April 2014
Volume 6
Our Commitment
to Diversity
O
n behalf of the staff members of the Diversity and Community Engagement (DACE) Plan
implementation team, I pleased to report some of the activities that have been undertaken
since the fall of 2013, to meet the objectives of the Plan.
Donna Bright, Chief Librarian and Executive Officer - Ajax Public Library
Chair - DACE Plan Staff Implementation Committee
Social Infrastructure Fund
The 2013 Social Infrastructure Fund provided community organizations and neighbourhoods with an
opportunity to create impactful programs, services, and events that would otherwise not have been
accomplished due to financial constraints. The Fund took a novel community development approach
which incubated progressive, innovative, and sustainable solutions for community organizations and
neighbourhoods. The Social Infrastructure Fund investments have cultivated collaboration amongst
community organizations and neighbours. Through these projects the Town has begun to identify,
address, and bridge current gaps in programs/services. These projects have also provided the Town with
tools that foster sustainable project legacies. In 2013, the following four (4) community organization
projects and two (2) neighbourhood-based events were successful in receiving funding:
• Community Development Council Durham (Ajax Immigrant Engagement Summit)
• Durham Regional Police Service (Community Safety Day)
• PFLAG of Durham (Community Open House)
• Girls Inc. of Durham Region (Mind + Body Leadership Initiative)
• Hermitage Park Neighbourhood (Social Networking & Neighbourhood Watch Building Event)
• Audley Neighbourhood (Community Social & Neighbourhood Watch Training)
The 2014 Social Infrastructure Fund has been released and we look forward to reviewing this year’s
applications!
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Partnerships & Programs
Ajax Public Library - Activities and Accomplishments
Get REAL: is a university student-driven initiative aimed at eliminating homophobia in creative and
dynamic ways.
The Library recently facilitated a Get REAL presentation that was targeted to local high school students.
A focus of the presentation was the development of strategies to help the younger students stand up
against homophobia.
Welcome Centre Outreach: Library staff regularly visit the Ajax Welcome Centre to provide library
orientation to participants in English as a Second Language classes. During a recent visit students
were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Library’s catalogue is capable of translating some of the
text from English to other languages. This service helps the Library’s customers find materials in their
language of choice.
Facilitating Access: In order to improve access to the Library’s collections of interest to customers
with visual disabilities, staff are revising the font size and type on the labels of the CNIB Audio Book
Collection, the regular audio book collection and on the large print collections, using CNIB guidelines.
Services for Older Adults: Library staff, accompanied by members of the Library’s Older Adult Advisory
Committee, Boomers and Beyond, made a recent presentation at the Friendship Centre. The presentation
emphasized the library’s programs and services likely of interest to older adults. Staff spoke about the
Books On Wheels service, downloadable ebooks, Bibliocommons, book clubs, the large print collections,
local history/genealogy services, and programs organized by the Boomers and Beyond, such as Headline
Hunters and Armchair Travel.
Capitalizing on CapABILITIES: Staff attended an interesting conference, hosted by the Durham Region
Employment Network, (DREN) called Capitalizing on CapABILITIES. It was billed as “the region’s
first business conference on accessibility.” The agenda included speakers who addressed such topics
as: Breaking Down Barriers - Mental Health; Employer Experiences & Workplace Accommodations;
Supporting Persons with Disabilities for Employment; Recognizing Abilities; Accommodating Persons
With Hearing Loss; and, Employment Services.
Staff were pleased to attend the following celebrations: a Chinese New Year event hosted by the
Durham Chinese Canadian Cultural Centre; Thai Pongal Festival celebrations hosted by the Tamil Cultural
and Academic Society of Durham, and, by the Durham Tamil Association; and, a Tamil Heritage Month
celebration hosted by The Fine Arts Academy of Durham in the Library’s Main Branch.
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Communications & Outreach
Council Continues to Support our Diverse Community
Council continues to acknowledge the effort and commitment of organizations and individuals. Council
recognizes national and independence days; art, community and cultural events and celebrations;
charitable fundraising/public awareness campaigns; and civic events through formal, public declarations.
The following proclamations were acknowledged from November 2013 to April 2014:
November 2013
February 2014
• Unity in Diversity Week
• Trans Day of Remembrance
December 2013
• United Nations Human Rights Day
• Black History Month
March 2014
• International Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination
April 2014
January 2014
• Tamil Heritage Month
• World Autism Awareness Day
Tamil Heritage Month Celebration at the Ajax Public Library
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Communications & Outreach - Cont’d
Accessibility in Action!
On November 13, 2013, the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) was invited to take part in an Ajax
Business Network Meeting, at which time Pan Am 2015 was introduced to the local business community.
The AAC jumped at the chance to connect with the Ajax Business Network and launch its new informational
flyer and display on why Accessibility Makes Good Business ¢ent$.
Accessibility Advisory Committee Accessibility for Business Information Display
at the November 13, 2013 Ajax Business Network Meeting
The 2013 Accessibility in Action Plan Status Report was approved by Council in late November 2013. When
the Plan was created in 2012, over 30 compliance objectives were identified for implementation. This year
alone, 25 of those objectives were initiated or progressed. Through the staff planning and forecasting
process,10 additional action items were identified to be implemented over the Plan’s five-year time frame.
A secondary component related to the Ajax Accessibility in Action Plan is the requirement of accessibility
reporting to the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario. This reporting allows the province to monitor the compliance
of broad public sector organizations with requirements prescribed through accessibility legislation timelines.
Find out how Ajax makes the grade for accessibility in our 2013 Provincial Accessibility Compliance Report!
Ajax Fire Services Co-Op Program
The Ajax Fire Services is committed to helping young students make good decisions about a potential
career as a firefighter. Fire Services is actively engaged with providing local high school students the
chance to undertake co-op placements with Fire Services.
Three students recently completed five month placements where they shadowed the professionals
and undertook many of the tasks of the job, including training and riding out to emergency calls.
Fire Services encourages students with exceptional needs to also apply for a placement.
Accommodations can be made to ensure that most students are able to participate.
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Achievements
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Manohar Singh, Owner of The Mount Everest Restaurant
Twenty six years ago Manohar Singh made the decision to leave his native land of India, for Canada, in
search of a better life. Manohar endured many struggles growing up. As the eldest of three siblings,
he became a child labourer at the early age of 13 after his father passed away and he had to provide
for his family. In 1988, he immigrated to Canada as a Master Chef and worked in the restaurant
business to make a living.
In 1998, he moved his family to Ajax and opened The Mount Everest Restaurant in its current location,
in Pickering Village…and he has never looked back. As a result of hard work, long hours and a delicious
menu where everything is made from scratch, Mount Everest’s popularity has grown rapidly over the
years. One of the turning points for his business, he says, was taking part in the annual “Taste of Ajax”
event at the waterfront in its 2006 inaugural year. It was here, that many Ajax residents were able to
sample his delicious Indian cuisine. After that many were hooked and have become loyal customers.
“Ajax is the best community to live and grow a business”, he says, noting that the Town has always
provided great support and opportunities to take part in Economic Development initiatives like “Taste
of Ajax”, “Savour the Season” and “The Welcome Cyclists Network”, which have enabled him to
promote his business and gain new customers.
The recognition that Mount Everest has received for their exquisite cuisine is remarkable. The
restaurant has received the News Advertiser Readers Choice Award for 17 consecutive years; it has
been named the “Best Restaurant” by the Durham Business Times and Durham Parents Board; it has
received a 5-star rating from both Toronto by Night and Ottawa by Night; and most recently, was the
first restaurant in Canada to win a Business Excellence Award from the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade.
Manohar’s story is inspiring although he has had his
share of difficulties. “The hardest part of coming
to Canada was adjusting to the very different
culture”, he says. However, with dedication and
determination he has prospered. When asked
about the keys to his success, his answer is “Hard
work, a positive attitude, and creating long lasting
relationships and partnerships in your community”.
Be sure to visit Mount Everest Restaurant at 611
Kingston Road, in the heart of Pickering Village.
Or, sample the five star menu at “Taste of Ajax “
at the waterfront which takes place annually in
August.
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Ajax Staff - A Diverse World Amongst Us
Sonia Courtney
Switchboard / Parking Associate
Department - Legislative & Information Services
Born - St. David’s, Grenada
Arrived in Canada - 1971
Sonia arrived in Montreal at the age of 9 because her single mother had two sisters living there. Sonia
lived briefly in New York City and Toronto before moving to Calgary at age 17, where she studied
dietary technology. She moved to Toronto in 2000 and Ajax in 2004, and has worked with the Town
since 2006 and full-time in LIS since 2009.
The Town Hall’s single person switchboard received over 33,000 calls in 2013, with an outstanding 85%
service level being achieved. Sonia’s charisma and vast knowledge of Town staff and services make this
mostly invisible ambassador one of the Town’s greatest assets.
Sonia has two children and two grandsons.
Jack Mamo
Chief Building Official
Department - Planning & Development Services
Born - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Arrived in Canada - 1985
Married with 4 children, communist turmoil prevented Jack
from returning to his family following an out-of-country work
assignment. Jack was granted “international refugee” status
and came to Canada “with absolutely nothing” in 1985. He
soon found work as a labourer in residential housing projects and became a building inspector with
the Town in 1989. The early 1990s recession caused Jack to be laid off, but his diligence resulted in a
new position of pool operator in time for the McLean Community Centre opening in 1994.
In 2000, after 16 years apart, Jack was finally able to bring his family to Canada, and has since added
two more children.
As Ajax continued to grow, Jack has advanced through positions with Building Maintenance, again as
a Building Inspector, and as the Chief Building Official since 2007. The Town has issued and inspected
permits for nearly $2 billion in building value since 2007.
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