by FOPLED | Jun 29, 2017 | FOPL News
As reported in BlackburnNews.com: The Project Manager for the Rural Ontario Institute brought a message about Social Capital to members of the Huron County Library Board yesterday. Mark Cassidy explained most of us have our own social networks, as do most of the people we know. So social capital is bringing all of those networks together and using the resources that result from bringing those social networks together. Cassidy says attracting newcomers is vital to the growth of communities in Huron County and those newcomers could be retirees coming here to enjoy the scenery and lifestyle, it could be workers coming here for jobs or it could be immigrants. Cassidy says scenery and lifestyle can be effective in attracting those newcomers but he says tapping into that social capital and making them feel part of the community is what will keep them here. Cassidy says rural Ontario communities are known as welcoming communities but we have to go the next step and engage newcomers in our...
by FOPLED | Jun 29, 2017 | FOPL News
News Release Helping Communities Access Integrated Public Services June 29, 2017 Ontario Launches New Program to Support Community Hub Development Ontario has launched a new program that will make it easier for community partners to offer health, social, cultural, recreational and other services for local residents in one spot. Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure, and Karen Pitre, Special Advisor on Community Hubs, made the announcement today at St. James Town Community Corner in Toronto. Through this program, the province will help hold properties, such as schools, hospitals or provincial buildings that are no longer in use or have been deemed surplus, for up to 18 months. This will give municipalities, organizations and Indigenous communities crucially needed time to find partners, complete a business plan and secure the right funding to redevelop the property into a community hub. Community partners can apply for this program online starting July 4, 2017 until October 16, 2017. Supporting vibrant and strong communities is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives. QUICK FACTS Community hubs help people in their everyday lives by offering multiple services, often in a highly integrated, client-centred way and under one roof. The Ontario government is committed to implementing all recommendations from the Premier’s Community Hubs Framework Advisory Group on Community Hubs. Visit CommunityHubsOntario.ca for resources on community hub development, and sign up to become a member. Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province’s history. To learn more about what’s happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES One-year Progress...
by FOPLED | Jun 28, 2017 | FOPL News
Dear Resource Network Members, We are pleased to now offer a second Community Hubs Mapper webinar on Thursday July 13, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:00pm. In this series of free webinars, we will provide our members with an opportunity to learn about the Community Mapper tool located on the Communityhubsontario.ca site. The Community Hubs Mapper is a web-based geographic information systems (GIS) tool that provides users with demographic data, vulnerability data, SES data, infrastructure information and analytics to help users understand the needs of their communities. The Mapper will help you find and use important information about your community, which may help you in planning for or operating your community hub. In this one hour session, Brian Mosley, GIS Specialist with the KFL&A Health Informatics Unit, will provide an introduction to the Community Mapper and go through the basic uses of the tool. The session is designed for beginners – please feel free to join us even if you have no experience with GIS tools. The webinar will take place July 13, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:00pm and will cover the following topics: The benefits to using the Mapper for Community Hubs (assessing feasibility & developing a business case) The current data layers available in the Mapper What features and functionality are to be added in the near future. Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/introduction-to-community-mapping-registration-35597244316 Please note that this webinar will be delivered in English only. Sincerely, The Resource Network Team ******************************* Aux membres du Réseau de ressources, Nous sommes heureux d’offrir un deuxième webinaire au sujet de l’outil de cartographie, le jeudi 13 juillet, de 15 h à 16...
by FOPLED | Jun 28, 2017 | FOPL News
News Release Province Strengthening Education in Rural and Northern Ontario June 28, 2017 Plan to Improve Quality and Delivery of Rural Education for Students Ontario is taking steps to strengthen the quality and delivery of education in rural and Northern communities, to provide students with the best possible start in life and build a foundation for their future success. Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, joined by parliamentary assistants Grant Crack, Granville Anderson and Lou Rinaldi were at Chemong Public School in Bridgenorth today to make the announcement. Based on feedback heard during in-person rural education engagements and from on-line survey respondents this spring,Ontario’s new plan will support rural and Northern students and communities through a series of steps, including: Overhauling the process that school boards use to review schools for potential closure. While the process is under review, school boards will not begin any new reviews, with the exception of those reviews which would support joint-use projects between school boards or for student safety. Providing a new Rural and Northern Education Fund for this September to further enhance students’ learning experience in rural schools, with better programming such as French immersion, arts education and guidance counselling. Providing increased funding for co-operation between school boards including planning and building joint-use schools. Continuing investments in broadband speed, special education supports and experiential learning opportunities for rural and Northern students. Strengthening education for students in rural and Northern communities is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives. QUICK FACTS An additional $20 million is being invested to support school boards in addressing...
by FOPLED | Jun 28, 2017 | FOPL News
11 principles of placemaking http://placemakingchicago.com/about/principles.asp “PPS has developed 11 principles that can be used to evolve public spaces into “community places.” Although similar words, “spaces” and “places” have very different meanings. A space is a physical description of a piece of land, whereas a “place” connotes an emotional attachment to the piece of land. 1. The community is the expert. People who use a public space regularly provide the most valuable perspective and insights into how the area functions. They also can help identify issues that are important to consider in improving the space. Uncovering and incorporating their ideas and talents is essential to creating a successful and vital community place. 2. You are creating a place, not a design. Design is an important component of creating a place, but not the only factor. Providing access and creating active uses, economic opportunities, and programming are often more important than design. 3. You can’t do it alone. A good public space requires partners who contribute innovative ideas, financial or political support, and help plan activities. Partners also can also broaden the impact of a civic space by coordinating schedules for programming and improvement projects. 4. They’ll always say, “It can’t be done.” Every community has naysayers. When an idea stretches beyond the reach of an organization or its jurisdiction and an official says, “It can’t be done,” it usually means: “We’ve never done things that way before.” Keep pushing. Identify leaders in the community who share your vision and build support. Talk to your alderman and get him or her engaged. 5. You can see a lot just by observing....
