A community-driven anti-racism strategy to challenge systemic barriers in the city and governance processes will be reviewed by councillors for the first time on Monday.
The strategy aims to support racialized communities in Edmonton and promote lasting structural changes to city administration and municipal institutions.
While the entire plan does not have a cost estimate, the city says a one-time investment of $2 million will be required to initiate the work.
The funding is recommended to come from the Edmonton Police Services funds the city holds within financial strategy reserves. According to the city, that fund has $14.4 million available in 2022.
The three-prong approach to addressing racism in the city includes establishing an independent arms-length anti-racism body to challenge racism throughout the city.
Secondly, the strategy calls for creating an anti-racism organization within city administration to address barriers to equity, act as an oversight mechanism for governance, and develop a long-term plan to tackle racism in Edmonton.
Lastly, funding to bolster community initiatives and organizations addressing racism is recommended.
In November, city council unanimously passed a motion presented by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to create a collaboratively shaped anti-racism policy informed by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) in addition to the city's anti-racism advisory committee.
While preparing the strategy, a report drafted by the anti-racism committee and BIPOC community representatives shared the difficult task of addressing racism within the city and its governance pathways.
"Succeeding in bringing forward this Anti-Racism Strategy turned out to be extraordinarily difficult, and at times felt impossible, given the significant barriers built into the administrative system," the committee noted.
"When systems are built from colonial ways of thinking and acting, cultures and processes are formed which continue those perspectives. This is how systemic racism forms and exists, and this happens even when the individuals within that system desire and intend to function differently.”
In the strategy, the city said it is committed to "listening, learning, and adapting to new forms of collaboration" to improve its relationship with racialized communities as it continues anti-racism work.
According to administration, many other Canadian cities are also in the process of establishing similar anti-racism strategies, including Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, and Winnipeg.
Should the community and public services committee approve the strategy on Monday, council will review it at the end of the month.
