Racism is a bigger problem in Niagara than many think, but we are doing even less about it than our neighbours (Opinion piece in Niagara Dalies)

https://www.niagarathisweek.com/opinion-story/10812691-racism-is-a-bigger-problem-in-niagara-than-many-think-but-we-are-doing-even-less-about-it-than-our-neighbours/

Kicking recommendations down road brings us back to square one, writes Saleh Waziruddin

Saleh Waziruddin

NiagaraThisWeek.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Many move to Niagara from the GTA for cheaper housing, and approach the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association (NRARA) for help with racism. Those who do told us they never saw this level of racism in Toronto or Brampton, where the province mandated anti-racism policies for police and schools. Yet many here think racism is a Toronto or Brampton problem. Two of those we helped moved back because of Niagara’s racism.

But we don’t have to take their word. Niagara Regional Police (NRP) officials told us there wasn’t data showing systemic racism in their force, even though their racial profiling data (where people are stopped without connection to a crime, renamed carding, street checks, and now Collection Of Identifying Information) showed police disproportionately stopped Black and Indigenous residents. Yet they refuse to formally drop the practice, saying it’s provincially regulated. Drinking and smoking are regulated too but that doesn’t mean you can’t quit.

It gets worse. Toronto’s police chief told his officers to brace themselves for embarrassment when the data on use of force by race, mandated by the 2017 Ontario Anti-Racism Act, came out showing force used against BIPOC people, especially Black, is way out of proportion to their population. But the NRP's May board agenda shows it’s even worse in Niagara, yet no such public sense of shame. Nearly one-quarter of instances of use of force in 2020 and 16 per cent in 2021 was against Black people, but the 2021 census shows Black people make up less than three per cent of the population. This is a Disproportionality Index (the term the independent experts used for the Toronto police) of six, which is 150 per cent of Toronto, using census data. For Middle Eastern people, the index is three times Toronto’s number.

The NRP met one of the demands of NRARA, to release the who, what, where and when details of police-reported hate crimes like they do for other crimes, but on easy things like ending racial profiling or adopting body cameras, which city after city in Ontario has done and the NRP has money set aside for, there is no action.

Niagara’s proportion of “visible minorities” (by the government’s definition this excludes Indigenous people) has increased from nine per cent in 2016 to more than 13 per cent in 2021. The proportion of South Asians has more than doubled to almost three per cent.

Even though we have a greater need for anti-racism, our governments are going in the opposite direction. Recently, the City of Niagara Falls tried to merge its anti-racism advisory committee into the diversity and inclusion committee. Thankfully city council unanimously decided against this after hearing from delegations. But this wasn’t the first time the idea of watering down anti-racism was proposed there. In St. Catharines, that was also the original proposal in 2019 but they also set up separate committees. However, with a couple of exceptions, the recommendations of this committee have sat with staff and been kicked down the road quarter to quarter without action. With the new council, all these recommendations, some easy to do and enjoyed by residents in other Ontario cities, have been wiped off the slate, bringing us back to square one. At the region, the corporate services committee directed staff to report back by Sept. 30, 2021 on launching an anti-racism committee. We are still waiting for that committee.

There are moral, equity reasons to remove the barriers of racism, but here is an economic one: McKinsey & Company consultant reports show a more inclusive and diverse community does better economically, and many of the large companies we want to attract won’t come if their diverse workforce isn’t welcome or safe. The 2017 Niagara Region Global Attractiveness Report says the same, if we needed more reasons to catch up on anti-racism.

Saleh Waziruddin is an executive with the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association and a member of Metroland's Community Advisory Committee in Niagara. Reach him at salehw@yahoo.com. 

Despite staff recommendation, Niagara Falls won’t merge anti-racism committee with diversity & inclusion group

https://www.insauga.com/niagara-falls-to-merge-anti-racism-committee-with-diversity-inclusion-group/ 

By Don Redmond

Published December 20, 2022 at 3:38 pm

Feeling that their interests often overlap, Niagara Falls City Council recently looked at a motion to merge its Anti-Racism Advisory Committee with the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee.

While staff was looking at a new single group, the Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, the motion was shot down as Council decided to keep the two committees separate.

“Additional efforts will be undertaken to enhance collaboration and increase communication between the Committees,” said the city.

Saleh Waziruddin, a member of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association and chair of the St. Catharines Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, was a delegate at the meeting – as was Niagara Falls Anti-Racism Advisory Committee chair Sherri Darlene – and both fought against the merger of the two groups.

Said Waziruddin to council, “Please do not merge the anti-racism and diversity & inclusion committees. Having one committee instead of two means less time spent on anti-racism, and you can’t do more for anti-racism by giving it less time. Even a sub-committee won’t have the time that a full committee will.”

He continued, “There is a mistaken idea that diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism are all part of the same set. But there is a big difference. As a former elected official in Niagara had said about himself 100 per cent correctly that he was the first Polish-Canadian elected to his position, and while that may very well be diversity and it may very well be inclusion, it is definitely not anti-racism.”

“It’s an important achievement but anti-racism is something else altogether.”

He said that merging the committees would “obviously cut the time spent specifically on anti-racism and it would water down the work of the committee by mixing in people who don’t have lived experience with racism.”

“Please keep the committees separate as you originally decided to do when there was a proposal for just one diversity committee instead of a dedicated anti-racism advisory committee.”

In the end, council reversed the staff recommendation and opted to keep the two committees separate.

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/council/2022/12/14/you-have-a-responsibility-to-this-community-and-not-just-the-ones-that-look-like-you.html

Niagara Falls city council opposes staff recommendation to merge anti-racism, diversity and inclusion committees

By Ray SpiteriReview Reporter

Wed., Dec. 14, 2022timer4 min. read

COUNCIL

‘You have a responsibility to this community and not just the ones that look like you’

Niagara Falls city council opposes staff recommendation to merge anti-racism, diversity and inclusion committees

By Ray SpiteriReview Reporter

Wed., Dec. 14, 2022timer4 min. read

Niagara Falls city council unanimously opposed staff’s recommendation to merge the municipality’s anti-racism and diversity and inclusion committees after hearing from members of the public who said combining the two would set anti-racism efforts back in the community.

“Can’t tell you that I’m really happy about this because once again I’m standing in a room full of white people asking them to do the right thing,” said Sherri Darlene, chairperson of the city’s anti-racism committee.

“This merger is not a good idea. While we’re not opposed within the committee to collaborating with the diversity and inclusion (committee) … these committees need to stay separate. You have a very serious racism problem here and it’s gone unchecked and untouched for a very long time.”

Darlene said the committee is still new and continues to work on various projects.

“I think it’s time for you guys to do the right thing. You are council members. You have a responsibility to this community and not just the ones that look like you.”

Local politicians discussed a staff report during Tuesday’s meeting recommending the merger.

“While it is important to note there are differences between (both committee) initiatives … there is also a lot of overlap and synergy between them, which could be leveraged more effectively if they were merged,” said the report.

“Further, integrating the two committees would also minimize any redundancies in work being done by the committees and or staff.”

The report said merging two committees into one will “in no way eliminate the work and or focus of either committee.”

“In fact, it will only strengthen the committee’s capacity as they would be a larger working group.”

Staff said members of both committees have discussed a potential merger in the past.

“In discussion with the anti-racism committee at meetings, they do feel that separate is a better approach to reach their desired objectives. Staff believe that the concerns of the anti-racism committee can be addressed with a sub-working group of the merged committee to focus on these specific issues if required.”

In 2020, council supported the creation of two committees to deal with anti-racism, as well as diversity and inclusion, initiatives in the community. In the 19 months since both committees were established, staff said each committee developed its action plans, along with specific goals and objectives.

“Both committees have been very active in the work they have accomplished since April 2021,” reads the report.

“However, after careful review and consideration, staff feels the two committees can be even more strategic and effective if they merge and work cohesively on various diverse, equitable and inclusive community initiatives.”

The municipality currently does not have a dedicated staff member to address diverse, equitable and inclusive matters, said the report.

Saleh Waziruddin, of the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association, said having one committee instead of two would mean “less time spent” on anti-racism issues.

“You can’t do more for anti-racism by giving it less time. Even a subcommittee won’t have that time that a full committee would,” he said.

Waziruddin said the visible minority population in Niagara Falls, which by the government’s definition doesn’t include Indigenous people, has gone up by one third since the last census.

He said it was 12.7 per cent in 2016. Data for 2021 showed 16.5 per cent of Niagara Falls’ population are visible minorities.

“The portion of the Black population increased by over a third, from 2.9 to 4.1 per cent. The South Asian portion has nearly doubled to 2.5 per cent alone,” said Waziruddin, noting Niagara Falls voters recently elected Mona Patel to city council.

Patel, an immigrant from Southeast Asia, is one of very few Black, Indigenous and People of Colour representatives to have been elected in Niagara Falls in decades.

Coun. Lori Lococo, who is council’s representative on the anti-racism committee, said she’s there to support the group but understands “this is not my (lived) experience.”

“I try not to talk unless it’s about procedural (issues),” she said.

“I think putting anti-racism as a sub-committee is really removing the importance of anti-racism in Niagara Falls.”

Lococo said she understands the city does not have enough staff and is willing to “donate my time, whether to take notes - I’ve been a court reporter - open up rooms, or whatever to help staff.”

“When I walked into this meeting tonight, my suggestion was going to be that the anti-racism committee and diversity and inclusion (committee) have a joint meeting in January to discuss the how’s and why’s — what does the agenda look like, how much time are we spending? I’ve changed my mind on that. I’m going to put a motion forward to oppose the report on the floor and that we not merge the committees.”

Ray Spiteri is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Niagara Falls Review. Reach him via email: raymond.spiteri@niagaradailies.com

Speech to Niagara Falls City Council Against Merging Anti-Racism and Diversity & Inclusion Committees

 Dear Mayor and Councillors,

I am Saleh Waziruddin from the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association. I lived in Niagara Falls for 10 years until a few years ago, the most time I've lived anywhere in Niagara.

Please do not merge the anti-racism and diversity & inclusion committees. Having one committee instead of two means less time spent on anti-racism, and you can't do more for anti-racism by giving it less time. Even a sub-committee won't have the time that a full committee will.

But the merger will do even worse than cut the time spent on anti-racism. There is a mistaken idea that diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism are all part of the same set. But there is a big difference. As a former elected official in Niagara had said about himself 100% correctly that he was the first Polish-Canadian elected to his position, and while that may very well be diversity and it may very well be inclusion, it is definitely not anti-racism. It's an important achievement but anti-racism is something else altogether.

This is important because a merged committee will have people representing all kinds of diversity and not just lived experience with racism. This means that anti-racism recommendations will need to be first approved by people who don't have the lived experience before they even get to you. It's an unnecessary barrier to get you vital advice you are seeking.

There was a trend before the murder of George Floyd in 2020 for municipalities to fold anti-racism committees into one broader diversity committee a catch-all committee. That trend was reversed after the murder of George Floyd when cities, including lower-tier municipalities, saw that they too have a role in anti-racism. The proposal tonight will move things backwards.

But actually the need for more attention to anti-racism, not less, is even more acute now in Niagara Falls and in Niagara in general. The portion of Niagara Falls' population who are visible minorities, which by the government's definition doesn't even include Indigenous people, has gone up by 1/3 since the last census: it was 12.7% in 2016, and the 2021 census shows 16.5% for Niagara Falls. The portion of the Black population increased by over a third from 2.9% to 4.1%. The South Asian proportion has nearly doubled to 2.5% alone. We have Councillor Mona Patel, the first BIPOC Niagara Falls councillor I know of since Burr Plato, who was elected over 100 years ago, and the first female BIPOC city councillor here. We need even more time spent on anti-racism than before.

We in the municipalities of Niagara have been falling further behind actually on anti-racism while the rest of Canada and the world is marching ahead. There are specific lower-tier municipality anti-racism measures that other cities in Ontario have been doing that our residents are missing out on.

Merging the committees would obviously cut the time spent specifically on anti-racism and it would water down the work of the committee by mixing in people who don't have lived experience with racism. Please keep the committees separate as you originally decided to do when there was a proposal for just one diversity committee instead of a dedicated anti-racism advisory committee.

You can't do more with less, less time, no matter what the synergies are. This is going to be seen by the world as a step backwards when we need to be moving forwards.

St. Catharines welcomes holiday displays of all faiths at city hall (CHCH)

https://www.chch.com/st-catharines-welcomes-holiday-displays-of-all-faiths-at-city-hall/ 

By

 Alex Last

 -

November 10, 2022, 8:22 pm

St. Catharines city council voted on Monday to welcome other faith groups to set up their own holiday displays at city hall. The change passed by just one vote and councillors had a wide variety of opinions.

Saleh Waziruddin, the chair of St. Catharines anti-racism advisory told council that religious displays of any kind don’t belong at city hall. He says while the gesture feels inclusive, it really isn’t.

“What about all the other faith communities who don’t actually have the people to respond? And then you’ve got the agnostics and the atheists, how are you going to represent them?” Waziruddin said.

“We need to include every faith, every cultural organization and if that means that we’re going to have a display on city hall on 365 days a year, then that’s what it’s going to mean,” Coun. Robin McPherson said.

Long-time city councillor Joe Kushner says he feels good about the decision, “by approving this, it would be a very positive signal to the community.”

Waziruddin adds that this isn’t a war against Christmas and that he doesn’t protest the presence of a Christmas tree or lights since they aren’t tied to religious symbols.

CHCH TV (Hamilton) Coverage and Interview on St. Catharines (Re-)Installing Nativity Scene

 

Coverage by CHCH TV (Hamilton) about why having a nativity scene at the St. Catharines City Hall is not inclusive even if you add other religious displays, including Interview with myself as the City's Anti-Racism Advisory Committee chair

City hall nativity display set to return to St. Catharines despite concerns over ‘inclusiveness’ (Global News)

https://globalnews.ca/news/9267898/city-hall-nativity-display-to-return-st-catharines/ 

By Don Mitchell  Global News

Posted November 10, 2022 5:09 pm

View image in full screen

Picture of a Nativity Scene that was set in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini).

A nativity display that’s been a staple at city hall in St. Catharines, Ont., during the Christmas season since 1965 is set to make a return, despite some opposition from some locals suggesting it’s not inclusive.

On Monday city council voted 6 to 5 to resurrect the scene on the lawn of city hall following a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 over concerns it was not respectful of all faiths.

The push for its return was spearheaded by an address from a spokesperson from the Catholic Women’s League who said the nativity display represents “a universal symbol of peace, love and hope.”

“A very large percentage of our citizens expect to see the nativity publicly displayed at city hall,” Monique Finora told councillors.

“The nativity is much more than a decoration, it’s a declaration to love and help each other.”

Finora went on to submit the scene, depicting the birth of Jesus in a manger, doesn’t compromise diversity, inclusivity and equality but suggests those “values are celebrated.”

St. Andrew’s councillor Joe Kushner echoed those sentiments, suggesting the setup is no different than when flags representing various groups are raised throughout the year at city hall.

“We’re inviting other groups to participate at city hall, and to me, that is very positive and it would send a signal to the community, let’s celebrate our differences in order to understand one another better,” Kushner explained.

But Saleh Waziruddin, chair of the city’s anti-racism advisory committee, told councillors that city property shouldn’t have religious displays and suggested the nativity scene is not universal to all faiths.

“It may appeal even to a majority, but it does not appeal to all of us in the same way,” Waziruddin said.

Waziruddin says he received affirmation of his position during a social sustainability committee meeting which voted in favour of recommending council not bring the nativity scene back.

Waziruddin says he received affirmation of his position during a social sustainability committee meeting which voted in favour of recommending council not bring the nativity scene back.

“I don’t think it belongs at city hall,” Porter told Global News.

“We have three churches within a stone’s throw of our city hall, and it would have been much more appropriate to gift that nativity set to one of those churches.”

Porter says she’s also “outraged” the motion passed with an amendment from St. Patrick’s councillor Robin McPherson, proposing a 2023 draft budget consideration to bring on a staff position to manage the display.

“We have an under-resourced city hall and I believe that money would be more appropriate, and probably more inclusive if we … invested in a planning position for affordable housing,” Porter said.

Monday’s decision did include a stipulation to offer the same courtesy to other religious groups wishing to submit ideas for a city hall display.

Waziruddin suggests that’s not feasible since many states don’t have a tradition of having a display or diorama, nor the time and resources to come up with one.

“And how are you going to do one representing agnostics or atheists?” Waziruddin said.

Diwali, Hanukkah and Eid have seen recognition in the form of signs on the lawn of city hall in recent years but have since been nixed due to the holidays falling on differing dates year over year.

Interview on Good Morning Hamilton (CHML 900AM) About St. Catharines (Re-)Installing Nativity Scene

Myself as City of St. Catharines Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Chair and City Councillor Karrie Porter interviewed by Rick Zamperin, host of Good Morning Hamilton on CHML 900AM, about how having a nativity scene at City Hall is actually NOT inclusive despite trying ot make it look like it is.

NATIVITY SCENE WILL RETURN TO LAWN AT ST. CATHARINES CITY HALL (Newstalk 610CKTB)

https://www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/news/nativity-scene-will-return-to-lawn-at-st-catharines-city-hall-1.18764512

The nativity scene is returning to St. Catharines City Hall.

City council narrowly approved a plan to put the display back on the lawn once again.

Councillor Joe Kushner, "It would be a very positive signal to the community, positive because we are saying we are inclusive, we are including the nativity scene, we are inviting other  groups to participate at city hall.'

Council passed the motion last night that will bring the display back and extend the same offer to other religious groups.

Chair of the city’s anti-racism advisory committee Saleh Waziruddin, "The point is not all faith communities have the same resources as the majority or even the same tradition of dioramas and displays let alone agnostics and atheists. So, despite wording to accomplish inclusiveness we can't ignore the reality we live in where not all faith communities have equal privileges."
 
The nativity display had been removed from the city hall decorations for the past two years.

Nativity scene returning to St. Catharines city hall but not everyone sees it as ‘good tidings’ (St. Catharines Standard)

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/council/2022/11/07/nativity-scene-returning-to-st-catharines-city-hall-but-not-everyone-sees-it-as-good-tidings.html

Council narrowly passes motion to display manger scene in 6-5 vote

By Karena WalterStandard Reporter

Tue., Nov. 8, 2022timer5 min. read

St. Catharines will make room at city hall for Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph after an hour-long council debate about the Christmas display.

In a tight 6-5 vote, council voted for the nativity scene to be set up on the lawn of city hall and to extend the same courtesy to other religious groups.

The nativity scene was first displayed at city hall in 1965, but was not put up in 2020 and 2021 at the discretion of senior city staff in an attempt to be “respectful of all faiths.”

Monique Finora of the the Catholic Women’s League told council Monday night the nativity scene at city hall is an “integral part” of the city’s heritage.

“It’s our cultural tradition. The creche is a universal symbol of peace, love and hope,” she said.

“A very large percentage of our citizens expect to see the nativity publicly displayed at city hall.”

Finora said there are approximately 53,000 Roman Catholics in St. Catharines and many other Christian religions. Many run charity programs that the city depends on to help the less fortunate, such as the Out of the Cold program.

She said the nativity scene, which depicts the birth of Jesus in a manager with hay, is much more than a decoration. When citizens see it, they see a struggling family in need of shelter without basic necessities and many can relate, she said.

“Viewing the creche gives mothers, fathers and children hope for better days to come. It gives them encouragement and strength needed to get through these tough economic times,” she said.

“By publicly displaying the nativity, you, our representatives, are sending each one of them a much needed message of good tidings during this very special universal time.”

But Saleh Waziruddin, chair of the city’s anti-racism advisory committee, said the city shouldn’t have religious displays on public property, which he said is different from decorations like lights.

“The nativity scene is, in fact, not universal to all faiths. It may appeal even to a majority, but it does not appeal to all of us in the same way,” he said.

Although the motion before council said the same courtesy would be extended to other religious groups, Waziruddin said that will mean nothing and the result will be the same as before.

He said that line is “in reality a fig leaf which might make us feel like we’re being inclusive when actually we are not.”

“Only a few of the many faith communities in St. Catharines even have the institutions, organizations, resources and people to organize a public display. People in many communities have to even travel outside of our city for their basic religious services,” he said.

As well, Waziruddin said not all faith communities have a tradition of having displays and dioramas. “It would be, at best, an attempt to piggyback on the tradition of the majority faith community.”

He said there’s also no way to give residents who are agnostic or atheist equal access.

St. Andrew’s Coun. Joe Kushner, who made the motion, said city hall is an appropriate location for the same reason flag raisings for various groups are held there — it’s the political and symbolic centre of the city.

He said approving the motion would send a positive message because the city is saying it’s inclusive.

“We’re including the nativity scene. We’re inviting other groups to participate at city hall. And to me, that is very positive and it would send a signal to the community, let’s celebrate our differences in order to understand one another better.”

St. Geroge’s Coun. Sal Sorrento agreed.

“It’s been a tradition. I respect all other religions. I respect all people. So I am definitely in favour of this and I will definitely be supporting it.”

But St. Patrick’s Coun. Karrie Porter questioned if Jesus would be impressed with all the letters council received on the nativity topic, some from people who haven’t written to council about any other issue in four years.

“Jesus wouldn’t care about this issue. Jesus would care that Ontario works rates are $733 a month. Jesus would care and would probably want Christians to write letters about that.”

Merritton Coun. Greg Miller said it’s not a realistic expectation for the city to celebrate every religious holiday that currently exists and those that are yet to come — and not one city taxpayers should be backing.

And he said council has to remember that not everyone celebrates the nativity scene or believes in Jesus Christ.

“When you have to walk past Him to pay a parking ticket, I don’t think that gives you the feeling of inclusivity and the feeling of secularism that we are beholden to uphold as an organ of the state in Canada,” he said, adding it behooves council not to risk any charter challenges with the motion.

Merritton Coun. Lori Littleton said she doesn’t support any religious holidays being celebrated at city hall.

She said some people might feel ‘Christianity is under attack’ but she said it’s simply about city hall having nothing to do with religion. “We don’t pray here. That’s just the way it is.”

In 2015, city council stopped reading an invocation at the start of its meetings after the Supreme Court ruled that prayers cannot be recited before municipal council meetings.

St. Catharines did recognize other religious holidays at city hall for several years after a community task force struck after Sept. 11, 2001 recommended it. Signs saying Happy Diwali, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Eid were displayed behind the nativity scene, but the practice was eventually abandoned as the holidays fell at various times through the year.

Karena Walter is a St. Catharines-based reporter, primarily covering City Hall for the Standard. Reach her via email: karena.walter@niagaradailies.com

HOW THEY VOTED

That the nativity scene be displayed on the lawn of city hall and that the same courtesy be extended to other religious groups.

Yes: Joe Kushner, Matt Harris, Bill Phillips, Dawn Dodge, Kevin Townsend, Sal Sorrento

No: Lori Littleton, Robin McPherson, Greg Miller, Karrie Porter, Walter Sendzik

Absent: Carlos Garcia, Bruce Williamson

The motion passed Monday also included an amendment from St. Patrick’s Coun. Robin McPherson asking that the city include the creation of a staff position in the draft 2023 budget for consideration. The position would manage the purchase of displays, the installation and storage of the displays and engage faith and cultural communities in the city to ensure all are included.