NewAlta employee Sebastien Degat and daughter at a United Way event in Burlington, Ont. NewAlta Corporation is a provider of industrial waste management, specializing in recycling. The firm maintains an employment equity plan to ensure a barrier- and discrimination-free workplace.
Accenture PLC, Toronto. Computer programming and consulting; 3,793 employees. Established the "Women's Initiative," a formal strategy for the advancement of women.
Agrium Inc., Calgary. Nitrogenous fertilizer manufacturing; 2,251 employees. Established an Inclusive Workplace Council.
Amex Canada Inc., Markham, Ont. Credit card issuing; 3,269 employees. Partnered with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) to provide cultural training sessions.
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro), Vancouver. Hydro electric power generation; 5,735 employees. Offers online diversity resources and tool kit through the company's intranet website.
Boeing Canada Operations Ltd., Winnipeg. Aircraft parts manufacturing; 1,513 employees. Offers bursaries for aboriginal students enrolled in the Aerospace Manufacturing Technician program at Red River College. Created an aboriginal recruitment and retention strategy.
Bombardier Inc., Montreal. Aircraft manufacturing; 24,147 employees. The aerospace division created a two-year plan to support the development of women in leadership.
British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Burnaby, B.C. Colleges and universities; 1,738 employees. Works with several local community organizations to promote diversity and inclusion.
Business Development Bank of Canada, Montreal. Banking; 1,958 employees. Created an aboriginal summer student internship program.
Cameco Corp., Saskatoon. Uranium mining; 3,033 employees. Introduced a "workplace inclusion and accommodation" program in support of a barrier-free work environment.
Cargill Ltd., Winnipeg. Oil, seed and grain combination farming; 7,772 employees. Created a diversity council to provide assistance to new Canadian employees and their families.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto. Hospitals; 2,067 employees. Employees are required to complete a full-day of diversity training.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Toronto. Commercial banking; 33,965 employees. Manages a national employment equity and diversity council.
Corus Entertainment Inc., Toronto. Television broadcasting; 1,522 employees. Forwards job vacancies to community organizations including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, ACCES Employment and Career Edge.
Dalhousie University, Halifax. Colleges and universities; 3,328 employees. Recently launched diversity faculty awards.
Enmax Corp., Calgary. Electric power distribution; 1,751 employees. In partnership with Lethbridge College, offers scholarships for aboriginal students.
Ernst & Young LLP, Toronto. Certified public accountants; 4,427 employees. Manages several unique "reverse-mentoring" initiatives.
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Toronto. Lawyers; 1,437 employees. Provides pro-bono legal services to Pride at Work Canada.
Health Canada-Santé Canada, Ottawa. Administration of public health programs; 10,615 employees. Hosted its sixth annual diversity week celebration.
Hewlett-Packard Canada Co., Mississauga. Electronic computer manufacturing; 6,372 employees. Manages a Global Ability Leadership Council to provide support to persons with disabilities or impairment.
Home Depot Canada, Toronto. Hardware stores; 13,580 employees. Launched the Orange Women's Network, an employee resource group.
Information Services Corp. (ISC), Regina. Title abstract and settlement offices, 333 employees. Created a five-year diversity strategy with quarterly and annual diversity and inclusiveness goals.
Jazz Aviation LP, Enfield, NS. Scheduled passenger air transportation; 4,904 employees. Introduced new training for people managers on managing psychological and mental health claims.
KPMG LLP, Toronto. Certified public accountants; 5,778 employees. Launched the AdaptAbility Network to provide education and support for persons with disabilities.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets; 29,725 employees. Manages an inclusion council composed of employees from all business levels.
Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,980 employees. Hosted focus groups with female power electricians to solicit feedback on their experience in the workplace.
Manitoba, Province of, Winnipeg. Government support; 14,878 employees. Hosts regular morning diversity workshops.
McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Toronto. Lawyers; 1,467 employees. Recently created "Pride Network" for LGBT employees.
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. Hospitals; 2,302 employees. Maintains an Anti Homophobia-Transphobia Action (AHA) subcommittee to help create a more welcoming environment for LGBT staff and patients.
National Bank of Canada, Montreal. Commercial banking; 15,009. Built a succession pool in which half the candidates are women to increase representation of women in senior management.
New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults and Families Inc., Winnipeg. Child and youth services; 358 employees. Head office includes a cultural room with special ventilation for smudging ceremonies.
Newalta Corp., Calgary. Materials recovery facilities; 1,510 employees. Partnered with the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA) to provide a 10-week work placement opportunity.
Northwest Territories government, Yellowknife. Government support; 5,862 employees. Created a Diversity Officer position to develop a diversity and inclusion framework and related initiatives.
Ontario Public Service, Toronto. Government support; 62,441 employees. Created a multi-year accessibility plan that outlines a strategy to integrate accessibility into all core businesses.
Ottawa, City of. Legislative bodies, 12,103 employees. Manages an aboriginal working committee, co-led by the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Toronto. Certified public accountants; 6,527 employees. Hosted "Diversity Dialogue", focus groups with employees at offices across Canada.
Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto. Toiletry product manufacturing; 2,012 employees. Participates in the "Out on Bay Street" conference and career fair.
Rogers Communications Inc., Toronto. Cable and subscription programming; 24,102 employees. Partners with CareerBridge to provide employment opportunities to internationally educated professionals.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Regina. Insurance carriers; 1,902 employees. Offers work placements and internship opportunities to members of visible minorities.
Saskatoon, City of. Legislative bodies; 2,721 employees. In partnership with local community organizations, offers workshops on employment opportunities within the city.
SaskPower, Regina. Hydroelectric power generation; 2,769 employees. Sponsored the Canadian University Queer Services Conference.
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. (SaskTel), Regina. Telecommunications; 3,131 employees. Developed a hiring strategy for persons with disabilities.
Shaw Communications Inc., Calgary. Telecommunications; 12,666 employees. Maintains a national diversity task force chaired by the vice-president of regulatory and government affairs.
Shell Canada Ltd., Calgary. Petroleum and gas extraction; 7,825 employees. Provides a meditation and reflection centre to meet employees' diverse religious and spiritual needs.
Stikeman Elliott LLP, Montreal. Lawyers; 1,148 employees. Partners with the Black Business and Professionals Association (BBPA) to plan outreach initiatives to undergraduate students to encourage them to pursue careers in business and law.
Toronto-Dominion Bank, Toronto. Banking; 43,850 employees. Created a group mentoring program for employees who are visible minorities, women and LGBT.
Telus Corp., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 24,443 employees. Manages "Connections," a national women's employee network made up of more than 3,000 members.
TransCanada Corp., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 2,605 employees. Requires employees to complete mandatory online diversity training.
University of Toronto, Toronto. Colleges and universities; 8,485 employees. Engaged in a campus-wide positive space campaign to promote inclusion.
University of Victoria, Victoria. Colleges and universities; 2,922 employees. Manages a Mental Health Task Force responsible for organizing awareness events throughout the year.
Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria. Hospitals; 8,098 employees. Hired a dedicated aboriginal recruitment and retention adviser.
Vancouver, City of, Vancouver. Legislative bodies; 6,898 employees. Champions the "Measuring Up" initiative which helps organizations improve inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
William Osler Health System, Brampton. Hospitals; 2,792 employees. Plays host to annual diversity and ethics conferences open to all staff.
Workers' Compensation Board of Manitoba, Winnipeg. Administration of human resources programs; 492 employees. Participates in a variety of career fairs such as the Aboriginal Job Fair, Afro-Caribbean Recruitment Fair and Ability Axis Employment Expo, to name a few.
Xerox Canada Inc., Toronto. Computer manufacturing; 3,588 employees. Created a diversity and inclusion website to educate employees on topics including the business case for diversity, and issues of gender and culture.
YMCA of Greater Toronto, Toronto. Individual and family services; 1,310 employees. Maintains a Diversity and Social Inclusion department.