Building Positive Spaces at Sheridan & Beyond
Inside the Mississauga Council Meeting on June 8th. Julia Bertola, speaks to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Council Council, and presents the Building Positive Spaces Kits.
As your Student Union, we are committed to building positive spaces at Sheridan, celebrating the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and highlighting areas that still need to be addressed to ensure equity for all. Sheridan Pride 2022 has been filled with empowering conversations and exciting events ranging from raising the Progress Pride flag across all campuses and hosting the Pride Club Tie-Dye party, to sharing 2SLGBTQIA+ health resources and celebrating Sheridan Alumni author Stacey Chomiak (just to name a few)! Another exciting moment of Sheridan Pride 2022 happened on June 8th, when our Vice President of Community Development, Julia Bertola, represented the Sheridan Student Union at a City of Mississauga Council Meeting to deputize a Pride Month motion.
Julia Bertola, SSU Vp of Community Development addresses the Mississauga City Council during Pride Month 2022.
The motion, which was passed with an unanimous vote, reaffirmed the City's commitment to diversity, equality, respect and inclusion within our community. Now, the Council requests that PRIDE progress flags be purchased for every city facility, including fire stations and that they be displayed throughout the month of June. During this meeting, Julia spoke to the City of Mississauga's Mayor, Bonnie Crombie, and the City Council regarding the celebration of inclusivity in the Peel Region. They also presented one of Sheridan Student Union’s Building Positive Spaces Kits, a Pride Month 2022 initiative that they were instrumental in creating as a reminder of the importance of building inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ members, year-round.
Recently, the Sheridan Student Union Vice President roles have expanded to address and support different areas of the student experience. As VP of Community Development, Julia is focused on bringing awareness to important social issues faced by students, creating initiatives that support unique experiences, and providing access to inclusive and interconnected environments within the Sheridan community. In many ways, this role is an acknowledgement and opportunity, to not only focus on your experience within college but actively look to create impact and progressive change for students far beyond their time at Sheridan. Julia has worked tirelessly to help foster a sense of belonging, respect, and equity for all members of our community, not just during Pride Month, but throughout the year.
Sheridan Student Union Vice Presidents : Tristan Pinnock (VP of Academics and Equity), Julia Bertola (VP of Community Development) and Rhema Javed (VP of Student and Staff Engagement) celebrating Pride Month in the City of Mississauga, near a fire truck.
This newly developed role not only caters to Julia’s passion for advocacy in general, and 2SLGBTQIA+ initiatives more specifically, but also creates infinite possibilities for how we can continue to support Sheridan students and community members. Having a Sheridan Student Union Vice President in the room and having their voice amplified while decisions for the future of the city are being made, is an empowering visual for students to witness and a testament to the need for diverse voices to be present within these types of spaces. As your SSU (Sheridan Student Union), prioritizing student well-being, fostering a sense of belonging and providing access to education are fundamental aspects of our strategic plan, and this moment was an amalgamation of that mission.
During their speech, Julia shared, “I know that visibility matters because I think of our student community at Sheridan. We have students that come from all over Canada and the world, and this might be the first time they see a pride flag being raised by a city. We have students that come from places where being openly queer is considered a criminal act, and to be open means to be in fear of their wellbeing. To bring forth this motion is to promote the acceptance of 2SLGBTQ+ Individuals, those who choose to live, work, and study in Mississauga.” The impact this motion can have on not only residents of Mississauga, or Sheridan students, faculty or staff, but the globe reaffirms the collective power we all have when we use our voice.
Regardless of where you live, what school you attend, or what environments you find yourself in, the Sheridan Student Union is committed to making sure that all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community feel seen, celebrated, and protected. We're so proud of Julia for representing the SSU during this recent City of Mississauga meeting, and continuing to bring awareness to the work that needs to be done to make a positive impact on 2SLGBTQIA+ lives. “In my speech, I recounted some instances of verbal and physical attacks made against the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Peel. While I cannot endorse this motion enough, there is still work to be done. This is my home, and I don't want anyone to feel as though they must give up smaller cities and communities to move to places that have larger Pride celebrations, to feel accepted. That is why I will continue to do my work in Peel, with the support and enthusiastic encouragement from the SSU and now the City of Mississauga!” Mississauga is one of the only cities in Canada to adopt such a progressive stance regarding the annual raising of the Pride Flag and we are proud to have been a part of such a moment.
Sheridan Pride and Mississauga Collaboration
Sheridan students and community members have welcomed the Rainbow Pride Bench donated by the Pride Committee of Peel, installed in Mississauga’s Scholar’s Green Park.
Did you know? This is not the first time the City of Mississauga and Sheridan Student Union have collaborated to create more inclusivity and awareness on 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. In 2021, the Rainbow Pride Bench was donated to the city by the Pride Committee of Peel and installed in Mississauga’s Scholar’s Green Park near the HMC campus, in partnership with Sheridan College. Over the last year, this bench has quickly become a staple for students, and as Sheridan President Janet Morrison described “a permanent fixture [that] will represent Sheridan’s unwavering commitment to supporting, uplifting, and amplifying the voices of our 2SLGBTQIA+ community”. The SSU is proud of these community collaborations and looks forward to the future where student voices can be proudly heard advocating for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and needs, in the city and around the world.
If you'd like to learn more about Sheridan Pride celebrations, resources, and supports, then be sure to visit Sheridan Pride. Stay tuned to learn more about our Building Positive Spaces kits that Julia previewed during the meeting.