BIA achieves Rainbow Registered accreditation

BIA achieves Rainbow Registered accreditation, blazing the trail for a welcoming, diverse and inclusive downtown community 

It’s been a good week for Downtown Kingston Business Improvement Area, receiving their Rainbow Registered accreditation through Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) and completing their equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training through the Workplace Inclusion Charter team at KEYS. 

“One of our Guiding Principles at the BIA,” says Marijo Cuerrier, Executive Director, “is to welcome, celebrate, and respect our diverse community. And it’s easy to say that, but we really wanted to put the work in; we wanted to understand the ‘how’.”  

Developed in partnership with Tourism HR Canada, and with the support of the federal government, CGLCC’s Rainbow Registered is a nationally recognized accreditation program designed to help businesses and organizations effectively understand, value and serve 2SLGBTQIA+ employees and customers. Similarly, the Workplace Inclusion Charter team at KEYS works with local businesses to ensure welcoming, diverse, and inclusive workplaces that ultimately contribute to a warmer Kingston community. 

For Cuerrier, the acknowledgments from CGLCC and KEYS are just the beginning, “the next step is to get our membership involved. We represent over 700 downtown businesses that would benefit from these programs.” 

To that end, the BIA is introducing CGLCC’s Rainbow Registered program to their membership during a one-hour roundtable on Tuesday, April 19. Interested parties are invited to register for this free event here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bia-roundtable-introduction-to-the-lgbt-market-tickets-301446724267