The British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) has raised the Progress flag outside its Kamloops offices to demonstrate its dedication to the celebration of pride, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
The BCLC has also updated the Pride crosswalk at its headquarters and the building decals at its Vancouver office to reflect the new colours and design on the Progress flag in honour of Pride Month 2021.
A journey to better reflect diversity and inclusion
BCLC’s Chief Social Purpose Officer and Vice President, Player Experience, Peter ter Weeme, said: “Diversity, inclusion and belonging is a journey, not a destination, and I’m so proud to see the Progress flag flown at BCLC’s headquarters in Kamloops. This signifies an important step forward in BCLC’s journey to better reflect diversity and inclusion.”
The BCLC also stated that it continues committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, one in which all employees have equal opportunity and are treated with decency and respect.
Katelyn Boughton, President of the Kamloops Pride Committee and Senior System Analyst at BCLC, is a founding member of the corporation’s own Pride Committee and has been involved in a number of Pride projects, including the inauguration of the rainbow crosswalk in 2019.
A collaborative effort
Boughton said: “Flying the Progress flag at BCLC symbolises that diversity, inclusion, belonging and feeling accepted as LGBTQ2S+ are important to us, and matter to everyone at BCLC.
“This was a collaborative effort between Executives, the Pride Committee and the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and demonstrates BCLC’s commitment to the LGBTQ2S+ community in Kamloops, Vancouver and right across the province.”
The lottery’s Pride and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committees assist the organisation in supporting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
The BCLC stated that its head office is located in the Tk’emlps te Secwépemc’s unceded, traditional territory, and that its flags, including the new Progress flag, will continue to fly at half-mast to mourn the victims of the Kamloops residential school and their families.