Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan

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Image of a city with people in front of buildings. Title says Region of WAterloo Community Safety and Wellbeing PLan

During the pandemic, unprecedented engagement with a diverse group of community partners, including the Region’s Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group, led to better vaccine outcomes in priority neighbourhoods. At the Region, we saw the impact of spending more time listening and making decisions with the community.

We will continue to work this way, alongside our partners. Right now, we are hearing from community voices about what it means to be safe and well, and what we need in our community to achieve that for everyone. This engagement, along with the knowledge and previous contributions of our partners, will inform concrete actions focused on equity, diversity, and belonging; addressing the root causes of issues in our community with holistic systems that wrap supports around individuals.

This will be a community framework/plan that everyone sees themselves in, and benefits from, and it will evolve with community needs. Our goal is to enable every person who calls Waterloo Region home to feel safe, to feel like they are cared for, and to have the opportunity to thrive.

Community engagement and outreach

Our vision is to hear from community leaders, organizations and groups and engage in greater collaboration to build the framework for a safe and well community. We want to engage in ways that are meaningful, including focus groups and one-on-one conversations.

The focus of this engagement is on equity and amplifying Black, Indigenous, racialized, and marginalized voices. This approach emphasizes listening to the community's wisdom, experience, and suggestions as we have meaningful conversations on previous engagements, calls to action, reports, and data to inform priorities. The goal is to develop a common understanding of safety and wellbeing that incorporates all voices, and to create shared values and outcomes.

Committees

Three committees with diverse representation across the community will oversee the development of this plan. The makeup of the committees includes local leaders, representatives from area municipalities, as well as representation from the Region's Anti-Racism Advisory Committee and Indigenous and community organizations that are focused on wellbeing.

Steering Committee

The steering committee will guide the process and endorse the framework/plan before it goes to Regional Council and the Province for approval.

Abla Tsolu Director, Housing Services, YWCA

Bruce Lauckner, CAO, Region of Waterloo

Bryan Larkin, Chief, Waterloo Regional Police Service

Donna Dubie, Healing of the Seven Generations and Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group

Fauzia Mazhar, Coalition of Muslim Women and Anti-Racism Advisory Working Group

Karen Redman, Regional Chair & Chair WRPS Board (Chair)

Melissa Ireland, Indigenous Outreach and Initiatives, Qualia Counselling

Peter Sweeney, Executive Director, Grand River YMCAs

Sandy Shantz, Regional Councillor

Tony Giovinazzo, Waterloo Regional Police Services Board Representative

Tracy Elop, Executive Director, Carizon

Wendi Campbell, Executive Director, The Foodbank of Waterloo Region

Connie MacDonald, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, Region of Waterloo

Advisory Committee

The advisory group will help to identify priorities, actions and metrics.

Adele Parkinson, Region of Waterloo Public Health

Alison Pearson, Children and Youth Planning Table

Bill Lemon, Waterloo Region District School Board

Dan Chapman, City of Kitchener

Deb Bergey, Waterloo Crime Prevention Council

Douglas Bartholomew-Saunders, Community Services Commissioner, Region of Waterloo

Elizabeth Heald, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation

Gloria Jordan, Inner City Health Alliance & KW4 OHT

Gloria Ringwood, Grand River Hospital Board

Hsiu-Li Wang, Region of Waterloo Public Health

Joan Fisk, United Way Waterloo Region Communities

Joe-AnnM, Kinbridge Community Association

John Shewchuk, Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board

Kathy Payette, Community Mental Health Services

Laura Manning, Lyle S. Hallman Foundation

Lois MacDonald, Waterloo Region Anti-Racism Advisory Group

Emily Christofferson, Ontario Health West

Sonia Dennis, Family & Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region

Tara Bedard, Immigration Partnership

Tova Davidson, Sustainable Waterloo Region

Youth Advisory Committee

Twenty youth with diverse perspectives are working on identifying key areas of safety and wellbeing that they want to focus on. As their conversations mature, they will create a document outlining their main concerns and recommendations. This will further inform the work on community safety and wellbeing planning. The youth voice will be valued equally to the Steering Committee and Advisory Group.

Timeline

The timeline for the completion of this plan is December 2021. It will be presented to Council early in the new year and submitted to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Ministry of the Attorney General.

Reports

For more information contact:

Connie MacDonald
Chief Strategy and Communications Officer
ConMacDonald@regionofwaterloo.ca