Our commitment
Arva Flour Mills has been part of the southwestern Ontario food system since 1819. Our business has always depended on the people who grow the grain, the people who work in the mill, the people who bake with our flour, and the neighbours who walk into our store. Treating those people fairly is how we have stayed in business for over 200 years.
Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are the modern words for something we believe is straightforward: every person who interacts with our business, as a worker, a farmer, a supplier, a customer, or a community member, deserves to be treated with dignity, given a fair chance, and free from discrimination.
This commitment applies to all of Arva Flour Mills’ operations, employment practices, customer relationships, supplier relationships, and community engagement.
What we commit to
- We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
- We provide a workplace free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination, with a clear and confidential grievance process for any worker who experiences or witnesses unfair treatment.
- We make hiring, compensation, training, and advancement decisions on the basis of skill, contribution, and fit, not personal characteristics.
- We work with farmers and suppliers who share these values and we are open about how we choose them.
- We listen to our workers, our customers, and our community, and we are willing to change how we operate when we hear we can do better.
- We market our products honestly and represent the people in our community with respect.
Accountability
Responsibility for living up to this commitment rests with the Directors of Arva Flour Mills. The Directors review this commitment at their annual review and report on how it is being applied across the operations, customer relationships, and community engagement of the business.
Workers, customers, suppliers, and community members who believe Arva Flour Mills has fallen short of this commitment are invited to raise the concern through our Grievance Policy or directly to a Director. Concerns will be reviewed and responded to.
Communication and review
This commitment is available to workers, suppliers, customers and members of the public. It is provided to new employees during onboarding and reviewed annually by the Directors, with updates as needed.