At their respective Council Meetings on Thursday, November 5 and Thursday, November 12, Bruce County and Grey County have officially endorsed the new Community Safety & Well-Being Plan (CSWBP).

Bruce and Grey Counties were joined by 16 lower-tier municipalities, eight police services, 14 police services boards, three boards of education, and 29 education, health, and social service agencies and community committees to undertake regional Community Safety and Well-Being Planning. This unique collaboration is the largest of its kind in Ontario.

Through public engagement, risk identification and prioritization, and analysis of local data, the CSWBP Advisory Committee created the now endorsed plan, which is designed to leverage the good work already being done across the region by enhancing the collaboration and coordination of various organizations, committees, and initiatives.

The CSWBP sets out to achieve sustainable communities where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging and opportunities to participate, and where individuals and families can meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression. This will ultimately lead to a reduction in crime across the region.

With anticipated further approval from the 16 lower-tier municipalities in Bruce and Grey Counties, local action teams will begin tackling priority areas like Addiction and Substance Use, Mental Health, Crime Prevention, Housing and Homelessness, and Poverty and Income. It is expected that the Plan will be approved for public posting in January 2021, and a CSWBP Indicator Report driven by local data and resident perceptions will be presented alongside the Plan, for use by the Advisory Committee and Action Tables to ensure evaluation of the Plan occurs.

Bruce County Warden Mitch Twolan states, “Our collaborative approach to creating safer communities has allowed us to make fact-based plans, asset map our collective services and strategies, share resources, and engage with our residents and key partners. Together, we continue to create an innovative path towards building safe and healthy communities.”

Grey County Warden Paul McQueen added, “As we move our plans forward, our local action teams will launch identified safety and well-being initiatives and monitor performance and community needs. In these unprecedented times, our regional history of collaboration becomes even more important as we strive to support our most vulnerable residents.”

Discover more about the Bruce and Grey Community Safety & Well-Being Plan at www.cswbp-brucegrey.ca

source: media release, Grey and Bruce Counties