Despite all the rhetoric being disseminated by highly paid consultants from other campaigns, respected leaders of prominent African Canadian organizations openly support the re-election of Patrick Brown for Mayor.
.
(Photo: African Canadian Leaders L to R: Odoi Yemoh, Ephraim Mwaura and Ojie Eghobor)
October 18, 2022
A broad consortium of leading African-Canadian organizations, including the Ghanian Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Nigerian Canadian Association, and the Kenyan Canadian Association, are endorsing Patrick Brown’s re-election as Mayor of Brampton.
Odoi Yemoh of the Ghanian COC states that “I have known Patrick Brown for over 5 years. As Mayor, he has a record of running the City of Brampton effectively and efficiently putting the needs of taxpayers first. Especially in these tough economic times we need a Mayor who can fight for taxpayers.”
The City of Brampton is committed to eradicating systemic Anti-Black racism in Brampton in collaboration with internal stakeholders and local community stakeholders and to uplift the social, cultural and economic position of Brampton’s Black community.
In December 2020, Brampton City Council directed staff to create an Equity Office at the City in alignment with the Term Council Priority: Brampton is a Mosaic.
Brampton is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Canada – a mosaic made up of 234 cultures and 115 different languages. The municipality is committed to creating an environment of equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism with the government and the community.
Thereafter. in September 2021 the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI), and Anti-racism (AR) Office (now known as the Equity Office) was established.
The Equity Office’s city-wide equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism plan includes:
• Growing a diverse workforce reflective of the community the City of Brampton serves;
• Fostering a more inclusive environment where individuals say, stay, and strive;
• Developing awareness and ability of all employees for diversity and inclusion to thrive; and
• Celebrating the uniqueness and shared successes by upholding the City’s values of trust, integrity, courage and compassion
Since then, the City has worked hard to recruit a more diverse workforce, and has focused on information sessions dedicated to the Black Community, including virtual career information sessions with the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.
Ephraim Mwaura of the Kenyan Canadian Association, and President of Heart Lake Run, explained that his organization is “proud to endorse Patrick Brown for re-election as Mayor of Brampton. Patrick has been consistent and his dedication to engagement and equity has opened doors for members of our community and other communities as well.”
The City has also created a dedicated FDI Coordinator, Africa & Caribbean Markets role within the Economic Development Department – a role that will develop and implement a plan to attract inward investment to Brampton from the Africa and Caribbean markets, in order to meet the City’s strategic vision to be a world class city of opportunity.
This position was created during this Term of Council under Mayor Brown’s leadership, and the Nigerian Canadian Association’s Ojie Eghobor says “Patrick Brown’s push to create an African and Caribbean Foreign direct investment desk (the first in Canada) is commendable. All of Brampton will benefit from trade and investment with a continent of 1.4 billion people. I am proud to support and endorse Mayor Brown.”
