Canada's best diversity employers in 2011

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Top 45

Canada's best diversity employers in 2011

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011 9:00PM EST

Last updated Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 5:28PM EST

Increased competition and tougher criteria made it more challenging to be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2011. Mediacorp’s editorial team chose the 45 winners from a short list of 300, narrowed from 2,750 who started the application process. That is 150 more than last year.

Companies are judged by their diversity and inclusiveness programs for five major employee groups: women; members of visible minorities; people with disabilities; aboriginal peoples; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual people. New criteria included a clearly defined strategy to achieve goals; strategy review and updating; and initiatives relating to recruitment, retention, development, training and education, employee resources, affinity groups, leadership and management accountability, customer and market diversity, vendor and supplier diversity, and community partnerships. Employers are also expected to have tracking measures in place.

Richard Yerema, managing editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, says diversity programs, policy development and commitment have become more formalized since the first diversity competition in 2008. “We have very much tightened our focus to ensure that employers who venture down the path of creating more inclusive work environments do so in a way that evolves into program and policy versus a preference that may simply change with personnel.”

Any employer of any size, private or public, with its head office or principal place of business in Canada, can apply through the Canada's Top 100 Employers application process. The fee is $495 plus HST.

--Diane Jermyn

Companies are selected by Mediacorp. Note: This list is not ranked. The companies on it appear in alphabetical order.

Company	Location	Industry	Employees	Details
Agrium Inc.	Calgary	Nitrogenous fertilizer manufacturing	2,175	Established an inclusive workplace council in 2009 and holds monthly meetings to discuss the status of diversity programs and policy.
BC Hydro	Vancouver	Hydroelectric power generation	5,560	Manages a team dedicated to the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees.
Bell Aliant Regional Communications, LP	Halifax	Wired telecommunications carriers	7,460	Operates a diversity team that represents employees who are women, Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, disabled, new Canadians, LGBT and francophone.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP	Toronto	Law offices	1,028	Developed the "Business Leadership for Women Lawyers" program in partnership with the Rotman School of Management and the law faculty at the University of Toronto.
Boeing Canada Operations Ltd.	Winnipeg	Other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing	1,381	The diversity and employment equity team held focus groups with deaf employees to increase understanding of employment barriers faced by persons with disabilities.
Bombardier Aerospace	Dorval, PQ	Aircraft manufacturing	16,659	Launched a network for female engineering employees in 2008 and is developing a recruitment strategy to attract and retain women.
Business Development Bank of Canada	Montreal	All other non-depositary credit intermediation	1,835	Recognizes employee excellence in championing diversity affairs with internal awards.
Cameo Corp.	Saskatoon	Uranium-radium-vanadium ore mining	2,800	Partners with the Mining Human Resources Council and Women in Mining to research employment barriers to develop an understanding of the challenges faced by women in the industry.
Canada Post Corp.	Ottawa	Postal service	60,354	Developed a guide to assist team leaders with the interview process, educating them on bias-free interviewing and cultural awareness.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)	Toronto	Commercial banking	33,136	Launched a diversity toolkit resource for people managers.
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp.	Ottawa	Other general government support	2,157	Manages a unique "Special Needs" program that provides enhanced coaching and support for employees with Down Syndrome.
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)	Winnipeg	Regulation of agricultural marketing and commodities	406	Provides ASL (American sign language) interpreters for large staff meetings and also ensures their availability on an individual basis.
Capital District Health Authority	Halifax	General medical and surgical hospitals	6,516	Employs a full-time diversity coordinator to help deliver and facilitate training sessions and workshops.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)	Toronto	Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals	1,966	Established an employment equity plan and formal diversity strategy, focusing this year on disability and accessibility issues, developing a formal policy and guidebook for staff on accessibility.
Corus Entertainment Inc.	Toronto	Television broadcasting	1,875	Created managerial training programs targeted at employees who are women and visible minorities, to accelerate their advancement within the company.
Deloitte & Touche LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	7,516	Operates a national diversity council comprised of partners and senior managers from across the nation which meets 10 times a year.
Ernst & Young LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	4,018	Measures gender and visible minority workforce representation through semi-annual reports.
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP	Toronto	Law offices	1,260	Is the pro bono legal counsel to Pride at Work Canada, a professional, non-profit corporation created in 2008 to support the LGBT community in Canadian workplaces.
Health Canada-Sante Canada	Ottawa	Administration of public health programs	9,729	In partnership with the First Nations and the Inuit Health branch, introduced a management development program for Aboriginal employees to increase the number of Aboriginal candidates for leadership positions.
Home Depot Canada, The	Toronto	Hardware stores	14,100	Launched a "Women in Leadership" initiative in the past year to improve career opportunities for female leaders, providing sessions on networking and achieving work-life balance.
Human Resources & Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)	Gatineau, PQ	Other general government support	26,024	Operates an accessibility center in support of employees with disabilities, providing services such as assessing adaptive computer technology needs, providing training on adaptive tools, and consultation and support accommodation issues.
Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan	Regina	Title Abstract and Settlement offices	273	Provides quarterly reports on equity progress in relation to recruitment, retention, promotion and turnover of under represented groups in the workforce.
KPMG LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	5,270	Provides bias-free interview training and training on mental health and accommodation for personnel involved in the recruitment process.
Loblaws Companies Ltd.	Brampton, ON	Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores	31,582	In 2009, issued a goal to raise representation of female store managers and by 2010, the number of female store managers has more than doubled.
Manitoba Lotteries Corp.	Winnipeg	Other gambling industries	1,318	Works with several community organizations including Manitoba Metis Federation, the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Manitoba, and Manitoba Employment Equity Practitioners Association of Manitoba to ensure open positions within the corporation are available to a diverse group of applicants.
Mount Sinai Hospital	Toronto	General medical and surgical hospitals	2,297	Created an Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Planning Committee to facilitate accessibility programs.
National Bank Financial Group	Montreal	Commercial banking	13,315	Created a global diversity strategy as well as a defined three-year diversity plan, outlining strategic goals and timelines.
Newalta Corp.	Calgary	Materials recovery facilities	1,669	Currently creating an online diversity section with e-learning modules and Diversity@work newsletters to keep employees up to date on best practices and upcoming events.
Nexen Inc.	Calgary	Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction	2,134	Established a formal Aboriginal partnerships strategy to increase Aboriginal representation within the workforce and created a new position dedicated to Aboriginal recruitment.
Northwestel Inc.	Whitehorse, YT	Wired telecommunications carriers	520	Provides Aboriginal relations and diversity training for all employees.
Ontario Public Service	Toronto	Other general government support	64,725	Created a "quiet room" to meet employees' diverse religious and spiritual needs.
Port Metro Vancouver	Vancouver	Port and harbour operations	190	Provides employment presentations to high school students with disabilities, including information about available jobs at the Port and advice on how to apply for them.
Procter & Gamble Inc.	Toronto	Toiletry product manufacturing	1,902	Partners with Career Bridge and INROADS to help members of visible minorities and new Canadians gain work experience through paid internships.
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)	Toronto	Commercial banking	51,100	Has managed a diversity leadership council for the past decade, which meets quarterly and is chaired by RBC president and CEO, Gordon Nixon.
SaskPower Corp.	Regina	Hydroelectric power generation	2,700	Shares job postings with 40 community organizations to ensure positions reach a diverse pool of applicants.
SaskTel	Regina	Wired communications carriers	3,225	Manages several employee support groups including SEND, a network for employees with disabilities, SAEN, for Aboriginal employees, and Next GEN, for younger employees
Saskatchewan Government Insurance	Regina	Direct property and casualty insurance carriers	1,710	Manages a formal diversity committee to promote equitable employment practices for women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Seneca College	Markham, ON	Colleges, universities and professional schools	1,275	Has operated a Resolution Equity and Diversity Centre for over twenty years, which is responsible for developing diversity initiatives and promoting anti-racism and equity.
Shell Canada Ltd.	Calgary	Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction	8,224	Created a formal index to track and measure the progress of the company's diversity and inclusiveness measures.
Statistics Canada	Ottawa	Other general government support	5,550	Created a sub-committee to promote awareness of disability issues, focusing on the recruitment, retention, accessibility, and integration of disabled employees and committed funds to provide full time aides to quadriplegic employees during the work day.
Telus Corp.	Vancouver	Wired telecommunications carriers	24,384	Established a diversity and inclusiveness council in 2009 to oversee the development of a business case for diversity as well as a defined strategy for diversity initiatives.
University of British Columbia	Vancouver	Colleges, universities and professional schools	10,550	Is developing a pilot program in partnership with the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Open Door group to recruit individuals with disabilities.
University of Toronto	Toronto	Colleges, universities and professional schools	8,400	The Status of Women office launched an "Acts of Daily Excellence" initiative, highlighting the achievements of women staff, faculty, and students.
Vancouver, City of	Vancouver	Legislative bodies	6,901	Provides new staff with diversity training workshops and recently translated their training materials into Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese and Tagalog.
Xerox Canada Ltd.	Toronto	Other computer peripheral equipment manufacturing	3,571	Created a diversity and inclusion website to provide employees with information on the business case for diversity, issues of gender, culture, Aboriginal relations, employment equity and the inter-generational workforce.

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Companies are selected by Mediacorp. Note: This list is not ranked. The companies on it appear in alphabetical order.

Company	Location	Industry	Employees	Details
Agrium Inc.	Calgary	Nitrogenous fertilizer manufacturing	2,175	Established an inclusive workplace council in 2009 and holds monthly meetings to discuss the status of diversity programs and policy.
BC Hydro	Vancouver	Hydroelectric power generation	5,560	Manages a team dedicated to the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees.
Bell Aliant Regional Communications, LP	Halifax	Wired telecommunications carriers	7,460	Operates a diversity team that represents employees who are women, Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, disabled, new Canadians, LGBT and francophone.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP	Toronto	Law offices	1,028	Developed the "Business Leadership for Women Lawyers" program in partnership with the Rotman School of Management and the law faculty at the University of Toronto.
Boeing Canada Operations Ltd.	Winnipeg	Other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment manufacturing	1,381	The diversity and employment equity team held focus groups with deaf employees to increase understanding of employment barriers faced by persons with disabilities.
Bombardier Aerospace	Dorval, PQ	Aircraft manufacturing	16,659	Launched a network for female engineering employees in 2008 and is developing a recruitment strategy to attract and retain women.
Business Development Bank of Canada	Montreal	All other non-depositary credit intermediation	1,835	Recognizes employee excellence in championing diversity affairs with internal awards.
Cameo Corp.	Saskatoon	Uranium-radium-vanadium ore mining	2,800	Partners with the Mining Human Resources Council and Women in Mining to research employment barriers to develop an understanding of the challenges faced by women in the industry.
Canada Post Corp.	Ottawa	Postal service	60,354	Developed a guide to assist team leaders with the interview process, educating them on bias-free interviewing and cultural awareness.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)	Toronto	Commercial banking	33,136	Launched a diversity toolkit resource for people managers.
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp.	Ottawa	Other general government support	2,157	Manages a unique "Special Needs" program that provides enhanced coaching and support for employees with Down Syndrome.
Canadian Wheat Board (CWB)	Winnipeg	Regulation of agricultural marketing and commodities	406	Provides ASL (American sign language) interpreters for large staff meetings and also ensures their availability on an individual basis.
Capital District Health Authority	Halifax	General medical and surgical hospitals	6,516	Employs a full-time diversity coordinator to help deliver and facilitate training sessions and workshops.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)	Toronto	Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals	1,966	Established an employment equity plan and formal diversity strategy, focusing this year on disability and accessibility issues, developing a formal policy and guidebook for staff on accessibility.
Corus Entertainment Inc.	Toronto	Television broadcasting	1,875	Created managerial training programs targeted at employees who are women and visible minorities, to accelerate their advancement within the company.
Deloitte & Touche LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	7,516	Operates a national diversity council comprised of partners and senior managers from across the nation which meets 10 times a year.
Ernst & Young LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	4,018	Measures gender and visible minority workforce representation through semi-annual reports.
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP	Toronto	Law offices	1,260	Is the pro bono legal counsel to Pride at Work Canada, a professional, non-profit corporation created in 2008 to support the LGBT community in Canadian workplaces.
Health Canada-Sante Canada	Ottawa	Administration of public health programs	9,729	In partnership with the First Nations and the Inuit Health branch, introduced a management development program for Aboriginal employees to increase the number of Aboriginal candidates for leadership positions.
Home Depot Canada, The	Toronto	Hardware stores	14,100	Launched a "Women in Leadership" initiative in the past year to improve career opportunities for female leaders, providing sessions on networking and achieving work-life balance.
Human Resources & Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)	Gatineau, PQ	Other general government support	26,024	Operates an accessibility center in support of employees with disabilities, providing services such as assessing adaptive computer technology needs, providing training on adaptive tools, and consultation and support accommodation issues.
Information Services Corporation of Saskatchewan	Regina	Title Abstract and Settlement offices	273	Provides quarterly reports on equity progress in relation to recruitment, retention, promotion and turnover of under represented groups in the workforce.
KPMG LLP	Toronto	Offices of certified public accountants	5,270	Provides bias-free interview training and training on mental health and accommodation for personnel involved in the recruitment process.
Loblaws Companies Ltd.	Brampton, ON	Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores	31,582	In 2009, issued a goal to raise representation of female store managers and by 2010, the number of female store managers has more than doubled.
Manitoba Lotteries Corp.	Winnipeg	Other gambling industries	1,318	Works with several community organizations including Manitoba Metis Federation, the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Manitoba, and Manitoba Employment Equity Practitioners Association of Manitoba to ensure open positions within the corporation are available to a diverse group of applicants.
Mount Sinai Hospital	Toronto	General medical and surgical hospitals	2,297	Created an Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Planning Committee to facilitate accessibility programs.
National Bank Financial Group	Montreal	Commercial banking	13,315	Created a global diversity strategy as well as a defined three-year diversity plan, outlining strategic goals and timelines.
Newalta Corp.	Calgary	Materials recovery facilities	1,669	Currently creating an online diversity section with e-learning modules and Diversity@work newsletters to keep employees up to date on best practices and upcoming events.
Nexen Inc.	Calgary	Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction	2,134	Established a formal Aboriginal partnerships strategy to increase Aboriginal representation within the workforce and created a new position dedicated to Aboriginal recruitment.
Northwestel Inc.	Whitehorse, YT	Wired telecommunications carriers	520	Provides Aboriginal relations and diversity training for all employees.
Ontario Public Service	Toronto	Other general government support	64,725	Created a "quiet room" to meet employees' diverse religious and spiritual needs.
Port Metro Vancouver	Vancouver	Port and harbour operations	190	Provides employment presentations to high school students with disabilities, including information about available jobs at the Port and advice on how to apply for them.
Procter & Gamble Inc.	Toronto	Toiletry product manufacturing	1,902	Partners with Career Bridge and INROADS to help members of visible minorities and new Canadians gain work experience through paid internships.
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)	Toronto	Commercial banking	51,100	Has managed a diversity leadership council for the past decade, which meets quarterly and is chaired by RBC president and CEO, Gordon Nixon.
SaskPower Corp.	Regina	Hydroelectric power generation	2,700	Shares job postings with 40 community organizations to ensure positions reach a diverse pool of applicants.
SaskTel	Regina	Wired communications carriers	3,225	Manages several employee support groups including SEND, a network for employees with disabilities, SAEN, for Aboriginal employees, and Next GEN, for younger employees
Saskatchewan Government Insurance	Regina	Direct property and casualty insurance carriers	1,710	Manages a formal diversity committee to promote equitable employment practices for women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Seneca College	Markham, ON	Colleges, universities and professional schools	1,275	Has operated a Resolution Equity and Diversity Centre for over twenty years, which is responsible for developing diversity initiatives and promoting anti-racism and equity.
Shell Canada Ltd.	Calgary	Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction	8,224	Created a formal index to track and measure the progress of the company's diversity and inclusiveness measures.
Statistics Canada	Ottawa	Other general government support	5,550	Created a sub-committee to promote awareness of disability issues, focusing on the recruitment, retention, accessibility, and integration of disabled employees and committed funds to provide full time aides to quadriplegic employees during the work day.
Telus Corp.	Vancouver	Wired telecommunications carriers	24,384	Established a diversity and inclusiveness council in 2009 to oversee the development of a business case for diversity as well as a defined strategy for diversity initiatives.
University of British Columbia	Vancouver	Colleges, universities and professional schools	10,550	Is developing a pilot program in partnership with the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Open Door group to recruit individuals with disabilities.
University of Toronto	Toronto	Colleges, universities and professional schools	8,400	The Status of Women office launched an "Acts of Daily Excellence" initiative, highlighting the achievements of women staff, faculty, and students.
Vancouver, City of	Vancouver	Legislative bodies	6,901	Provides new staff with diversity training workshops and recently translated their training materials into Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese and Tagalog.
Xerox Canada Ltd.	Toronto	Other computer peripheral equipment manufacturing	3,571	Created a diversity and inclusion website to provide employees with information on the business case for diversity, issues of gender, culture, Aboriginal relations, employment equity and the inter-generational workforce.

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Companies are selected by Mediacorp. Note: This list is not ranked. The companies on it appear in alphabetical order.

Companies are selected by Mediacorp. Note: This list is not ranked. The companies on it appear in alphabetical order.

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