Following a public call for volunteers to serve on the City of Fredericton’s new Social Inclusion Committee, City Council has appointed 20 individuals to the committee.
The committee members will now meet to elect a chair and establish their terms of reference. The group will be tasked with helping to create a community where everyone feels a deep sense of belonging. Ultimately, they will work to develop Fredericton’s first Social Inclusion Plan.
Committee members will serve a two-year term, commencing January 1, 2023 and running until December 31, 2024. They include:
- Tosin Ajibola
- Gül Çalışkan
- Bronwyn Davies
- Ginette Gautreau
- Daneka C.Headley
- Nadia Ivanko
- Jeanne Duquette
- Sandi MacKinnon
- Tanya McBride
- Silvia R. Moreno
- Hanin Omar
- Simon Ouellette
- Shelley D. Petit
- Katelyn Plant
- Edward Robak
- Charlene Shannon-McCallum
- Abhilash Sharma
- Julia Stewart
- Debbie Thomas
- Annick Betancourt
The establishment of such a committee is part of the City’s commitment as a signatory to the UNESCO Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities. It follows a public survey on Engage Fredericton and stakeholder consultation in June and July of this year.
The feedback received indicates that the community wants the committee to be a space where regular citizens can share information with City Council and consider community requests on matters relating to social inclusion.
“Since we joined the Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities and created our Office of Community Inclusion back in August 2021, we have developed the necessary relationships, knowledge, and institutional confidence to ensure that the Social Inclusion Committee will be grounded on a solid foundation,” said Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers.
“Ultimately, in the spirit of social inclusion and endeavouring to ensure that we reflect the full diversity of our community, a relatively large committee has been established. The members reflect multiple diverse perspectives in our community, and they come with a wide range of skills, experiences, and authentic commitment to building a better community.”