LTE: The optics of exclusion (why DEI is important)
On Thursday March 20th, the City of Cornwall took a stand in support of local businesses with a cinematic (beautifully shot) short promo film to show off our communities. All done in light of the recent tariffs imposed on us by none other than Donald Trump, who intends to weaken Canada’s economy to create harm to its greatest ally.
Promoting local shopping and showcasing our farmers and entrepreneurs is crucial for Akwesasne, Cornwall and SD&G’s resilience and survival. However, while watching the newly released promotional video, I couldn’t help but notice a glaring omission—nowhere in the video do we see a woman speak. The only woman we see for a brief moment is pulling a pint at O’Neill’s Pub in Long Sault, as she quickly fades out. This is a metaphor of what it feels like to be a woman in our community, if I have ever seen one.
In a region where women are business owners, farmers, and community leaders, their absence in such a significant campaign is deeply disappointing. It sends an unintended but powerful message: that their contributions to our local economy are not as visible or valued. The lack of overall diversity (besides the Grand Chief and the Mayor) in the video further reinforces this issue. We are supposed to be a welcoming community for immigrants, difficult to tell from this video.
This is exactly why the City of Cornwall needs a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator—something the city committed to hiring two years ago but never followed through on (the Mayor personally told me the goal was to hire for this role in Spring of 2023). Having a dedicated professional in this role would help ensure that city initiatives reflect the diversity of our community and that inclusivity is considered from the start, rather than as an afterthought.
Representation matters—not just for optics, but because it reflects the reality of who we are as a community. A campaign meant to encourage all residents to support local businesses should showcase the full spectrum of those who make our economy thrive. Moving forward, I urge the City to uphold their promise of hiring a full-time DEI Coordinator so something like this doesn’t happen again. Behind the scenes there needs to be a lot more work done to support women in leadership, business and nonprofit organizations. Changing these optics should be a priority.
We should also ensure there are no conflicts of interest between the leaders featured in the video and the businesses featured. Our tax dollars aren’t supposed to be used to promote a leader’s personal business or investments.
As a resident and business owner, I know we can do better than this.
