- Reside, work, or study in Oshawa or collaborate with an Oshawa-based organization. (Former residents are eligible if they lived in Oshawa within the past year)
- Demonstrates a commitment to DEI through efforts to create change and/or raise awareness (for example, advocacy work, fundraising, community mobilization, art and cultural expression, creating welcoming spaces, collaboration, program development, etc.)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champions Awards
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) Champions Awards recognize and celebrate the people and organizations who are shaping our community into a more welcoming, fair, and inclusive place to live, work, and grow. It includes four distinct categories to recognize individuals, youth, businesses, and community organizations.
Whether through advocacy, workplace practices, or community building, nominees demonstrate leadership behaviours that align with the core concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion:
- Diversity recognizes the many visible and non-visible qualities, experiences, and identities that shape how we live, think, and engage with the world
- Equity means fairness, ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed and working to dismantle systemic barriers
- Inclusion means more than representation; it is about creating welcoming spaces that value and capitalize on the ideas, skills, and talents of all
D.E.I. Community Champion
This award celebrates an individual who is leading positive change in Oshawa. It recognizes community members whose leadership strengthens connections, inspires participation, and builds a sense of belonging for everyone.
The nominee has demonstrated some or all of the following criteria:
- Strong positive impact on their community and/or school (for youth) that has resulted in meaningful and positive change
- Clear commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice in ongoing efforts
- Meaningful leadership by empowering others and creating spaces for everyone to participate
- Lived experience, demonstrated through personal, cultural or community experiences, that meaningfully informs one’s leadership and commitment to advancing D.E.I.
- Lived experience that is reflected in how the nominee approaches their work, deepens understanding, and helps create action that is responsive and grounded in community realities
Marisa Mei
For more than a decade, Marisa has devoted both her professional career and personal life to supporting marginalized individuals and communities facing violence and complex systemic barriers. Her work has consistently centered on advocacy for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, women, and individuals and families experiencing any form of gender‑based violence, intimate partner violence or long‑standing structural inequities.
Beyond her direct service work, Marisa is an active and visible advocate in the community. She regularly participates in marches, rallies and grassroots initiatives focused on equality, human rights and social justice. Marisa consistently demonstrates unwavering dedication to equity, inclusion and the well‑being of others. Her advocacy is a reflection of her core values as she embodies what it means to champion community, compassion and justice, making her an exceptional and deserving candidate for the D.E.I. Champion Award.
D.E.I. Youth Champion
This award celebrates a young person (18 or under) from an equity-deserving group who is helping to make their school or community more inclusive.
- Reside or study in Oshawa
- Are 18 years of age or younger at time of application
- Demonstrates a commitment to D.E.I. through efforts to create change and/or raise awareness (e.g. advocacy work, fundraising, community mobilization, art and cultural expression, creating welcoming spaces, collaboration, program development, etc.)
The nominee has demonstrated some or all of the following criteria:
- Strong positive impact on their community and/or school (for youth) that has resulted in meaningful and positive change
- Clear commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice in ongoing efforts
- Meaningful leadership by empowering others and creating spaces for everyone to participate
- Lived experience, demonstrated through personal, cultural, or community experiences, that meaningfully informs one’s leadership and commitment to advancing D.E.I.
Khushi Dhalla
Khushi Dhalla is a fourth-year Biomedical Science and Psychology student at Ontario Tech University, a student leader and community advocate dedicated to advancing equity, inclusion and access to education. Passionate about community service and social advocacy, Khushi has become an active voice for global education equity, women’s rights and inclusive community-building through her work as a youth member with the United Nations and UNICEF, as well as a mentor at her university.
One of the most impactful aspects of Khushi’s work has been supporting initiatives connected to the Student Refugee Program, which provides refugee students with opportunities to pursue higher education in Canada. Khushi has helped create welcoming and supportive environments for incoming refugee students, ensuring that Oshawa continues to be a community where newcomers feel supported as they pursue educational opportunities and build their futures. Through her leadership and service within the Oshawa community, Khushi has become deeply involved in initiatives that promote social advocacy, global education equity and inclusive community build.
D.E.I. Business Champion
This award celebrates a private business that is putting diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) into action. A Business Champion might be a company that has improved its hiring practices, created a workplace where employees feel they belong, or launched community programs that support equity-deserving groups. Businesses that show leadership and inclusivity help make Oshawa a stronger and more welcoming city.
- Operate in Oshawa (business must be in Oshawa or provide services to Oshawa residents)
- Demonstrates practices that integrate equity and inclusion into their policies, operations, and relationships
- Demonstrates measurable, sustained impact, both within their workplace and across the broader community, and/or collaborates with community partners to advance D.E.I. in communities
The nominee has demonstrated some or all of the following criteria:
- Commitment to D.E.I. through inclusive hiring, promotion, and retention practices, accessible policies and environments, and training or supports that build employee awareness of D.E.I.
- Proactive leadership in identifying and addressing barriers in creative or innovative ways, going beyond minimum requirements to advance meaningful D.E.I. commitments
- Strong community connections through partnerships, collaborations, and ongoing engagement, creating opportunities for Oshawa residents and contributing to the broader community through support, sponsorships, donations, or services
- Clear evidence of accountability by defining, tracking and demonstrating outcomes related to D.E.I. efforts
Fairy Glen Day Care Centre
Fairy Glen Day Care Centre has been offering quality childcare and learning within the Durham Region since 1985. Fairy Glen Day Care Centre has long demonstrated a commitment to inclusive learning through its anti-bias curriculum. In 2021, the Centre took an important step forward by partnering with Credence and Co. to assess its current diversity, equity and inclusion practices and identify opportunities for growth. A dedicated D.E.I. Committee, made up of educators and members of the management team, was formed to help guide this work. As part of the process, Fairy Glen introduced a DEI survey for employees and management and participated in in-person educator interviews conducted by Credence and Co. The feedback gathered helped shape the Committee’s action plan, which focused on DEI awareness, belonging, policy and procedure accountability, leadership diversity and DEI training.
This action plan has since become a guiding document for Fairy Glen’s ongoing D.E.I. initiatives, reflecting the Centre’s continued dedication to creating a welcoming, accountable and inclusive environment for children, families and staff.
D.E.I. Organization Champion
This award recognizes a non-profit, charity, grassroots collective, or association that is making D.E.I. a core part of the work that they do. An Organization Champion might be a group that runs programs for newcomers, advocates for accessibility, partners with Indigenous communities, creates safe spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, and more. These organizations play a vital role in removing barriers and building a stronger sense of belonging in Oshawa.
- Non-profit organizations, charities, grassroots collectives, or associations
- Based in Oshawa or deliver services to Oshawa residents
The nominee has demonstrated some or all of the following criteria:
- Clear and measurable impact on the community, with evidence that their efforts have made a positive difference at an organizational or community-wide level
- A strong commitment to embedding D.E.I. values into the organization’s vision, daily operations, services and/or programming
- Foster collaboration and inclusion by engaging community members, partners, or volunteers in meaningful ways
- Sustainability and longevity of impact, demonstrated through future-focused plans, strategic goals, or past initiatives that have been recognized through reports, funding, or grants
Mission United Physician Services
Mission United Physician Services (M.U.P.S.) is a dedicated group of physicians in disciplines of Family Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Psychiatry and Palliative Care providing clinical care to unhoused, underhoused and highly vulnerable populations in Oshawa. In partnership with Canadian Mental Health Association Durham's Mission United Program, hosted at the Back Door Mission in downtown Oshawa, Mission United Physician Services provide high-volume, low-barrier medical service, offering roughly 60 to 70 medical encounters each day. Their approach to care is grounded in dignity, compassion and health equity, recognizing the personal and social contexts that shape each client’s experience, including race, immigration status, gender expression, cultural background, social and economic status, housing status and health challenges.
The impact of Mission United Physician Services is truly lifesaving. Beyond providing medical care, the team advocates for clients, helps them navigate access to wrap around health and housing services, connects them with specialists, listens to their needs and reminds them that there are people in their own community who genuinely care about their well-being. With kindness, acceptance and a commitment to care that is free from bias, Mission United Physician Services exemplifies what it means to advance inclusion and equity in health care.
On behalf of Mission United Physician Services Dr. Vincent Ho, Medical Director, M.U.P.S., Dr. Catherine Meunier, Associate Medical Director, M.U.P.S., and Dr. Lily Robinson, Physician Lead, Choice and Dignity in Dying, Mission United, CMHA Durham accepted the award.
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