Diversity and Inclusion 4th edition - Newsletter

December 2021 / décembre 2021 Nova Scotia Health / Santé Nouvelle-Écosse Eastern Zone Diversity & Inclusion “EQUITY IN ACTION” “Equité en Action” NEWSLETTER Bulletin A Message from our Chair Dear Colleagues, As I write this message, it is my sincere hope that before the end of 2021, you have some quiet time to read all our latest newsletter has to offer. From our First Voice experience of someone sharing her story of living with a disability to increasing your understanding of the words, Equality, Equity and Justice, there is something for everyone to learn. Our committee continues to learn as well. Garry Dart from Pride Health joined us for our November meeting, and we are looking forward to having Aaron Prosper, Indigenous Health Consultant, join a meeting soon . We continue to work on ideas of how we can make Nova Scotia Health a welcoming space for all. We are looking forward to the establishment of a Diversity Network at Nova Scotia Health and will keep you posted on what that means for us in Eastern Zone. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion need to be the basis and foundation of every program and service we offer in healthcare. If we fail to do so we make it difficult for people to seek care and we make them sicker not healthier. As we move in 2022, I urge you to think of your own work areas and how you can work with other members of your team to act on making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion the basis upon which all of your work flows. On behalf of all members of the Eastern Zone Diversity and Inclusion committee, we extend our best wishes to you during this special time of year. If you are interested in joining our committee or have questions, please reach out to me at: [email protected] Karen MacKinnon Chair In This Issue  Notable Mentions … 6, 9  Education & Useful Links … 7  A Message from our Chair … 1  Holiday Eats … 8, 9  This is my story … 2  Equality, Equity, and Justice … 4  Did You Know … 5, 7

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 2 This is My Story By: Marcellina (Marcie) Shwery-Stanley Hello, Readers! My name is Marcellina (Marcie) Shwery-Stanley. I was born and brought up as a small town girl in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. In 1975, I became a big city girl when I moved to Sydney, NS and where I now reside. My mother, father, and only sibling (my brother) have all passed away. The year was 1961 and I was 14 years old. I woke up one morning and was about to get out of bed. I could not stand or walk. I was admitted to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in North Sydney where I was diagnosed with an acute attack of Jeuvenile Rheumotoid Arthritis. Sixty years ago there were absolutely no orthopedic doctors in Cape Breton. Once a month, the local Rotary Club sponsored a Crippled Childrens’ Clinic where Dr. Acker would see patients. My treatment was pain medication. I was not progressing, mobility and pain wise so my mother took the advice of a friend and suggested I go to Montreal, where her sister lived and there were many Orthopedic Doctors. During a consultation with Dr. Bill Wilson he emphatically said and I will always remember his words, “This girl should have been here long ago…… all we can do now is repair the damage!” For the following years I spent every summer vacation in Montreal either in hospital for surgery, or physical therapy or for follow-up consultations. In 1966 I had the first of many joint replacements, (hips, knees, elbow, shoulder, femur, etc.) --18 surgeries in total. In 1966, in North Sydney & surrounding area, there was no accessible transportation, no accessible housing, no accessible public buildings, no accessible schools, etc. Steps were my worst enemy. As a person with a disability I was discriminated As a person against. Employers looked at my disability and not with a disability my abilities. Attitude was a major barrier! I was After graduating from high school I obtained my BA discriminated degree in Political Science & Economics and subsequently I graduated from the Cape Breton Business College. My first job as an accounting clerk was located on the second against. floor. Every morning I had to climb 14 stairs. I never went home for lunch because it Employers would require me to climb and descend these stairs again! Fast forward to 1978 – that year looked at my was a turning point and the beginning of my journey of advocating for persons with disabilities. This was to become my passion in life. One day I said to myself— If I can help a person with a disability as others had helped me to achieve independence, then I would make every effort to achieve this goal. I joined Community Involvement of the Disabled Society (CID). I became its third President and also Manager of the first Accessible Transportation Service in Cape Breton. Handi-trans at this time operated one accessible door to door service. Today it has grown to seven buses, continues under that name today, but is presently operated by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality over the entire CBRM. Continued on next page

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 3 One day I said to myself— 1981 was declared the International Year of the Disabled by the If I can help a person with a United Nations General Assembly. I was President of CID and it was the only Non-profit organization in Canada to have three disability as others had projects approved by the Government of Canada. I was as helped me to achieve proud as a peacock! That same year , I set up and independence, then I would make every effort to achieve managed Breton Business Centre, a business funded by the Government of Canada. Eighty percent of employees were this goal. persons with disabilities. The objective was for employees to eventually own the business which offered 24 hour telephone answering service, voice paging and office Overload (Temp Personnel). I had always wanted to work for Government (Provincial or Federal) and in 1987 I was successful in obtaining a position as Small Business Development Officer with a Federal Crown Corporation, the Industrial Development Division of the Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO) which on December 1, 1988 continued as Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC). I was able to bring my advocacy work relating to persons with disabilities into my workplace. It was there, also, that I Co-Chaired the yearly Women in Business Conferences-Trade Shows, and continued to be a member of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women representing women with disabilities. In addition, I was partly responsible for setting up NEWD (Network of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities in Nova Scotia). In 2002 , I retired from ECBC and continued full-time with my passion -advocating for persons with disabilities! But three years before I retired, I fulfilled my dream of obtaining my MBA in Community Economic Development (with Deans List Three years before I retired, I Standing), while working full time at ECBC and fortunately they paid for fulfilled my dream of obtaining it. The following 21 years and to the present, I spend 90% of my days my MBA in Community advocating for persons with disabilities regarding accessibility issues— Economic Development (with accessible housing, accessible transportation, accessible homecare I could Deans List Standing), while go on and on! I have received various awards and recognitions locally, working full time at ECBC & provincially & nationally over the past 40 years. I am happy to say that fortunately they paid for it. during that time I served on two Provincial Advisory Councils—one under the NS Department of Health & Wellness and most recently, the other under the NS Health Authority. It was all a labour of love. I promised myself early on that if I had the opportunity to make a difference for persons with disabilities, I would do it. But I didn’t do this alone—many people believed in me, were supportive back then and continue until today. I am pleased that with their support I was able to make a difference! Thank you for allowing me to share my story! The moral of it is Never say never—never give up when you face challenges…. always have a posi- tive attitude! And, NEVER forget that if you believe in yourself, all things will be possible!

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 4 Equality, Equity*, and Justice What do They Mean? We often hear terms such as equality, equity and justice used interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing. To have an informed discussion about diversity, equity and inclusion it is important to have a base level of understanding. The diagram below provides a good visual of the major differences between Inequality, Equality, Equity and Justice. Inequality represents unequal access to resources, health and opportunities. The person on the left has an automatic privilege with the fruit just falling into their hands. The person on the right does not have the same privilege or opportunities and this is often unjust, unfair and avoidable. Examples of these privileges are often based on the social determinants of health such as access to education, income or where a person lives (i.e. research shows that the community or neighborhood where a person lives can greatly determine their health). In the Equality example, everyone is treated with a universal approach, provided the exact same tools and resources. However, we know that equal treatment does not always ensure equal health outcomes, because not everyone has the same privileges as others. What does equity mean? When people are provided with the tools and resources they need based on their unique circumstances rather than the same resources provided to all, we are practicinSgoeurqcue:iOtyf.fiFceoorf eAxfraicmanpNleo,vsaoScmoteianpeAoffpailres Continued on next page

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 5 require access to more resources than others like access to transportation, nutritious food and adequate housing. Health equity “involves the fair distribution of resources needed for health, fair access to the opportunities available, and fairness in the support offered to people when ill.”1 Health equity seeks to reduce poor health outcomes in socially and economically disadvantaged populations. For example, providing Covid-19 testing at a site in a community where transportation is an issue or systemic racism has prevented people from reaching out for help. In the final picture we see justice where the roots of the inequities are fixed. There is a redistribution of resources and the fruit is accessible for all. To seek justice at NS Health would involve fundamentally shifting our organization so that diversity, equity and inclusion becomes the priority in how our programs are developed and offered. We will have achieved health equity and justice when people see themselves represented when they seek services, when all Nova Scotians have access to all our services, have the ability and resources needed to access services available and feel safe in accessing these services. If you want to learn more about Health Equity we highly recommend visiting the website of the National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health and downloading their resource, “Let’s talk about Health Equity.” Home | National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (nccdh.ca) End notes: 1. Whitehead M, Dahlgren G. Concepts and principles for tackling social inequi-  The tradition of Christmas trees goes ties in health: Levelling up part 1. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2006 [cited 2012 Sept 21]. Available from: www.euro.who. int/__data/assets/ all the way back to ancient Egyptians pdf_file/0010/74737/ E89383.pdf and Romans, who decorated with evergreens during the winter solstice  Suggested reading: National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. to signify that spring would return. (2013) Let’s talk: Health equity. Antigonish, NS: National Collaborating Centre  The idea of Santa Claus came for Determinants of Health, Saint Francis Xavier University. from St. Nicholas. The saint wasn't a Diversity & Inclusion bearded man who wore a red suit. In Committee Members the fourth century, the Christian bishop gave away his large Aron Ashton Celeste Gotell inheritance to the poor and rescued Christine Villneff Cyril women from servitude. In Dutch, his name is Sinter Klaas, which later MacDonald Danielle Murphy became Santa Claus in English. Debbie Glabay Karen  Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish MacKinnon Karla Chisholm Krista Smith Linda Parris festival with the first day known as Chanukah, Festival of Lights, and Lisa McNeil-Campbell Feast of Dedication. This year it was Melanie Newell Sansriti Saxena celebrated beginning the evening of Sunday, November 28, Soroush Moghaddam 2021 and it ended the evening of Verna MacDonald Monday, December 6, 2021.

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 6 Notable Mentions Leah Day Our Notable Mention this edition goes to Leah Day who works in Emergency and Medical Oncology. She provided our Diversity and Inclusion committee with valuable feedback this month that we hope to use in our ongoing education and advocacy efforts. Here is what she had to say: Early on in my hospital career I noticed that some hospi- tal practices can be damaging to our fellow SLGBTQIA+ community members. I wanted everyone to feel they belong here and be treated with dignity. I started educating myself on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion through free online sessions with LMS, Pride at Work Canada and the NSGEU. It might seem overwhelming to think about how far we still have to go but I encourage everyone to start implementing a small change in their day that can have a huge impact on others. Here are some ideas: 1. Switch to numbers instead of names in waiting areas. The use of legal names in the hospital can be very damaging to those who do not identify or present as their legal name. 2. Create gender neutral bathrooms. 3. Eliminate non-inclusive gender pronouns. Stop using Mr/Mrs/Ms when addressing patients or in meeting minutes/attendance. Photo credit: George Wade 4. Use They/Them or ask which pronouns they prefer. 5. If a patient has someone with them, ask who they have with them. Don’t presume the relationship of who they are with. 6. Apologize immediately if you address someone incorrectly Newsletter Committee Aron Ashton Celeste Gotell Danielle Murphy Karen MacKinnon Lisa McNeil-Campbell Soroush Moghaddam Designed by: Janelle AuCoin, Health Communication Specialist Health Promotion Team, Mental Health and Addictions

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 7 Education & Useful Links As 2021 comes to an end we encourage staff  30.4% of people in Nova Scotia live with a dis- at all levels of the organization to continue to learn more to support Diversity, Equity ability which is 8% higher than the and Inclusion at Nova Scotia Health. Here National average. are some ideas to support your learning journey (in no order of importance). We  30.4 % des personnes en Nouvelle-Écosse recommend all staff to take the following three internal LMS modules: vivent avec un handicap qui est 8 % plus élevé que le Moyenne nationale. (Login to LMS as a first step)  Transgender (trans) people face unique stress- • 2SLGBTQIA+ Awareness • Exploring Gender Diversity ors, including the stress some trans people • Introduction to Working with experience when their gender identity is not affirmed. Trans people also experience higher Transgender Clients rates of discrimination and harassment than their cisgender counterparts and, as a result,  experience poorer mental health outcomes. They are also at a greater risk for suicide as Visit the website of the Truth and Reconcil- they are twice as likely to think about and at- iation Commission of Canada and read one tempt suicide than LGB people (Haas et al., of their many reports to increase your un- 2011; McNeill et al., 2017; Irwin et al., 2014). derstanding of issues facing Indigenous communities. (Source: Mental Health Commission of Canada) TRC Website - NCTR  Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, many  people are reporting increased mental health and substance use concerns. These concerns Watch the recordings of the Black History are greater among females in households with Learning Journey from the Community Sec- children younger than 13 years. tor Council of Nova Scotia. Series 2 is now on the website: (Source: Mental Health Commission of Canada) https://www.csc-ns.ca/black-history  Depuis le début de la pandémie de Covid-19, -learning-journey/ de nombreuses personnes signalent une aug-  mentation des problèmes de santé mentale et de consommation de substances psychoac- Learn more about Nova Scotia’s Accessibil- tives. Ces préoccupations sont plus im- ity Act and its’ goal of making Nova Scotia portantes chez les femmes dans les ménages accessible by the year 2030. avec des enfants de moins de 13 ans. Accessibility resources - Government  Members of Nova Scotia’s Legislative Assembly were also slave owners. James DeLancey and Major Thomas Barclay, both of whom served in the 6th General Assembly (1785–93), owned six and seven slaves respec- tively. James Moody, who sat in the 7th Gen- eral Assembly (1793–99) possessed eight slaves. John Taylor, who was a sitting member in the 8th General Assembly (1799–1806), held six Black people in bondage. (Source: Henry, Natasha L.. \"Black Enslavement in Canada\". The Cana- dian Encyclopedia, 09 June 2020, Historica Canada.)

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 8 Holiday Eats Tourtiere Tourtiere, or Cape Breton Meat Pie, is a Christmas tradition that has been passed down through the generations. Prep. Time: Cook Time: Total Time: 45 Minutes 4 Hours 30 5 Hours 15 Minutes Minutes Servings: Calories: Author: 6 474 Kcal Michelle Rolfe Ingredients Instructions Pie Filling Pie Filling  2 large onions, diced 1. Trim the pork of the rind and any large amounts of fat, leaving some of the fat  2-3 tbsp poultry seasoning to flavour and keep the meat moist.  salt & pepper to taste  2-2.5 kg pork shoulder, trimmed 2. In a large pan add the pork, diced onions and water to cover half of the pork. When the pork starts to break down (about 1 -2 hours) add the poultry season- Hot Water Crust Pastry ing, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for a further 1-2 hours, adjusting sea- soning to taste and keeping moist with water so as not to dry out or burn.  1.5 cup of all-purpose flour  Pinch of salt 3. The pork is ready when you can break it apart with a fork.  2 tbsp of milk  2 tbsp water, add one at a time ac- Hot Water Crust Pastry cording to the dryness of pastry 1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt.  5 tbsp of lard or shortening  1 egg, beaten to glaze pie 2. In a small pan measure out the water, milk and lard, warm until the lard melts. Allow to come to the boil and immediately remove from the heat. 3. Add the milk mixture to the flour and immediately bring together with a wooden spoon. Take out onto a lightly floured work surface and working quickly cut the dough into 2 portions, one slightly bigger than the other. 4. Using the larger piece form into a ball and roll gently to form the bottom of the pie. As the dough is warm it will be quite pliable. 5. Fill the pie with your pork filling and then roll out the top using the smaller piece of dough. Make a small steam hole in the top. 6. Brush the egg wash over the pie and bake for 30 to 40 minutes in an oven at 350 degrees. • Adapted from: https://lostinfood.co.uk/an-acadian-twist-on-christmas/

Volume 4 Equity in Action Newsletter / Equité en Action Bulletin Page 9 Holiday Eats Roasted Turnip & Apple Soup (Vegan) A hot soup to warm you up on cold days made with local ingredients! Ingredients Instructions  1 kg (a little over 2 lbs) Turnip  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  6 local apples  6 cloves of garlic  Cut turnip, apples, and carrot into large dice, and toss with 2 tbsp canola oil,  3 sticks of celery salt, and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes on a parchment lined tray until  2 carrots nicely browned.  2 L of water  ½ tsp of ground tumeric  Dice the onion and chop the celery. Heat canola oil over med-high heat in a  1 tbsp ground coriander soup pot, then add onions, celery, whole garlic cloves, spices and seasoning.  Salt and pepper to taste Sauté until ingredients have just started to caramelize, then add water and  4 tbsp of canola oil roasted items from the oven.  Bring to a boil, allow to simmer for 30 minutes, then purée soup with an im- mersion blender or in a high-speed blender for a smooth result.  Original recipe created by Chef Andrew Farrell, https://tasteofnovascotia.com/recipes Notable Mentions Our committee member, Celeste Gotell has been chosen the Healthy Communities Leader award winner by the Cape Breton South community recruiting organization. Celeste began her work as a Health Equity promoter in Public Health in 2015 and helped to establish HEART, Health Equity In Action Resource Team for the Strait Richmond Area and took on the role of Chair. She does not shy away from taking on important leadership roles in all that she becomes involved with. She has been an advocate for seniors; took a lead role in organizing conferences and developing a seniors action coalition. She also showed leadership in engaging municipal partners in housing, took on the lead role to organize a Think Tank for Housing and was key to establishing the Housing Coalition in Strait Richmond. She became involved in the local Interagency for Family Violence, chaired a committee for a Round Table on Sexualized Violence and also co-chaired a Provincial Committee on community transportation that was a Province lead initiative involving many stakeholders. She is currently involved in a provincial initiative to strengthen the community housing sector. In addition to all her work in the Strait Richmond area Celeste has been a very active member of our Eastern Zone Diversity and Inclusion Committee, working very hard on our newsletters to name just one example. Congratulations to Celeste from our committee!