April 24, 2007
Table of Contents
Table of Contents: ……………………………………..…2
Facilitator: ………………………………………….….....3
Participants: .…………………………………………….3
Agenda ………………………………………….……...…3
Community Matters Initiative Background…………….4
Value proposition ……………………………………..….5
Process Mapping Exercise……………………………..…6
Summary & Next Steps………………………………..…8
Our Thanks to the Trillium Foundation for Generously Funding this Initiative
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Participants:
Joe Gardhouse – Resident Ashley Brownlee – Tracks
Andrea Matrosovs – municipal candidate Binnie Armstrong – Home Horizons
Karen MacKay Young – CAPC Roy Spiegelberg – Tracks
Sandra Cooper – Town of C’wood Louise Gagne – Deaf Access Simcoe
Rick Lloyd – Town of C’wood Mark Redmond – UW/GFB/Habitat/SCATEH
Norn Sandberg – Town of C’wood Geoff Noble – Council Candidate
Dean Hollin – Council Candidate Gail Michalenko – Housing Resource Centre
Ivan Collins – Good Food Box Nilusha Premasinghe - YMCA
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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?”
We didn’t get too much into this part of the agenda due to the size of the group and because of time restraints.
We did however discuss what this group felt were the top 4 or 5 issues for the Town of Collingwood.
They identified the following:
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Then the facilitator presented the actual list of issues that were identified in the last community consultation session in the Town of Collingwood from last June. We wanted to compare the lists to ensure that the issues that had been earlier identified, were still areas that need to be approved upon. We also wanted to determine whether or not there had been new issues arise over the last year and a half.
The actual list is as follows:
7. Mental Health
Catherine Smart went over the process mapping exercise with the group. She asked the group to beak up into 4 groups and for each group to pick 1 issue that they feel passionate about, and would like to work on.
While the groups are discussing their issues they were asked to write their discussion points on sticky notes. And then they were encouraged to put their ideas, and vision to be mapped out on a blank canvas time line, starting Nov 2006 to June of 2007.
►Nov - Research phase/Solicit information on youth (ages 13-21)
►Dec – determine “what is missing?”
►In Dec hold 1st Speakers corner, when there are more people around, pick popular locations
►Meet with existing groups
►Meet with Youth in Jan when life is less busy
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► In Feb develop a Blog
►Town hall meeting in March
► Start proving that the effort is worthwhile
► April – Photo shoot the challenges that Youth issues are
►May – Unveiling activity
►In June always have a date for the next get together/meeting
Group 2 (Lynn, Mark, Joe, Louise, Karen)
Employment Discussion Points
What do we want and how are we going to manage it?
►Nov - Research exsisting services
►Nov - Identify community partners (community roundtable discussion)
►Nov - Develop a media campaign regarding childcare, as it relates to employment
►Jan - Meet with Youth re: Youth Employment Roundtable
►Jan - Employment Roundtables
►Jan - Workshops to assess youth interest in trades
►Jan – Mechanism/method for engaging employers in sessions
►Monthly workshops/upgrade skills
►Access
►Feb – Sensitivity/disability training for employers
►March – Workshops on apprenticeships
►April – Succession planning workshops
►April - Assessment
►May – Review and assessment (determine how we can build on it, and move forward)
Group 3 (Rick, Binnie, Gail, Roy, Christie)
What do we want and how are we going to manage it?
►Dec - We need to get over the “we” and “me” mentality, we should be 1 group(political will needs to change)
►Dec – Need to change the name “affordable housing” because there is a stigma attached to it
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►Jan – Committee appointed by Town Council to work on solutions/new approach to housing issues
►Jan- Overcome nimby attitude
►Feb – Run a Nimby workshop (business view of it)
►Mar – Create a realistic business plan (smaller lots can do a better job)
►April – Needs to be a commitment of money from levels of gov’t i.e. provincial or federal
►June – Has to be an on-going effort, and we can never give up
►Potential of a non-profit management i.e. tenants who have a hard time paying rent, could become property managers. It was commented by Norm Sandberg that this has been done, and was not a successful experience.
►Roy Spiegelberg commented that the re-branding piece would have a huge impact on the way people think and feel about the housing issues.
Group 4 (Darcy, Pam, Geoff, Norm, Sandra)
What do we want and how are we going to manage it?
►Dec – Develop awareness and encourage employment skills at highschool (partner with schools and other stakeholders)
►Look at skill trades
►Try to offer more skills, to increase wages
►Develop more appreniship programs (hands on experience is needed)
►Get the Ministry of Education involved and get back to the way it used to be, when the education system offered shop classes etc
►Implement a pilot project with the Ministry of Education
►It is now time to get the provincial and federal government involved in the discussion
►Need to convert attitudes and employment and training
►Look at the European model
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-The need to partner with other stakeholders
-Consistent communication
-We can make some things happen even though we are a small group
-We need to set another date for a future meeting to discuss a plan so we can move the issues forward, including a venue, and an invitation to new community members we aspire to engage with regards to these issues that have been identified
-We need 1 or 2 people from each group to volunteer to move the issues forward
-This group with support from United Way will go to Town of Collingwood Council meeting, to report back on our findings
-The individuals listed below have volunteered to stay involved, and will work together to drive the issues forward, by organizing the next meeting.
Group #1 Nilusha Premasinghe & Andrea Matrosovs
Group #2 & #4 (amalgamated) Lisa Kidd & Lynn Hynd
Group #3 Gail Michalenko
*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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