Public Engagement

The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is committed to people; relationships; listening, acting on what we hear; as well as honest and accountable processes that ensure the Region is respectful and responsive to the needs of everyone in our community.  The Region is committed to community engagement practices that establish meaningful influence in an informed decision-making process, strengthening relationships, and building capacity.

For more information, read our public engagement guidelines.

Reaching diverse voices

The Region aims to use a variety of methods to reach all residents of the Region, including those are that not often included. Through the work of the Community Safety and Wellbeing plan, the Region began a new path to transform Waterloo Region for current and future generations–one rooted in meaningful collaboration with diverse voices to develop a shared understanding of safety and wellbeing.

Have your say online

The Region aims to place the voices and needs of residents at the centre of decisions that impact them.  One method is the Engage Region of Waterloo website.  You can find out about current projects and provide your input from anywhere at any time of day.   You can also register to receive project updates and to be informed of new topics that are open for input.

Communicate with Council

There are a number of formal (e.g. delegate to Council) or informal (e.g. call or email a Councillor) ways to communicate with Council.  For more information visit our Communicate with Council page. For information on council meeting dates, visit our Council Meeting Dates page. 

Find out what’s happening at Council and Committee meetings

You can watch Council and Committee meetings live or recordings, visit our webcast page for more information.  You can also access our webpage with agendas and minutes for Regional Council, Standing and Advisory Committees.

Participate on or make delegations to Advisory Committees

For information on the various Advisory Committees including their terms of reference, minutes and agendas, visit the Committees page. Recruitment for these committees occurs throughout the year, visit the Public Notices page to find out when applications are open.

View public notices

For information on notices of Public Meetings, Information Centres, Consultation Centres and Open Houses or other activities of interest to Waterloo Region citizens, visit our Public Notices page. 

Vote or run for office!

Regional Council is elected every 4 years. If you want to influence regional government, make sure to vote or consider running for regional office.  Visit our elections page for more information. 

Strategic Plan

With every new term of Regional Council, a new Strategic Plan is created that sets the priorities for the next four years.  Our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan focuses is designed to guide the Region of Waterloo as it grows to one million people in the coming decades. Our new Strategic Plan focuses on “Growing with Care,” supporting a long-term vision of a compassionate community that cares for all people, stewards the land for future generations and gives everyone the opportunity to live a good life.

Our plan prioritizes the Region’s work in four key areas to: address the housing and homelessness crisis; grow sustainably while adapting to a changing climate; make services and opportunities more equitable for all; and cultivate an organization that supports staff wellbeing and service to better support residents.  

The Region’s Annual Plan and Budget provides the outline for where we will focus time and resources for the year. Watch for opportunities to provide input into the Strategic Plan and Annual Plan and Budget.