This serves as a notice of completion and a thank you, from our team at ReiDefine Consultancy, for your participation in the creation of the York District School Board’s Dismantling Hate and Oppression Framework.

As we communicated previously, this work is in alignment with the Board’s Multi-year Strategic Plan and the Director’s Action plan with the goal of championing equity and inclusivity for all, and to specifically address the gruesome prevalence of all forms of racism, hate and discrimination within the region.

Our findings have been synthesized and the report of these findings, along with recommendations for the school district, has been delivered to the Board for the next step in the process of dismantling hate, oppression, and discrimination within the Board.

It is with heartfelt gratitude that we extend our most profound appreciation to the diverse and dedicated individuals, teams, and organizations within the York Region community whose invaluable contributions have shaped the content and insights presented in this report. These include the over 1000 staff, students, family members and community partners who generously gave their time and energy to share their stories and contribute to a greater understanding of the issues addressed in this report. Your bravery in sharing your stories, and your unwavering drive along the journey to dismantling hate, oppression, and discrimination have been instrumental in the development of this framework. We honour your resilience.

We have made every effort to be collaborative and inclusive throughout our work and were intentional in fairly and accurately reflecting the perspectives of all participants. With the main aim of amplifying all voices who are impacted by hate, oppression and discrimination, we hope the framework reflects the sentiments shared with us, and that the framework is a resourceful tool to the school board’s efforts in achieving equitable and inclusive school environment for all.

The report serves as a testament to the collective efforts of all those who have contributed. We recognize that it is a product of the commitment and passion of a community that, despite the vast diversity within its ranks, remains united in its pursuit of a better, more equitable school district. We are grateful to have been able to support the ongoing work of dismantling hate, oppression, and discrimination. Additionally, we are grateful for the spirit of solidarity that has made this report possible, as we all continue to strive for positive change, informed by the experiences and voices of those most affected by injustice, inequity, and power imbalances.

This is the first step on the road to meaningful change, and we thank you all: staff, students, family members, volunteers, and community partners who live, work, attend school or engage with the School Board (currently or in the past) for providing your feedback, time, energy, and effort while being part of this process.

We look forward to the Board’s next steps in the publishing of the report and the implementation of the recommendations as informed by the community.