10/4/21
by: Niagara Host Society
Accenture To Be Official Partner Of Diversity And Inclusion For The Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games
In its role, Accenture will support the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games in creating a welcoming environment for all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, age or disability
October 4, 2021 (Niagara, Ont.) — The Niagara 2022 Host Society is proud to announce that Accenture (NYSE: ACN) will become the Official Diversity and Inclusion Partner for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, playing a lead role in creating activations that will engage Games’ participants and spectators alike and celebrate Canada’s diversity during next summer’s event.
In partnership with Niagara 2022, Accenture will organize activations at the Athletes Village and at Niagara Place, an outdoor festival site that will be situated at Canada Games Park. Additionally, Accenture will be the presenting sponsor of Pride Day at Niagara Place. This event, currently scheduled for August 17, will bring participants, spectators and volunteers together to celebrate LGBTQI2S social and self-acceptance, achievements, and pride.
These celebration sites and activations will aim to foster a more welcoming and safe environment for everyone at both sport and non-sport venue sites at the 2022 Canada Summer Games regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, age or disability.
“Inclusivity and safe sport are two driving principles of any Canada Games, and thanks to support from organizations like Accenture, Niagara 2022 is proud to be taking meaningful steps to further these principles,” said Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Host Society. “The Canada Games are a vital experience in the journey of many young Canadian athletes, and we want to provide a safe and inclusive environment for this experience.”
“Accenture’s commitment to being an inclusive and diverse company extends beyond our offices and into our communities,” added Rachel Stuchberry, a managing director at Accenture in Niagara. “Sport is one of the most powerful vehicles to cultivate change in the community and the larger society because it teaches us to respect and value one another. By partnering with the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, we’ll work to support an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves and where we will also celebrate our diversity in Canada.”
“Partnering with Accenture will allow for the 2022 Canada Games to create engaging inclusion initiatives for our participants in the Athletes Village, ensuring that all of them feel safe, welcomed, and included for who they are,” said Aidan Godin, Niagara 2022’s Athletes Village Chair. “As young Canadian athletes focus their energy on competition, these initiatives will assist the Athletes Village in being a safe space to unwind, have fun, and make memories in their home away from home."
“Thank you to Accenture for stepping forward as a partner for the Canada Summer Games. The inclusivity of the Canada Games reflects our community in Niagara and ideals of Canada,” declared City of St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik. “This commitment from Accenture also reflects their vision as an employer to work together to build a community that is welcoming, inclusive and celebrates our differences. We are all very excited to welcome the country to Niagara next summer.”
Accenture has been an employer in the Niagara Region since 2001, and in 2020 it expanded its footprint by opening a new intelligent operations centre in downtown St. Catharines. As a leading global professional services company, Accenture has long been recognized for its commitment to providing an inclusive, open and equitable work environment. As a result, Accenture has been named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for nine consecutive years, ranked in DiversityInc's Top 50 List of Companies for Diversity for 15 consecutive years, and in the top three of the Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion Top 100 index over the last four years.
As a result of this expertise, the Niagara 2022 Host Society has welcomed Accenture’s collaboration on the development of future diversity and inclusion initiatives. Next summer’s event will also be the second Canada Games where athletes will be allowed to compete in events for the gender with which they identify under an inclusion policy that was enacted by the Canada Games Council prior to the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta.
About the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games
At the peak of Niagara’s boldest summer yet, more than 5,000 up-and-coming athletes, their coaches and support staff will gather to compete for the podium in Canada’s largest multi-sport event. From August 6 to 21, 2022, Niagara will surge stronger than ever on the national stage. The 2022 Games, made possible thanks to funding and support from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Niagara Region, and the Canada Games Council, will give rise to new legacies of ambition, confidence, and compassion that will inspire generations to come.
For further information, visit us at niagara2022games.ca or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (@2022canadagames).
Media Contact:
Christopher Séguin, Manager, Media & Communications
289.880.4005
About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 624,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
Media Contact:
Susan Kirwin, Media & Analyst Relations Lead - Canada
416.641.5148
