The Board of Directors recognizes the inherent dignity and value of every individual. As the governing body, the Board accepts responsibility for setting the tone on equity, diversity and inclusion, and for holding both the organization and itself accountable for these commitments.

This statement aligns with, and expresses at the Board level, the organizational commitment carried by the REAL (Representation, Engagement, Action, Leadership) Committee.

The Board’s Commitment

Non-discrimination

The Board promotes and values the elimination of racism, diversity and inclusion, and will not tolerate any form of discrimination — whether within the Board itself, in the delivery of care, or in the workplace — in order to ensure equal opportunity for all, without distinction based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnicity, citizenship, belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other characteristic or circumstance protected by Ontario human rights legislation.

Beyond non-discrimination

The Board’s commitment to the values of equality and individual dignity goes far beyond non-discrimination. The Board applies the principles of inclusion not only to groups protected by human rights legislation, but also to all kinds of personal differences, including but not limited to personal and political values, culture, experience, education, communication style, and personal interests.

Franco-Ontarian identity and linguistic inclusion

The Board recognizes that linguistic inclusion is, in the HGH context, a foundational dimension of equity. HGH is a designated bilingual community hospital under the French Language Services Act (Ontario), and French and English have been the Corporation’s two official languages since its incorporation in 1977.

They treats access to care in the official language of one’s choice as a matter of health equity and cultural safety, not as an administrative requirement alone. The active offer of French language services is a governance obligation, set out in Policy 3.14 — Bilingualism at HGH.

They commit to conducting its own governance in both official languages: documents, deliberations, training, and member recruitment processes.

Cultural safety and equity-deserving communities

The Board is committed to promoting a respectful, inclusive and culturally safe environment for all staff, physicians, patients and communities served, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. This commitment recognizes the importance of respect for cultural differences, cultural humility, and reconciliation in fostering equity, trust and high-quality care.

They recognize that equity-deserving communities may face systemic barriers to care, and that such barriers can exist even where they are not visible in routine organizational data.

Indigenous-specific systemic racism

The Board recognizes that Indigenous-specific systemic racism is a distinct form of racism, rooted in colonialism, requiring a distinct governance response.

They adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as the recognized framework informing its understanding of its obligations in this regard, including the rights to self-determination (Articles 3 and 4), to maintain traditional health practices (Article 24), and to access health services without discrimination (Article 24).

They acknowledge that HGH serves a small Indigenous population and currently has no staff member who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis. The Board affirms that this demographic reality does not diminish its obligation; it shapes how that obligation is met. Accordingly, the Board prioritizes cultural humility, education of its own members, guidance from external Indigenous expertise, and relationship-building with Indigenous communities in the region, rather than internal structures that would not reflect the organization’s reality.

Board accountability

The Board commits to:

• integrating equity, diversity and inclusion principles into its competency-based recruitment processes and Board composition, in accordance with the HGH Corporate By-laws (June 26, 2024);
• requiring every Board member to complete training in equity, diversity and inclusion, and in Indigenous cultural safety;
• considering equity implications in its governance decisions and in its monitoring of organizational performance;
• making this statement publicly available;
• reviewing this statement at least every three years.
  • Current version adopted by the Board of Directors on 30 September 2026