City council has been asked to reactivate the Advisory Committee on Racism and Discrimination.

Whitehorse resident Mike Gladish, a former city councillor, made the request at last Monday night’s council meeting.

“Whitehorse is not immune to hateful acts, discrimination, or public policies that may be based in a racist history,” he said.

Gladish acknowledged the anti-racism resolution that the city councils of Whitehorse and Dawson City are planning to present May 8 to the annual general meeting of the Association of Yukon Communities(AYC).

The resolution commits the association to provide anti-racism training on an annual basis.

The resolution demonstrates a desire to act against racist and hateful behaviour, Gladish said.

He said he was told last year a request to reactivate the committee would have to be made directly to city council.

“I am here to make that request,” Gladish said.

“I know that a group of citizens, including members of the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition, former advisory committee members and other Whitehorse citizens are ready and willing to sit on a reactivated committee.”

He said in keeping with the phase “nothing about us, without us,” the committee needs to include concerned citizens who represent racialized groups of people who are marginalized due to social status or sexual identity.

“There are people waiting to take part on an advisory committee so that no decisions will be made about them, without them,” he said.

“They would like to help you make a more inclusive community.”

Gladish said reactivating the committee is an opportunity to engage with citizens who are eager to share their knowledge and experiences.

“It’s an opportunity to act on the AYC resolution,” he said. “And it’s an opportunity to show that the City of Whitehorse is serious about being anti-racist.”

Gladish said reactivating the committee would ensure it’s ready to advise the new city council to be elected in October.

The committee could collaborate with other communities to ensure the resolution is meaningful and not just a promise, he said.

Gladish urged council to bring forward a resolution next month to reactivate the committee. He noted it was formed in 2013 but was “temporarily suspended” in 2017.

Just last month, said Gladish, 150 residents attended a memorial vigil in Whitehorse for the eight people killed in the Atlanta mass shooting on March 16. Six of the victims were Asian women.

The vigil was a demonstration against the disturbing increase in crimes against people of Asian ancestry, he said.

Gladish said one of the organizers of the March 27 vigil told the crowd there were close to 1,000 anti-Asian hate crimes reported across Canada since March 17, including insults, death threats and spitting.

The city is not currently a member of the national Canadian Coalition for inclusive Municipalities, city manager Linda Rapp pointed out when asked by Coun. Steve Roddick.

Council could bring forward a resolution to join the coalition, she said.