Celebrating 10 years of our Pride and Allies employee resource group.
By: David Alexander, VP, Innovation & Sustainable Meats, and Executive Sponsor of Pride and Allies
As Pride Month comes to a close, this year feels especially meaningful. The Maple Leaf Pride and Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary — a milestone that has prompted me to reflect on the progress we've made and the people who have helped make it possible.
Having been involved with Pride and Allies since its inception, I've had the privilege of watching it evolve from a small group with an important mission into a community that has helped shape our culture, policies, and ways of working.
Looking back, what stands out to me isn't just the organizational changes we've made. It's also the individual moments that remind me why this work matters.
Reflecting on the Last Decade
Reaching this milestone is an opportunity to recognize what has been accomplished over the past 10 years through the commitment of team members, allies, and leaders across our organization.
Some of that progress is reflected in tangible changes to our policies and benefits. Over the years, we've expanded support for diverse families through more inclusive parental leave policies and strengthened access to gender-affirming care. These changes help ensure our people can see themselves reflected in the support available to them.
For me, some of these changes are personal. As part of a same-sex couple, I understand how meaningful it is when policies recognize and support different family structures.
But the impact of Pride and Allies extends beyond policy.
One of the most significant changes I've witnessed is the growing confidence of team members to show up as themselves at work. Ten years ago, conversations about 2SLGBTQ+ experiences were less visible. Today, we see team members and allies across the organization engaging openly, sharing perspectives, and helping foster a workplace where people feel respected for who they are.
That progress did not happen overnight. It was built through countless conversations, advocacy efforts, and acts of leadership at every level of the organization.
As ERG member Jennifer Hawn reflects, the first Pride Week in 2016 was about creating a place where members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community could feel seen, valued, and safe. A decade later, she believes that the same commitment continues to guide the group today.
What stands out most to me is that many of the changes we've made are now part of how we operate every day. Whether it's more inclusive language in our policies, broader representation in our communications, or benefits that better reflect the realities of our team members’ lives, these are changes that help people feel supported not just during Pride Month, but all throughout the year.
That's a legacy worth recognizing.
The Power of Personal Impact
When I think about the moments I'm most proud of, they aren't the ones that appear in reports or presentations: they’re the conversations that happen one person at a time.
Over the years, colleagues have reached out because they saw me as someone they could talk to openly. Many of those conversations have been with parents of 2SLGBTQ+ children who are looking for a place to ask questions, share concerns, or simply talk through experiences they may not have discussed before.
Those interactions are rarely visible, but they're the moments that stay with me. They remind me that the impact of this work often happens in ways that can't be measured. It happens when someone feels comfortable asking a difficult question. It happens when someone finds support during an uncertain moment. It happens when people realize they don't have to navigate something alone.
As Pride and Allies member Lee Cadesky describes, the ERG provided a place where she could be seen without judgment while finding the confidence to become more comfortable being herself.
One part of Lee's reflection particularly resonates with me: spaces like these can allow people to "taste a little bit of bravery before they're ready for too much of it."
That idea captures something important. Progress is often built through small moments — ones that help people feel understood, supported, and accepted for who they are.
For me, those conversations and connections are what make this work meaningful.
Looking Ahead
While anniversaries invite reflection, they are also a reminder that progress is something we continue to build every day.
The past 10 years have shown what can happen when 2SLGBTQ+ team members, allies, and leaders come together with a shared commitment to creating a workplace where people can thrive. We've made meaningful progress, but there is always more to learn and opportunities to keep improving.
As I look ahead, I feel grateful for everyone who has contributed to this journey and optimistic about what comes next.
Pride and Allies has helped shape our workplace in important ways over the last decade. More importantly, it has helped create connections, conversations, and experiences that have had a lasting impact on people.
For me, that's what this anniversary is really about.
