In the years following the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, the celebration and promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives were everywhere.

At Benefits Canada, the conversations inspired us to launch this annual DEI Issue, as well as a DEI Program category in our Workplace Benefits Awards. In the years since, we’ve handed out this award to several leading employers, including Air Canada, BNP Paribas, Labatt Breweries of Canada, PepsiCo Canada and Unilever Canada Inc.

(In case you missed it, the 2026 Workplace Benefits Awards is currently open for entries. Nominate your organization today to share all of the amazing support — including through a DEI Program — you’re providing to your employees.)

Enter the 2026 Workplace Benefits Awards here.

More recently, it seems the term DEI has all but disappeared. When our editorial team reached out to sources for the features in this issue, they were repeatedly told that the language used around diversity, equity and inclusion has changed.

This isn’t a brand-new notion. I wrote about it in last year’s Editorial as well. Earlier in the year, the University of Alberta’s president Bill Flanagan had penned an op-ed in the Edmonton Journal announcing the university’s intention to move forward with a new framework and new language around its DEI efforts.

Read: Editorial: DEI’s non-linear evolution will carry on despite........

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