Each month, the Community Navigators put together and share a list of programs and services in Chatham-Kent available to support people's wellbeing.

We share this document each month under 'Community Resources' on this website. Find January 2024 edition on the DEIJ Employee Portal.

On February 10th, the first ever Black Excellent Awards and Fala will be held at Retro Suites in Chatham.

The event, held during Black History Month, will honour the outstanding accomplishments of Black community members and celebrate local Black communities.

Gala tickets are $100 each and can be purchased through Event Brite.

Nominations for the awards are open until January 10th and can be made through the Google Doc form.

The Pride at Work group has some tips to share about how to practice allyship during holidays. See the infographic below for ideas.

Comments or questions about the tips or Pride at Work? Contact Lisa Powers lisap@chatham-kent.ca

Click on the image above to download the January calendar of dates important to communities in Chatham-Kent. Click on the text in the calendar to learn more about each date. The calendar can also be found under the 'Resources' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

If you are printing the calendar, please print on Legal size paper.

If you are sharing with partners, please use our external website version.

Please contact us if you notice dates missing or errors DEIJ@chatham-kent.ca or x. 2447

Outlook Calendar

Did you know you can access a DEIJ calendar through Outlook? See and learn about important dates to communities in CK with the click of a button.

To get access to the calendar, email DEIJ@chatham-kent.ca or call x. 2447

How to Use the DEIJ Calendar

Along with many other important days, in the middle of January, there are a number of harvest-related festivals honoured across India. The names, celebrations, and traditions vary by region. In addition, people who practice Sikhism will honour the 10th Guru on the 17th. And people who are Mahayana Buddhists will honour the New Year on the 25th day of the Gregorian calendar.

Use this calendar to inform programming, scheduling, and to better understand colleagues and communities we serve. For example:

• Avoid scheduling events (for staff or community) on days important to communities in CK to ensure everyone can participate and show respect for each other.
• Supervisors: People may ask for time off in honour of some of these dates. Employers have a duty to accommodate employee's creed to the point of undue hardship, including providing time off for religious holidays. Learn more from the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
• Outside of these holidays, people may have regular prayer or reflection practices that we can work to support. For example, Friday afternoons are a significant time of prayer for some people of Muslim faith.

We encourage you to get to know your team - find out what days and holidays are important to each other, if and how these days should be acknowledged.

Community Events:

Find information about some of the events to honour important days in our community in the 'Engage' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

Click on the image above to download the December 2023 calendar of dates significant to communities in Chatham-Kent. Click on the text in the calendar to learn more about each date. The calendar can also be found under the 'Resources' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

If you are printing the calendar, please print on Legal size paper.

Please contact us if you notice dates missing or errors deij@chatham-kent.ca or x. 2447

Planning a Holiday Event?

Check out our Inclusive Holiday Celebrations resource for suggestions about how to be inclusive while celebrating.

People celebrate holidays that are important to them throughout the year, not just in December. Get to know your team, colleagues, and community. Learn about holidays important to them, and how you can acknowledge these, as well.

How to Use the DEIJ Calendar

• Use this calendar to inform programming, scheduling, and to better understand colleagues and communities we serve.
• To ensure everyone can participate and show respect for each other, avoid scheduling events (for staff or community) on days of significance.
• Some holidays involve fasting from certain foods or more prayer - keep this in mind if you are scheduling a meeting or event.
• Supervisors: People may ask for time off in honour of some of these dates. Employers have a duty to accommodate employee's creed to the point of undue hardship, including providing time off for religious holidays. Learn more from the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
• Get to know your team all-year long - find out what days and holidays are important to each other.

Community Events:

Find information about some of the community events to honour days of observance in the 'Engage' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

Note: We are looking for colleagues who would like to share their New Year traditions and customs. Please contact Rebecca if you are interested!

New Year is a time to honour the past and celebrate new beginnings. While many of us celebrate the new year on January 1st, many also recognize different dates. On December 13th, we invite you to share your own traditions and learn about diversity in New Year celebrations with colleagues.

All Municipal employees welcome.

Wednesday, December 13th, 12:15-1:00PM

PABC 224 or Teams (Hybrid)

Light refreshments will be provided. Feel free to bring your lunch.

For questions or to register, please contact Rebecca Haskell-Thomas, Coordinator, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice DEIJ@chatham-kent.ca or x. 2447.

Several colleagues have reached out asking about how to be inclusive during the holidays. Thank you for helping to create an inclusive environment where we're curious about one another and support everyone's participation!

We have created a resource with ideas, suggestions, and tips. Click on the link below to see and download the resource.

We'd love to hear your ideas, too. Please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!

Click on the image above to download the November 2023 calendar of dates significant to communities in Chatham-Kent. Click on the text in the calendar to learn more about each date. The calendar can also be found under the 'Resources' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

Thank you for your feedback on the new format. We've made some changes in response.

If you are printing the calendar, please print on Legal size paper.

Please contact us if you notice dates missing or errors deij@chatham-kent.ca or x. 2447

How to Use the calendar:

• Use this calendar to inform programming, scheduling, and to better understand colleagues and communities we serve.
• To ensure everyone can participate and show respect for each other, avoid scheduling events (for staff or community) on days of significance.
• Some holidays involve fasting from certain foods or more prayer - keep this in mind if you are scheduling a meeting or event.
• Supervisors: People may ask for time off in honour of some of these dates. Employers have a duty to accommodate employee's creed to the point of undue hardship, including providing time off for religious holidays. Learn more from the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
• Get to know your team all-year long - find out what days and holidays are important to each other.

Community Events:

Find information about community events to honour days of observance in the 'Engage' section of the DEIJ Employee Portal.

New! Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Lunch and Learn

Learn together in our new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Lunch and Learn series. Join us for our first session on November 10^th. Details below and on CK Central.

DEIJ Lunch and Learn: Deepavali Celebrations

When: November 10^th, 12:15-1:00

Location: PABC 224 and Skype (Hybrid)

Deepavali, the festival of light, is coming!

Join the CK Hindu Cultural Association and Community Attraction and Promotion colleagues to learn about Deepavali and how learning about one another can create a welcoming workplace and community.

To register, contact DEIJ@chatham-kent.ca or x. 2247 before November 3rd.

Breastfeeding is a natural and nutritional way to support infants and toddlers to thrive, with lifelong impacts. People who breastfeed shouldn’t have to choose between continuing to breastfeed or participating in the workforce.

CK Public Health is sharing information about how everyone can support colleagues who are breastfeeding.

Learn more below and at the CK Public Health website.