Women have finally broken the barrier to professional hockey and there are many groups that are being held back, which the City wants changed.
Stemming from complaints, members of the City’s eight Arena Boards will have to undergo training on human rights, equity and diversity to better serve diverse communities.
A motion is before City Council to direct the board members to undergo annual training “to ensure the boards effectively serve diverse communities and foster inclusivity and equity.”
The training stems from some community groups who claim they have a hard time booking reservations for arenas and public venues.
The members will have to undergo training in human rights, Indigenous awareness, combating anti-Black racism, code of conduct for members of local boards and public appointments policy.
City Council is expected to approve the diversity and equity training for eight arena board members following complaints from the community.
The City said the training if approved will begin in July and involve the Chief People Officer, People and Equity and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, who will work with Arena Board Chairs.
“This motion seeks to establish mandatory human rights, equity and diversity training for all board members of City of Toronto Arena Boards,” according to City council. “This training aligns with the City’s guidelines, covering crucial topics like Introduction to Indigenous Learning, human rights responsibilities, and combating anti-Black racism.”
Council said the aim is to ensure board members possess the knowledge to effectively serve diverse communities, fostering inclusivity, equity, and improved governance within recreational facilities.
A motion to Council states that arenas should be open and provide opportunities to all groups.
The motion said an orientation on City policies should be provided to newly appointed and returning arena board members outlining their duties and expectations while highlighting behaviours that can result in removal from the board.
“Given the pressing need to address systemic issues of inequity and discrimination within our communities, there is an urgent call to implement mandatory equity, diversity and inclusion training for all City Arena Board members,” according to the motion.
The board-run arenas provide indoor ice sport facilities and other recreational spaces such as community rooms and banquet halls. Programs include hockey and figure skating and leisure skating.
Some arenas also offer dry floor rentals, example floor hockey, in the summer. These services are complemented by snack bars, pro-shops, and meeting rooms rentals at some locations.
Council warns its time that women and minority groups stop from being excluded from arena sports.
There are about 50 Toronto arenas operated and managed by Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division and eight operated by volunteer Arena Boards of Management.
Arena Boards were established between the 1950s to 1970s by the former Toronto City Council and the former Borough of East York Council to engage local communities in decision-making for managing these facilities.
They ensure arenas are safe, well-maintained and accessible for use by the local community, neighbourhood organizations and others. They also allocate the use of the arena facility in a way that balances the needs of the local community residents, organizations and user groups.