaboration between groups of professionals
● walking the talk
● recent and upcoming reviews of municipal official community plans
● great volunteers are driving change
● the covid pandemic revealed inequity
● local government integrating equity into work
● organizations are inviting peers
● good policy on the ground
● improving inclusive practice and listening
● engagement with Elders by municipalities with First Nations
● enough people have the drive to make change
● Continued relationship building and breaking down silos and structural barriers

What do we need to do better?

● more engaging with people who have lived experience
● collaboration between groups of professionals
● walking the talk
● get younger people engaged with us
● removing barriers to getting people’s needs and voices heard
● let’s do conversations with people who have needs
● nothing about us without us
● finding capacity and time to do things in a good way
● inclusive practice and listening
● need a policy to maintain relationships with Elders
● student housing, time to access, still barriers with cost
● labor versus volunteerism
● distribution and transportation are equity issues
● funding levels versus inflation

Discussions revolved around identifying key issues and what is working well in the Comox Valley, while exploring ways to engage youth and maintain relationships with elders, each of which is crucial for building more equitable communities. Participants acknowledged the importance of inclusive practice and listening, critical incident reporting, and breaking down silos and structural barriers.

Throughout the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces for people with lived experience to engage and providing equitable access to resources and opportunities.

Key themes that emerged to be examined through an equity lens include:
1. Poverty reduction and low-income housing
2. Accessibility and disability inclusion
3. Substance use and mental health services
4. Food security and agriculture policies
5. Indigenous and cultural diversity
6. Universal basic income and living wage
7. Education and training for staff and elected officials
8. Transportation and recreation accessibility
9. Decriminalization of substance use
10. Housing screening committees and supportive housing initiatives
11. Collaborations with health networks and frontline workers
12. Removing barriers and stigma to access services
13. Continual public education and engagement
14. Critical incident policies and reviews
15. Affordable and adaptable housing options
16. Centralization of services to areas with resources and services
17. Policies around communication and language simplification
18. Anti-racism, anti-hatred, and anti-homophobia policies
19. Field and pool/recreation accessibility reviews
20. Water accessibility and affordability

Focus Areas

A wrap up discussion of the morning’s sessions led to four focus areas being discussed in small groups in the afternoon. With the groups rotating at regular intervals in a World Café format, each workshop participant had the opportunity to contribute to each focus area.

Food Policy and Food Security

○ Access and Affordability: This theme addresses access to food and affordability of healthy food
is a significant issue, particularly for people facing systemic barriers such as low income,
transportation challenges, and discrimination.
○ Equity and Inclusion: This theme emphasizes that an equity lens is needed to address issues related to food security and food policy. This includes ensuring that policies and programs are inclusive and accessible to all, including marginalized and underrepresented communities.
○ Sustainability: This theme emphasizes the growing need to prioritize sustainability in food policy and practice, including developing local food economies, promoting food gardens, and reducing waste.
○ Education and Capacity Building: This theme recognizes that education and capacity building are essential components of promoting food security, including teaching people to cook, providing resources for new entrants to growing, and promoting the development of edible landscapes.
○ Governance and Advocacy: This theme emphasizes that effective governance and advocacy are critical to promoting equitable food policies, including advocating for subsidies and community grants, promoting universal food programs, and addressing the power dynamics of grocery stores regarding pricing.
○ Rural and Indigenous Contexts: This theme recognizes that there are unique challenges and opportunities related to food security in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, including issues related to land access and growing capacity.

Housing and Land Development

○ Housing and Land Development: This theme includes considerations of affordable housing, communal
housing, compact communities, and the needs of marginalized groups, such as seniors, youth, and Indigenous communities.
○ Development Cost Charges and Reserve Systems: This theme addresses the challenges associated with funding and financing housing development, including the need to acknowledge and address the
marginalization of certain groups.
○ Single-family homes and Diversity of Opportunities: This theme focuses on the need to diversify housing options, including suites, apartments, and micro-units, to address the needs of different populations, such as renters, seniors, and people with disabilities.
○ Airbnb’s and Pets: This theme addresses the discrimination faced by some individuals with regard to housing options, including discrimination against pets and the need for policies to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnbs.
○ Foster families: This theme addresses the need for more foster families and the importance of keeping children in their communities, particularly in Indigenous communities. It also highlights the need for funding and support for foster families.

Health and Well-Being

○ Inclusion and Accessibility: This theme emphasizes the need to shift the narrative about training and education related to disability and accessibility, and the need to understand that all
disabilities are not visible. There are systemic barriers to accessing services/resources due to institutional/colonial policies, and new policies need to include inclusive practices that support people to change their colonial actions.
○ Equity and Accountability: The theme advocates for a people-first approach to address specific needs, and the importance of acknowledging the capacity and knowledge of Indigenous communities. It highlights the need for systems of accountability for discrimination, and systemic racism that can exclude Indigenous peoples.
○ Trauma-Informed Practices: This theme emphasizes that Trauma-Informed Practices are an important approach to health and social service delivery and the need for people to be educated about Trauma-Informed Practice.
○ Community Engagement: This theme advocates for putting people impacted the most at the center of conversations and decisions, including communicating about this advocacy to the community. A
long-term, whole approach is needed to create systems without cracks for people to fall through.
○ Economic Justice: This theme includes universal basic income as an initiative for addressing economic inequality and promoting social equity.

Infrastructure and Political Process

○ Infrastructure & Political Process: This theme includes issues related to city planning, transportation, accessibility, and the role of citizens in decision-making. It highlights the   importance of considering equity in all aspects of infrastructure development and political decision-making.
○ Arts & Culture: This theme addresses the need to promote diverse cultural expression and provide opportunities for all members of the community to participate in cultural activities. It also includes issues related to equity in arts funding and access to cultural resources.
○ Poverty Reduction: This theme addresses the need to address poverty and inequity in the community, including issues related to affordable housing, child care, and social planning.
○ Anti-racism Policy Development: This theme focuses on the need to address systemic racism and discrimination in all aspects of society, including the development of anti-racism policies and strategies.
○ Community Member Engagement: This theme addresses the need for meaningful and inclusive community member engagement in decision-making processes, including the importance of removing barriers to participation such as voting locations and time constraints.

Overall, the themes of each focus area reflect a recognition for the need to improve equity to address the unique challenges faced by different groups to access infrastructure, cultural resources, and political decision-making processes. The themes also highlight the need for policy changes, funding support, and community engagement to address these challenges and ensure that everyone has a voice and access to resources and opportunities.

NEXT STEPS

At a debrief session in April 2023, after having an opportunity to read the Workshop Summary, the
Working Group identified the following to consider for next steps in the project.

● Planning and acting for equity can be guided by the following questions:

○ Who will benefit?
○ Who will be excluded?
○ What contributes to or creates the exclusion?
○ What promotes inclusion?

● Explicit and actionable statements of equity can support the planning and development of healthy and equitable communities.

● Paying attention to Cultural safety and humility; increasing safety for people with lived and living experience in future work to increase participation and inclusion and aspiring to a culture that encourages support for all. Eg: Guidelines for safety? Number of participants?

● Consider developing a living guide/adaptable tool kit, using the experiences of people with lived and living experience?

● Addressing the key themes developed at the workshop by creating an equity guide that is broad and could be used for all themes identified.

● BC Healthy Communities speakers at the workshop spoke to examples where equity has impacted policy – an actual guide, or book. There was concern expressed that guides get forgotten so could a guide be expanded to encourage a collective discussion that would continue in our community?

● Perhaps a strength- based guide that built on examples and stories of governments or organizations who are applying an equity lens to their work?

At this point, positive examples of an equity lens being used in planning and policy were sought in the Comox Valley and these stories have been used as examples in the guide below. The stories hopefully will inspire ideas and conversation to achieve fair distribution of opportunities, power, and resources to meet the needs of all people, regardless of age, ability, gender, income, education level, culture, or background in our community.

PHASE TWO: COMOX VALLEY EQUITY GUIDE

EQUITY CIRCLES

One illustration of intersectional power, privilege & marginalization is the Wheel of Power/Privilege from Sylvia Duckworth (https://sylviaduckworth.com/), which you can see depicted below. Sylvia says, “Wheels like this help us visualize what the term ‘marginalization’ means: The further you are from power, the more marginalized and powerless you are.”

Further detail about the Wheel of Power / Privilege can be found in this article by Andy Swindler.

When developing policy or practice within an organization, the following questions need to be considered at the very beginning to guide the development process with an equity lens.

○ Who will benefit?
○ Who will be excluded?
○ What contributes to or creates the exclusion?
○ What promotes inclusion?

Examples of Bringing Equity to Public Policy

Comox Valley examples where success has been attained in developing practice or policy by including systematically excluded people provide some guidelines to support jurisdictions or agencies in developing policies with an equity lens.

Example #1: Indigenous Harm Reduction, Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society

The Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society utilizes deep rooted equity principles in applying Indigenous Harm Reduction protocols to support its membership.

Executive Director, Patty Alvarado explains:

Patty Alvarado – click on image above for video

Hello, My name is Patti Alvarado. Today, I’ll be speaking to you about the work of the Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society and one of our vital programs: Unbroken Chain, an Indigenous Harm Reduction initiative.

Equity isn’t just a buzzword, though it’s often misunderstood. We sometimes think it means simply giving everyone the same thing. But true equity recognizes that people start from different places and have different needs. For Unbroken Chain, this means understanding and directly addressing the unique barriers faced by individuals, and crucially, providing direct support not only to individuals but also to their families and others impacted by the toxic drug poisoning epidemic and addressing the intersecting social issues that fuel this crisis, including the ongoing impacts of colonization.

Unbroken Chain developed as an Indigenous and peer-led program, our services are rooted in trauma-informed care that creates equity in the community by elevating those most impacted. The leadership and delivery are driven by those with firsthand understanding, creating support that truly resonates and builds trust by meeting people and their loved ones where they are.

This deep understanding of equity extends right into the heart of the Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society’s leadership. We provide invaluable guidance, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are central
to every decision made for all of our programs, including Unbroken Chain. And crucially, our leadership is enriched by the wisdom of individuals with lived and living experience of substance use. This lived reality shapes our strategies, ensuring that support is not just theoretical but genuinely meets the needs of the community served by Unbroken Chain, reflecting its foundational development as an Indigenous and peer-led initiative that elevates lived experience and understands the profound impacts of the toxic drug poisoning epidemic and its roots in intersecting social issues like colonization.

Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society are demonstrating that when programs are rooted in community-driven development and a deep understanding of equity and its ripple effects within the context of historical and ongoing colonization, transformational change happens. To learn more about the vital work of the Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society and our Indigenous and peer-led program, Unbroken Chain, and how you can support in our crucial work with individuals, families, and the wider community impacted by the toxic drug poisoning epidemic and its intersecting social issues, Facebook page or website at iwss.ca.

Chi Miigwetch
Patti Alvarado

Example #2: Strategic Cultural Plan, City of Courtenay

During the development of its Strategic Cultural Plan, the City of Courtenay engaged members of several equity priority groups through focused consultation sessions. These groups included Indigenous community members, and representatives of people with accessibility needs, individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, newcomers to Canada, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. For example, a dedicated session led by the Coordinator of the Comox Valley Accessibility Committee created space for participants to share their experiences with accessing cultural activities in Courtenay.

The valuable perspectives gathered through these sessions informed the draft report released in November 2023 and played a key role in ensuring that equity and accessibility were meaningfully reflected in the goals, objectives, and actions of the final Strategic Cultural Plan, adopted by City of Courtenay Council in March 2025.

Joy Chan- click on the image above for video

Engaging equity priority groups was a vital part of developing the City of Courtenay’s Strategic Cultural Plan, ensuring the resulting vision and roadmap truly reflect the diversity of the community. By amplifying the voices of Indigenous community members, people with accessibility needs, those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, newcomers to Canada, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the City recognized that meaningful participation must involve those who have historically faced barriers to having their voices heard. This approach was guided by principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion and aligned with the City’s Official Community Plan (2022) cardinal directions. The insights gathered helped shape a plan that not only celebrates the impact and value of arts and culture in Courtenay but also positions it as a vibrant, sustainable cultural hub that represents all residents. The Strategic Cultural Plan reinforces the City’s commitment to ensuring that arts and culture are integral to everyday life for everyone in the community.

Joy Chan
Manager of Business Administration
City of Courtenay

Example #3: North Island College

In February 2023, North Island College established its first Accessibility Advisory Committee. The committee consists of NIC community members including students, staff and faculty. Membership includes those with lived experience of disabilities and those who support people with disabilities. The North Island Students’ Union Accessibility and Equity Director has a seat along with the North Island Student Union staff to represent student voices at the table. This supports the identification, removal and prevention of digital and physical barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities including NIC students, employees and visitors.

North Island College’s Accessibility Plan can be seen here. It provides information about the College’s multi-campus work towards increased accessibility between 2023 and 2026.

Example #4: Comox Valley Accessibility Audit
A partnership between the Comox Valley Accessibility Committee, the City of Courtenay, SPARC BC, BC Healthy Communities, and the Comox Valley Community Health Network enabled people with disabilities to actively participate in an Accessibility Audit of the Comox Valley.

SPARC BC provided the technology, hardware, and training to use an application called Field Maps to conduct the audits. Supported by two contractors, people with disabilities were paid to conduct accessibility audits throughout the Valley. Municipal buildings in Courtenay, Comox, and Cumberland were audited and, at the time of this report, buildings within the Comox Valley Regional District are in line to be audited.

SPARC BC’s contribution allowed the funds the Community Health Network had allocated for an audit to be paid directly to the people doing audits. A total of 24 auditors, including four support staff/family members, conducted the audits after receiving training. Auditors were assigned locations near where they live, with a few completing audits across the Valley.

This experience has highlighted and validated volunteer work I did in 2009 in which I chose to highlight what “works” to encourage the process. Now having tools to document and having expert oversight in analysis provides and encourages better objective data. I think it is critical that participants are persons using the facilities, have lived experience, and reside within the community. Our accountability and our desire to collaborate within our community can make this a very positive experience for everyone. On a personal note, I actually have greater optimism for the Town of Comox because of the audit. I see the possibilities and the potential, as it will meet the need for strategic and inclusive change.

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this exercise.
Karin Kratz

Example #5: Comox Valley Regional Accessibility Committee
When the Province of British Columbia implemented Accessibility Legislation requirements, the Comox Valley looked inwards and created a unique framework for developing a regional committee. With four jurisdictions in the Comox Valley, there was concern that the work of each community would be done in a ‘silo’ and that work could be replicated multiple times.

Taking the lead in developing a Regional Accessibility Framework, the Comox Valley Regional District consulted extensively with the Comox Valley Social Planning and Accessibility Committee, and the three municipalities to create a regional framework. The Framework provides annual funds for the Regional Accessibility Committee operations, and provides guidelines for how the Committee can provide guidance to the four jurisdictions it supports.

The Framework Document, found here, describes how the Regional Access Committee works and how it upholds strong commitments to accessibility. The report was reviewed and edited by a professional Plain Language editor, Iva Chung (https://ivacheung.com/) before implementation. The report emphasizes the vitality of having people with lived experience participate in all areas of accessibility work and that they should be paid for this work.

Example #6: Senior Support North Vancouver Island (formerly Comox Valley Senior Support)

When the Senior Support North Vancouver Island needed a wizard to manage technical matters for its monthly Community Education series, they hired an openly non-binary person with disabilities for the job. The position provides only minimal hours per month, but pays the same hourly rate, well above the local living wage, that all other front line staff working with the agency receive. Supports are in place to assist the employee to get to and from work and complete any paperwork required. However, they have absolute discretion at how they manage all the technical matters that are presented to them and, more than one year into the position, they continue to expand their knowledge about the role they already have great competence in.

Shasta Steadman – click on image above for video

I would like to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for the amazing opportunity to work with Senior Support North Vancouver Island. The dedication, commitment, and unwavering enthusiasm for the various community projects we’ve undertaken are nothing short of incredible. I am truly grateful for the kindness and support I have received from each of you, which has made me feel like an integral part of the team.

I am thrilled to continue working together on projects that make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any upcoming initiatives or events where I can be of assistance.

Once again, thank you for this incredible opportunity, and please extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the volunteers who have welcomed me into their ranks. I look forward to the future and all the meaningful work we will accomplish together.

Best regards, Shasta Steadman

Thank you for actively working towards breaking down barriers and making change in the Comox Valley, so more and more people have  an opportunity to fully participate and prosper as members of our community.

With Gratitude to our Funders and  Supporters