Retroactive Training for All Servers of Alcohol to Identify and Intervene on Incidents of Sexual Harassment and Violence - by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, seconded by Councillor Mike Layton

Toronto City Council in 2016 formally joined that call with the adoption of Member Motion 22.11 Training for Servers of Alcohol to Identify and Intervene on Incidents of Sexual Harassment and Violence. Within this announcement, Smart Serve Ontario noted that those who already have the Smart Serve certification aren't required to take the course again with the new module to recognize and respond to sexual violence. This means that many staff who have already been Smart Serve certified will never receive the updated training. Sexual violence is preventable and an enhanced Smart Serve program can help, but only if everyone is trained. Logistical or other challenges should not stop us from taking every step possible to prevent sexual violence. Sexual violence is the only violent crime in Canada that is not declining, with 1 in 3 Canadian women and 1 in 8 Canadian men experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. This is even more alarming for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community who are almost three times more likely to experience sexual violence. With rates of sexual assault that are higher than the Provincial and National average in Toronto, it is incumbent upon City Council to urgently speak up on this issue, and request a reversal of the decision to not retroactively mandate those who are already certified to receive this crucial training module. This Motion is urgent because on September 24, 2021, the AGCO released its announcement to introduce a mandatory Smart Serve training requirement for sexual violence prevention, exclusively for new servers. City Council must act urgently to request that all servers, new and previously Smart Serve-certified, are equipped with the training to make the hospitality and tourism sectors' reopening a safe experience for everyone.