April 24, 2007
Table of Contents
Table of Contents: ……………………………………..…2
Facilitator: ………………………………………….….....3
Participants: .…………………………………………….3
Agenda ………………………………………….……...…3
Community Matters Initiative Background…………….4
Value proposition ……………………………………..…4
Process Mapping Exercise……………………………..…5
Present action plans………………………………………5
Workshop evaluation/Adjournment
Our Thanks to the Trillium Foundation for Generously Funding this Initiative
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Participants:
Marcia Adams - United Way of South Georgian Bay
Lorna Howlett-Lowe – Resident/Nottawasaga Creemore Public School
Lisa Kidd - Bruce Grey Huron Perth Georgian Triangle Training Board
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Following the Community Consultation sessions, the findings were tabulated and reports were drafted for each municipality and circulated within the community.
Phase 2 consisted of a Community Matters Survey, which was published and distributed in the Enterprise Bulletin local newspaper, which has a circulation of 20,000 households in our area. The idea behind the survey was to engage a broader number of people in the community to participate in the CM Initiative, so that everyone would have a voice in this process. The survey was distributed on May 5, 2006, and was out in the Community for a 2 month period. The survey was available both in a hard copy version, as well as electronically. The survey was also emailed to our UW Community Agencies, and other UW contacts. Again, the results were analysed and reports were created.
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Phase 3 was the 2nd round of Community Consultations Sessions, which we have just completed as of November 2, 2006. The results of our discussions frame this report.
*The Bruce Grey Huron Perth Georgian Triangle Training Board generously offered their support to this Initiative, by funding the Professional Facilitation services for the 4 Community Consultation Sessions. The Training Boards’ interest with the Community Matters Initiative, was to learn about the issues that arise with respect to Employment and Training, as well as the possibility and potential funding that may be available to the issues identified that fit with the Mandate of the Training Board and criteria for the allocation process.
The top 5 issues that were identified back in June 2005 were #1 Issues around Youth, #2 Transportation for Seniors, #3 Networking, #4 Volunteerism, and #5 Affordable Housing.
Value Proposition is when you take a snapshot of your community, and accessing its’ value. In other words, “who are we as a community?” and “what do we offer?”
The group felt very strongly about taking on the Youth issue, because it continues to be the #1 issue in Clearview Township.
Youth:
What are the issues about Youth in this community?
-Not enough activities available for elementary and high school students. Hockey is available, but only to families that can afford the expenses associated with this organized sport.
-The outdoor pool is available to the community, however there are limited hours of access.
-Some of the recreational facilities that are available for the Youth, tend to be closed when the youth have the time to access them.
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An example of this would be with the outdoor pool hours. They have limited hours of operation. In the summer months they are open only in July & August.
-Other organized sports activities that are offered in Clearview Township are not accessible to the Youth because of cost, such as registration fees, uniforms, equipment etc.
-It was suggested that people who live in Clearview Township think life is pretty good. However, with the influx of families coming to the area from larger centres, things may change. Newcomers may go to the community with complaints about the lack of activities.
-The skateboard park was well received.
-There have been community dances for the youth, but the age was lowered. The younger youth participating in the dances were not witnessing a very good example. The kids need to have their own dances, as well as being involved in the planning process. As it stands now, there isn’t any Youth representation on the Community Dance Committee.
-Active 2010 is a committee that has a vision to encourage all of the citizens and communities of the South Georgian Bay area to embrace and promote physical activity and reap the rewards of healthy lifestyles. Active 2010 has the same catchment area as the United Way of South Georgian Bay, The Town of Collingwood, Clearview Township, The Town of Wasaga Beach, and The Town of the Blue Mountains. There is great support from all 4 municipalities on the Active 2010 committee. They have been moving forward with their vision, in fact New Lowell and Creemore being unique communities’, have made their school an active Community Centre. The Active 2010 committee will try to use a similar template for Creemore, by using the 2 seniors buildings.
There is currently a 5 year master plan being drafted for the Township of Clearview, with the construction of a Sports & Leisure Recreation Centre. The Youth need to be involved in this process.
-It was commented that, it’s not only that there is a lack of facilities in Clearview, but also access to the facilities, because of lack of funds, and lack of transportation to and from the facility.
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-Youth don’t want to be perceived as the future of our community, they want to be included, and involved right now. We need to give them responsability, and if they fail pick them up and get them going again.
How do we Engage the community with the “Youth” issue?
-We need to keep the issue hot, and keep talking about it.
-Need to get all the kids involved.
-We could have student committees where an adult leader could facilitate their discussions. The adult would have to be compatible with the Youth generation. It would be interesting to have grade 11 or grade 12 students facilitate with a younger youth demographic. The idea would be to start off with a mentor, and then the senior student would slowly fade away from the committee. At which time the youth committee would report to the principal, guidance councillor or designate. Lorna felt that SCI would be on board as well as Nottawasaga & Creemore school. They could be the “Pilot Project” for the Youth Model Initiative.
-It would also be great to use the Georgian Trails to be a Community Connector, which would link Communities together. This would encourage a safe and healthy way for youth to travel to visit their friends. The highways are too busy and dangerous.
-We need to keep this Youth topic enticing for the community to grab onto.
-We need to engage Leaders in the Community to come on board with this issue. Lorna Howlett-Lowe put her sister Monica Menacola, and Grenville Brey’s names forward as potential leaders to help drive these issues forward.
-Another option may be to ask one of the Youth speakers to join us during a Youth Community Consultation Session, on an issue that the Youth of today face such as Anorexia. Tatiana Lawson’s name came up as a potential speaker on this subject matter.
-We could offer a Leadership course for the Youth in the community.
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-There is a huge opportunity for change in this community. We need to start by speaking with Grenville Brey about getting involved, because we really need a Champion to help us move forward. Grenville could have a powerful influence with this initiative, because he has the ability to sit back and listen. Not to mention Grenville is great with Youth and has a lot of experience in this area. Our
next step then, would be to hold another consultation session, highlighting the Champion side of it, and to work out a template of what our future steps would be. And then we would go to the Youth and talk to them about the identified issues, to be sure that what we have highlighted are in fact issues to them.
-Once we have the kids involved the adults may wish become interested in this Initiative, thus creating a stronger voice to this issue. (school councils, parents, volunteers, etc)
-Lisa Kidd from the Bruce Grey Huron Perth Georgian Triangle Training Board has volunteered to be accessible, in regards to discussing potential funding opportunities, especially with regards to the Youth issues, i.e. mentor program, & employment and training. But we would need to build a concept before taking it to the Training Board.
-Lorna mentioned that she is still very interested in looking into the expansion and linkage of the trail system, from Creemore to another neighbouring community. Lorna already knows of children from SCI and Clearview Meadows schools that would be interested in a project like this. Lorna and Lisa Kidd both volunteered to speak to Lisa Rich from the Environment Network, about this possibility.
-The pro’s of connecting the trails from community to community would be that the Youth could learn new skills, and build on skills they already have. It would also propagate volunteerism, and help them with their social skills, not to mention, increase their self-esteem.
-The Training Board would be interested in financially supporting the Trails Initiative.
-Lorna will contact Grenville, and the SCI principal David Boyd to see if they would like to be a part of this project.
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-To get the Youth going, we need to arrange for a Focus Group for Youth from all communities. We also need to put a follow-up article in the Stayner Sun to keep the community up to date on what is going on, and where we are at with the Youth Initiative. We need to keep the dialogue going.
Lorna Howlett-Lowe will lead the Youth Initiative with assistance from Lisa Kidd by calling Michelle Rich, and by recruiting other committee members to help move the issues forward.
Lorna will also contact Grenville Brey, and David Boyd to inform them of the discussion points tonight, and then invite these gentlemen to get involved with the Youth Initiative.
We will be inviting other Stakeholders to come to an information session, going over the issues that have been identified, and then outlining our goals and dreams to bridge the gaps pertaining to the Youth in this Community.
We will be organizing a date, time, and location for a Youth Community Consultation Session.
The United Way of South Georgian Bay Board of Directors and staff will begin the process of developing a strategic plan for the future.
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