Bowen Island Municipality is taking a step toward preparing a policy to address “diversity, inclusion, anti-racism and equity” following a letter to council from an islander.
Satjeet Pandher penned a letter last month asking that council put forward an action plan to address issues of anti-racism, inclusion and diversity and mandate unconscious bias training for all council members and possibly municipal staff. The letter came before council July 13.
“…We find ourselves at a time where statements and words alone are not sufficient enough,” said Pandher in the letter, referring to Mayor Gary Ander’s statement against racism last month. “Action is required by all of us. We all need to learn, grow, and be our best possible community members for Bowen Island and the greater planet we all live on.
“It is particularly incumbent upon leaders of our community (Mayor and Council) to take action and set an example of some simple steps we can all take for the betterment of Bowen Island.”
Pandher also pointed to a CBC story about Metro Vancouver municipalities’ anti-racism efforts that noted that while Bowen has dozens of committees, not one is dedicated to diversity issues.
“We don’t have anything to address these issues in the municipality,” said Mayor Gary Ander at the council meeting. Ander noted that there is an urgency to putting something into place.
“I think it’s a great time to look at developing such a policy,” said BIM chief administrative officer Liam Edwards, adding that he supports the initiative wholeheartedly and that the other organizations he’s worked for have had such policies. “I think that a lot of these guiding principles are likely in practice but it’s great to have it more formalized and something we can point to.”
Coun. David Hocking, Bowen’s Metro Vancouver representative, told council that the regional district is also coming forward with forums and workshops on matters such as institutional racism.
Beyond unanimously requesting a policy, council also directed staff to “recommend specific next step actions to respond to the renewed sense of urgency to address systemic racism.”
Pandher said that he was driven to write the letter in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. “Just seeing that take place and then the aftermath in terms of seeing all the people marching and protesting and the energy around that––it definitely captivated myself,” said Pandher (who is a person of colour). “It made me, for the first time in a long time, maybe several years, reflect on my experiences of racism that I faced growing up.”
But it was also a consideration of home that prompted Pandher to reach out to the municipality.
Pandher’s wife runs a bed and breakfast on Bowen and about a month ago, when a lot of the protests were happening, one of the guests asked where Pandher was from.
“As a person of color and a person with a name that’s not necessarily common…I’ve had that question as many, many times,” he said. “I think many people who get asked that question stumble with it the same way because you’re not sure how that person wants you to answer.
“Are they asking where I am right now? where I grew up? Where my ancestors are from?”
The guest pushed the question to the point where Pandher started to wonder the person’s intention. “‘I just get the feeling you’re not you’re not from here,’ I think is what she said,” relayed Pandher. “I politely said no, ‘Canadian––born and raised in Canada.’”
“This was really the catalyst for me,” said Pandher. “I was really like, ‘Whoa, okay. What is it about that question that sets me off?’ Because I was quite a quite upset about it.”
“I’m a first generation Canadian, who has, unfortunately been made to feel not at home, not Canadian,” he said. “I’ve been back to ancestral lands. I am not that, as much as I love it there.”
“So then the question really becomes…what is home and why am I operating from a negative space, right from the get go, when it comes to where’s home? Where are you from?”
And today, Pandher is from Bowen Island, “That’s where I’m at right now. So what can I do right now?”
As a big proponent of local governance and as someone who’s had recent dealings with the municipality (the Nectar Yoga rezoning), Pandher recognized the muni as a conduit, a filter, of what happens on the island (“In a good way,” he added).
“I think a lot of people were saying, ‘Okay, what can I do?’” He said. “A lot of people did different things.”
Pandher wrote a letter.
“I’m really grateful that council has responded the way they have in terms of taking the time to put it on the agenda and discuss it in a meaningful way,” said Pandher. “It seems like they understand that the response to this, or whatever the next step is, should be made mindfully.
“It’s not just a checkbox.”
“I think that having the conversation the way that council did is great,” said Pandher. “It’s a great start.”
