Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Our approach

At BCLC, everything we do is about bringing people together. It means designing experiences that truly reflect the diverse communities and players we serve.  As a Crown corporation, it means upholding the commitments of our Province to help build a more equitable society — one where everyone has fair opportunities to thrive.

And as an employer, it means creating and sustaining a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and heard. Where employees can build meaningful relationships with one another, and where they feel part of something bigger.

And it’s why we believe one of the best investments we can make is in our people — so that every employee has the support they need to grow and thrive. 

In 2021, we launched a new Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Policy, reinforcing our core values of respect, integrity, and community while deepening our commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. We know this is a continuous journey, and we’re committed to doing the work to create meaningful change — because when people feel they belong, we all win.

Learn more

Our team

Making real change takes collective effort. That’s why we have a dedicated DIB team working alongside leadership to advance inclusion across the organization. Our DIB Committee, made up of employees from all areas of BCLC, helps champion these efforts — bringing forward diverse perspectives and lived experiences to shape policies and initiatives that help us all feel more connected to one another. Together, we’re working to create a workplace, and a future, where everyone feels they belong.

Employee resource groups

Making human connection a priority at work helps us shape the future of our industry and is core to helping us make meaningful and lasting differences in our province.

Our employee resource groups work closely with the DIB Committee to provide space for connection and development and to ensure continuous dialogue around DIB is held across and throughout the organization. Here are few examples of employee-led groups that are helping to foster a more inclusive culture at BCLC. 

PRIDE

PRIDE’s mission is to promote a diverse and inclusive culture at BCLC, with a focus on 2SLGBTQAI+, through support, education and community presence.

AIM

AIM stands for acts of kindness, inspiration and mentorship. We’re focused on supporting the advancement of women at BCLC by inspiring growth and facilitating access to leadership opportunities.

Mental Health Ambassadors

The Mental Health Ambassadors bring together employees with a focus on raising awareness of mental health and fostering a safe and supportive work culture for everyone.

Accessibility

The Accessibility Employee Resource Group works to strengthen BCLC's inclusive culture, belonging and empowerment; support the development of barrier-free processes; improve the employee experience for people with disabilities; and identify areas for improvement. More than half of the group's membership is comprised of individuals who self-identify with diverse abilities. 

Indigenous & Allies

The Indigenous Employee Resource Group advises us on promoting awareness around education, collaboration and knowledge sharing with respect to Indigenous peoples and their history and culture, as well as identifying career growth and mentorships opportunities for current and future Indigenous employees. 

Inclusive Holiday Program

At BCLC, we recognize and celebrate the diversity of our teams. That’s why we have a program that gives employees the flexibility to substitute up to six BCLC-observed statutory holidays each year for days that hold personal, cultural or religious significance.

One exception is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In keeping with our commitment to meaningful and lasting reconciliation, we observe this day together on September 30 to honour the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

Learn more

Understanding our diversity

To build a truly inclusive workplace, we need to listen and learn so that we can be stronger together. In 2021, we launched our first-ever voluntary workforce survey to better understand our employees’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. This insight helps us identify opportunities to improve our policies, programs, workspaces, and communications — ensuring they reflect and support everyone at BCLC. By surveying for our demographics annually, we can measure our progress over time and ensure our programs continue to serve the evolving workforce.

Our commitments

We’re making commitments and working with industry partners and government to make an impact.

Meaningful Reconciliation

BCLC supports government’s commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. BCLC is developing a strategy, which will be done in partnership with Indigenous communities, to reflect actions we can take throughout our business to support common goals toward Reconciliation. 

As a start we have initiated Indigenous Awareness Training which will be rolled out across our business and have invited elders and experts to participate in sessions intended to celebrate and educate on Indigenous peoples.

Black North Pledge

By signing the Black North Pledge, we are committing to seven goals aimed at helping to put an end to anti-Black systematic racism and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. 

50-30 Challenge

By participating in the 50-30 Challenge, we are working towards two goals: 

  1. Gender parity (50%) on our Board and in senior management positions.
  2. Significant representation (30%) on our Board and in senior management positions of other under-represented groups: racialized persons, persons living with disabilities, persons who identify as LGBTQ2S+, and Indigenous peoples.

Minerva - The Face of Leadership Pledge

As a participant in the Face of Leadership Pledge, we are part of a community of business leaders that are working to attract, retain and advance diverse female talent in their organizations.

Community of Accessible Employers

As a member of the Community of Accessible Employers, we are working with a network of BC employers to champion for more accessible, inclusive workplaces.

Expanding our Knowledge

Learning drives change, and it starts with us. Our employee resource groups also help foster open conversations, share valuable resources – including organization-wide unconscious bias training — and create safe spaces to discuss important topics like racism and discrimination. This is one way we can better understand each other and feel part of something bigger.

Kamloops Office

Barrier-Free BCLC: Creating an Inclusive Future

We’re committed to making BCLC accessible to everyone. Through collaboration with experts and our Accessibility Employee Resource Group, we developed Barrier-Free BCLC — our multi-year plan to remove barriers and create an environment where people of all abilities can fully participate. 

Read our plan.

Inclusive Hiring

A diverse team makes us stronger and more connected. We welcome applicants of all gender identities, Indigenous peoples, individuals with disabilities, people of colour, and members of the 2SLGBTQAI+ community.

If you are interested in one of our career opportunities and require accommodation at any step of the recruitment and assessment process, please email your request to recruitment@bclc.com. If you have feedback related to accessibility at BCLC, we'd love to hear from you!