At the very core of Blooming Boulevards is a drive to foster a connection between nature and humans by way of native plant habitat creation that is accessible to as many Mississauga residents as possible. The vision is that together, we can contribute to a larger resilient, biodiverse ecosystem. For us, inclusivity stems from engagement, education, and collaboration. We work in keeping with our own code of conducts and policies, as well as existing legislation related to human rights such as the Ontario Human Rights Code.

 

We acknowledge that inclusivity in Mississauga thus far has not historically typically included the original stewards who have been in this region since time immemorial. In particular we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples; the land that is home to the Métis; and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We believe that at the very least, it is our responsibility to learn more about how our work intersects with the historical and ongoing relationship that these communities have with native plants and in general, this region we occupy. Consequently, the next step is to act upon what we learn so that we create a space where relationships for all people can be rekindled with this land to instill greater respect and gratitude. As an organization, we plan to learn ways to ethically engage in conversation and collaboration with these nations so that we can cultivate reciprocal relationships with each other and the land.

 

The City of Mississauga is home to many peoples and is one of the most diverse cities in Canada with individuals belonging to equity-seeking groups** (Statistics Canada 2021 Census, LINK).  Additionally, the population of Mississauga is forecasted to rise to close to 1 million by 2051 (LINK) and immigration is forecast to be one of the major drivers of this growth (LINK). As such, it is and will be our responsibility to ensure Blooming Boulevards continues to evolve while also being steadfast in our vision to work towards a larger resilient, biodiverse ecosystem that includes individuals from all walks of life.  

 

Since its inception in 2019, Blooming Boulevards has strived to be accessible and inclusive wherever possible. As we build more capacity within the organization we plan to initiate and maintain engagement with the local First Nations and Métis communities. It is our goal to have a board of directors whose demographics reflect the diversity of our city. We have been able to increase access to our programming, connecting neighbourhoods to nature. For example:

•  Hosting workshops with in-built accommodations to ensure that individuals with different abilities have at least an equivalent experience of the event. This includes accounting for factors like age, gender, physical and mental abilities, mobility, possible sight, speech, or hearing impairments, etc. 

•  Creating programming for native plant gardens beyond the typical characterization of a residential garden to better accommodate diverse household set-ups (container gardens in apartments and raised beds in condos, as well as in-ground gardens.).

•  Highlighting different ways to connect with accessible public lands through community-led projects (creating habitat gardens in Spruce Park and Victory Park, and adding pollinator plants to community vegetable gardens through collaborations with other organizations like Ecosource).

•  Partnering with schools, churches, local groups, and organizations who have connections to communities beyond our typical supporter base.

 

Blooming Boulevard’s vision is to do more and find ways to creatively adapt our work to support the wellbeing of all living things. Moving forward, we will draw from four principles as we plan a more equitable and inclusive approach to our work:

•  Learning: educating ourselves on ways we can build and foster relationships with our native plants through different ways e.g. Indigenous names and stories, cultural stories and connections).

•  Reflecting: examining how our board diversity can lead to more meaningful outreach and engagement with different communities as well as rigorous consideration of new partnership or funding opportunities to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion.

•  Doing: continuing to find and implement ways to make our programming and outreach more accessible to individuals with different abilities and resources.

•  Assessing: regularly evaluating actions and priorities with an open mind and critical reflection at the individual and organization level (i.e. seeking to identify gaps, missteps and appropriate adjustments and improvements).

 

Through implementing an action plan based on our EDI policy, we continue to actively achieve our strategic plan objectives while envisioning a city with a resilient, biodiverse ecosystem that fosters community engagement through meaningful interactions with nature.