EDITORIAL – Why joining an ‘inclusive city’ club is a necessary step

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

SO KAMLOOPS IS NOW an inclusive city. We know this because the mayor signed a proclamation saying so.

We’ve joined the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’S Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities.
When I saw the City’s statement on it, my first thought was, “With all the programs and committees in Kamloops that promote equality, do we need to join a club?”

And when I read Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s words on the news release, they sounded to me more like something the City Hall PR department would write than how the mayor speaks, and maybe I was right. Here’s the quote, and I’ll provide it in its entirety:

“Kamloops has welcomed a wealth of new immigrants in a short amount of time, adding to the richness and diversity of our community. Growing pains are natural, which makes work to address racism and discrimination both timely and important. It’s why Council’s new strategic plan focuses on reducing barriers for underrepresented groups. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can learn from other members of this coalition and hope to bring more awareness to some of the great work already being done in Kamloops.”

Here’s how it works with government news releases. The PR scribes churn out a proposed release, complete with quotes from the appropriate politicians. Then, said quotes are sent over to said politicians for approval.

Sometimes the self-plaudits are overdone. Minor initiatives can be made to sound like game changers. But then I started thinking about that quote.

We really are a rich and diverse community that’s been working against racism and discrimination. But, as the saying goes, there’s more work to do. Just look at some of the stuff that goes on — right here in River City — based on skin colour, age, sexual orientation or religion.

Joining a forum that exchanges ideas on better ways to do things is, upon reflection, a good, maybe even necessary, thing to do. Like the mayor said.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.