Build back a city that works for everyone
Pre-pandemic success masked the inequities entrenched in society
Toronto’s remarkable ascent in the 2010s was unprecedented. By the end of 2019, the city was riding high, attracting worldwide attention for its high quality of life, the strength and balance of its economy, and its successful embrace of social diversity. The construction cranes that populated our skyline were tangible proof that Toronto was one of the 21st century’s cities to watch.
But our success masked an uncomfortable truth: longstanding, entrenched structural inequities excluded many communities from participating fairly in Toronto’s growing prosperity and left their members more vulnerable to the pandemic.
The numbers bear this out. At the end of February 2021, households with incomes under $29,000 represented 34.9 per cent of COVID hospitalizations in Toronto, compared to just 4.3 per cent for those with annual incomes above $150,000. Residents who are Black, Latin American, Middle Eastern or West Asian accounted for 75 per cent of all COVID-19 cases. At one point last year, the city’s most racialized communities had 10 times more cases per capita than did the least racialized parts of the city.
COVID-19 ripped holes in Toronto’s veneer of success. The pandemic acted as a trend accelerator that uncovered the severity of our structural challenges: chronic inequity, poverty, climate change and systemic racism, among others. It revealed that while we were quick to celebrate our march toward a socially diverse future, we were slow in removing the discriminatory, systemic roadblocks holding back predominately BIPOC communities from sharing fairly in the city’s prosperity.
If certain communities did not share fairly in the bounty created by Toronto’s economic growth before COVID-19 attacked, the gap has only widened since. The communities most vulnerable during the pandemic are also the most likely to be left behind as we recover.
We were pleased to serve as members of the Economic and Culture Recovery Advisory Group, formed in June 2020 by co-chairs Michael Thompson and Blake Goldring to develop a long-term strategy to build back stronger from the pandemic. All of us were united in the belief that while the pandemic has magnified the entrenched inequalities in our society, recovering from it has opened an unprecedented window of opportunity to address them. We believe the five recommendations that follow represent necessary steps toward improving equity and inclusion, not only within Toronto’s economic and cultural realms, but in all aspects of city life. á Invest in enterprises led by BIPOC and equity-deserving groups. To build an inclusive and better balanced economic environment, the city should pursue a program of community investments to promote the growth and sustainability of business and cultural enterprises led by Black, Indigenous and other equity-deserving groups.
For example, Toronto has partnered with the Slaight Family Foundation and Advance, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, to support the advancement of Black professionals to executive roles in Toronto’s music industry. In conjunction with DMZ’s Black Innovation Program and the Black Business and Professional Association, the city is also providing 25 Starter Company Plus grants of up to $2,500 to Black retail entrepreneurs and small businesses. This support, along with training mentorship and advisory services, will help recipients take their businesses to a new level.
á Improve access to technology and capital for BIPOCled enterprises. It is crucial that the city use its convening power to gather and deploy resources to assist non-profits and businesses led by Black, Indigenous and other racialized people. To achieve this, the city can leverage its partnerships with incubators and accelerators to increase their support for BIPOC enterprises, drive improved broadband access in underserved communities and enhance its business advisory services to address needs unique to BIPOC entrepreneurs.
á Collaborate on initiatives led by Indigenous partners. Toronto is home to one of the largest populations of First Nations, Métis and Inuit in Canada as well as a growing population of Indigenous peoples from across the globe. Systemic changes are needed to support the appreciation and advancement of these communities, and the city must commit to building and nurturing active partnerships with all of them. An example of this is the city’s partnership with local Indigenous communities to develop a new 22,000-square-foot, downtown Indigenous Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The first of its kind in Ontario, the centre will be one of a handful of incubators in Canada dedicated to Indigenous empowerment and business development. Change can best be driven by Indigenousled, collaborative initiatives supported by the city’s financial and staff resources. The city’s key objectives should be to create more equitable workplaces and increase Indigenous representation in the workforce across all sectors. A good starting point would be to reinforce the capacities of the Indigenous-led organizations that have proved irreplaceable during the COVID-19 pandemic. á Collaborate with employers and community partners to break down the barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities. The city can lead the way by encouraging employers to maintain pandemic-era measures that increased access to work. These measures include providing work-from-home options and enhanced digital access, backed by an ongoing commitment to engage people with disabilities in the development of economic support programs. á Recognize child care as a cornerstone of gender-inclusive economic recovery. As the fight against the pandemic continues, it is essential to support Toronto families with access to safe, high quality child care options. We encourage the city to work with the provincial and federal governments to develop a child care plan focused on access, affordability, quality and inclusion. For its part, the city can reduce the burden on families by increasing the accessibility of quality child care, providing funding and resources for local agencies to deliver programs, and helping individual communities plan and develop services tailored to their unique needs.
The advisory group recognizes that if the city acts alone it will not resolve the sweeping, long-standing and underlying inequities that limit its potential. Moving the needle will require the active participation of equity-deserving communities, the private and non-profit sectors, and other orders of government. Building back stronger will take substantial effort and extensive collaboration, but it is Toronto’s only way to realize its full potential is as a welcoming city that is fully committed to inclusion and offers pathways to success for all.
Members of the Economic and Culture Recovery Advisory Group participated in their persona capacities. Affiliations are for identification only.