In March 2020, the Jane Finch Initiative team was tasked with establishing a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide community oversight and accountability in the creation of the engagement strategy, and the development of a Community Development Plan and an updated Land Use Planning Framework for the Jane and Finch area. The project team aimed to recruit a CAC whose members equitably reflected the broad demographics of the many diverse communities living in the area, including residents, stakeholders, and business representatives.

To achieve this goal, the team mailed notices to over 18,000 households in the area. The notice explained what the role of the CAC would be in the process, clearly stated that membership was not based on citizenship status, and that honoraria would be provided for participation. The notices could also be translated into 10 languages by calling 311.

In addition to the mail drop, the notice was posted to local Whatsapp and Facebook groups by the community-based engagement partner, The Jane Finch Centre. Those interested in joining were asked to fill out a short form providing demographic information, and identify the issues they were interested in. In the event that people didn't have access to a computer, they could call a phone number to express their interest.

This wider outreach effort helped the team reach a diverse range of candidates. Over 50 people expressed interest in joining the CAC. Together with The Jane Finch Centre, the City selected 21 participants to join the CAC. Members of the current CAC are from different linguistic and ethnic backgrounds, ages, and sexual orientations, and they all share a common interest in helping their community.