The majority of the lower-tier Municipalities of Bruce and Grey Counties have joined forces with eight police services, three boards of education, and 30 health and social service agencies and community committees to undertake regional Community Safety and Well-Being Planning (CSWBP). This large and diverse advisory committee has come together to identify and reduce risk factors that contribute to safety and well-being issues by using cross-sector strategies and focusing on the social determinants of health.

"Supporting healthy and connected communities has long been a priority for Grey County. Collaboration will be the key to our success as we work together with neighbours and community partners to improve the quality of life for the individuals and families who call our area home," said Paul McQueen, Grey County Warden.

The Bruce and Grey planning process began in the summer of 2019 and will culminate in the creation and publication of one shared plan that helps partners to make measurable improvements on both regional and local issues. A Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Agreement is being signed by all participating Municipalities and a CSWBP-BruceGrey website is being launched February 1, 2020 to share information and updates with the community. Also, a Community Engagement Survey exploring perceptions of community risks will be open between February 1 and March 22, 2020.

There will also be broad community participation to identify and rank community risks. Two regional community engagement sessions (one in Bruce and one in Grey) and 32 municipal engagement sessions (two per participating municipality) will be held between March and June 2020. Advisory Committee members will also run more than 50 organizational sessions with employees and clients during this timeframe, and targeted engagement strategies are under development for Indigenous residents, Mennonite/Anabaptist residents, and children/youth.

The goal of CSWBP is 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. The success of society is linked to the well-being of each and every individual and integral to this success is cross-sector service coordination.

“Bruce County is committed to providing programs and services that support the health and well-being of our residents, and working with our municipal, policing and human service partners to develop this plan will enhance our ability to respond in a coordinated way to our communities,” said Mitch Twolan, Bruce County Warden

A coordinator was hired in September 2019 to lead this work through funding provided by both Grey County and Bruce County (and the municipalities in Bruce County). Advisory Committee meetings were held on September 27 and November 29, 2019 to begin tackling the various pieces of work, and future meetings will be held in April, June and September 2020.

Plans must be approved by all Municipal Councils and publicly available by January 1, 2021.

For more information, please visit cswbp-brucegrey.ca

source: media release, Grey County