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Past
Events - Summaries
Click on the followiong links to jump to the
section desired:
2010
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February 23, 2010 - Conversation, Collaboration and Community Change: Mobilizing the Ideas, Skills, and Passion of Community Organizations, Governments, Businesses and People
Speaker: Paul Born, President and co-founder of Tamarack,
an Institute for Community Engagement, gave an inspiring talk on how community conversations across sectors can support community building and poverty reduction.
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January 26, 2010 - Access to Recreation for All Youth: Making a difference through policy change
Speakers: Howie Dayton, Chair of the Ontario Task Group on Access to Recreation for Low-Income Families and Director of Recreation, Town of Ajax,
& Sue Petersen, Consultant at PK Associates. The event started with a look at local promising practices, and continued with an in-depth look at the
Parks and Recreation Ontario Affordable Access to Recreation for Ontarians Policy Framework.
2009
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November 24, 2009 - Taking Effective Action: A toolkit of action steps to impact policy change, whatever you’re working on
Speaker: Nancy Dubois, a consultant with The Health Communications Unit (THCU) for Ontario. This session focused on increasing
OW/ODSP rates, as a case example of how to impact policy change. View the report back here.
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September 22, 2009 - Breaking Through — Community-Government Collaboration on Social Policy
Speaker: Liz Weaver, Lead Coach, Vibrant Communities Canada presented on policy and how community and government can collaborate on policy.
The session included discussions of local policy work experiences, successes and challenges, and the needs and
assets of our community. View the slideshow here.
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May 26, 2009 - A working session to develop resources and plans in support of "Living Wage".
More input from community members was sought to implement action plans for a number of "Living Wage" ideas suggested at the
March meeting.
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March 24, 2009 - Living Wage in Action
Speaker: Dr. John Rook, presented on
Living Wage initiatives in Calgary and around the world. John is Chair of the National Council of Welfare – Ottawa and Chief Executive Officer of The
Salvation Army’s Community Services (Calgary). A copy of the slideshow can be found here, along
with the report back.
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January 27, 2009 - Game Plan for Recreation for All Youth
Speaker: Rishia Burke, presented
on what has been done in the Region and elsewhere for recreation, and where we can go from
here. She guided small group discussions on the strengths that exist in the Region, what
we would need to move forward with funding proposals, and what roles organizations could
play to bring funding proposals forward. Rishia is a consultant with many years of
recreation and program planning experience. The report back can be found here.
2008
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November 25, 2008 - Stone Soup: Ensuring a nutritious recipe for poverty prevention and reduction
Nine presenters from a variety of community groups and organizations shared what they are doing for poverty prevention and reduction. Mary MacKeigan of
Opportunities Waterloo Region then presented a three-year comprehensive community plan. The plan may be viewed here
here. A copy of the slideshow may be found here.
If you need a download the free PowerPoint Viewer, please click here.
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May 27, 2008 - Generate Social Innovation
Speaker: Cheryl Rose, Director of Partnerships and
Projects for Social Innovation Generation (SiG@Waterloo), shared ideas on different thinking that can take us to greater heights in the transformation of
communities. She ignited the table discussions that generated new ideas about current recommendations for reducing poverty and increasing prosperity
for all people in Waterloo Region. For a copy of the draft “Talking Points Regional” document that resulted from this event, please click
here. For Cheryl Rose’s PowerPoint presentation given at the event, please click
here. If you need a download the free PowerPoint Viewer, please click here.
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Mar 18, 2008 - Why is it so tough to get ahead?
Speaker: John Stapleton, brought highlights from his report, “Why is it so tough to get ahead? How our tangled social programs pathologize the
transition to self-reliance.” John worked for the Ontario Government in the Ministry of Community and Social Services and its predecessors for 28 years
in the areas of social assistance policy and operations. For a copy of his report, please click here.
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January 22, 2008 - From talk to ACTION!
The speaker was Greg DeGroot-Maggetti, seasoned anti-poverty advocate.
He led participants to discover their shared recommendations for action and the most effective ways to bring these recommendations forward.
For a copy of the report back to contributors, please click here.
2007
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November 20, 2007 - Creating Our Social Footprint: Poverty Reduction Strategies.
The speaker was Marvyn Novick, a retired professor of social policy from Ryerson University and leading thinker and contributor to the social policy field in Canada. He is the co-founder of Campaign 2000, a cross-Canada nonpartisan public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.
For a copy of "Summoned to Stewardship" by Marvyn Novick, please click here.
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October 23, 2007 - The Trailblazer Showcase. The spotlight was on collaborative initiatives in Waterloo Region building the road to prosperity
for all.
Speakers included representatives from:
* Waterloo Region Shares
* Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network
* Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council
* Housing & Homelessness Umbrella Group
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May 29, 2007 - National Welfare Council’s Report - Speaker:
Greg deGrooot-Maggetti
Mr. deGrooot-Maggetti is Interim Chair of the National Council of Welfare, (NCW), an arm's length advisory body
to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development on matters of concern to low-income Canadians. Greg also serves as Policy Analyst for Citizens for Public Justice based in Toronto.
Mr. deGroot-Maggetti shared the findings of the recently published NCW report "Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada"
The commentators were
Susan Eagle and Brice Balmer. Susan is a Regional Councillor in London, Ontario, and a United Church Minister. Brice is the Chaplaincy Director for the House of Friendship. Susan and Brice regularly advocate with Queen’s Park on behalf of marginalized people.
For a copy of the slides used for this presentation, please click here. For the Table Discussion Results, please click here.
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April 16, 2007 - Alternative Budget - Speaker:
Hugh Mackenzie
Mr. Mackenzie has worked for more than 30 years in a variety of different public
policy capacities, at all three levels of government as well as in the non-profit sector.
From 1991 to 1994, he was Executive Director of the Ontario Fair Tax Commission.
Since 1997, Mr. Mackenzie has been co-chair and principal analyst for the Ontario
Alternative Budget project of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. In that capacity,
he has authored each year’s Alternative Budget, as well as numerous issue-specific technical papers.
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January 23, 2007 - the current state of health for children and families in our
urban and rural communities. - Speaker:
Sandy Hoy,
Data Analysis Coordinator for the Ontario Early Years initiative in Waterloo Region
Sandy collected and shared current research related to early child development. Sandy provides support to community efforts aimed at measuring child outcomes and community program capacity in Waterloo Region.
Ontario Early Years Centres, located across Waterloo Region, are places for children up to the age of six and their parents and caregivers to take part
in programs and activities together.
2006
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November 28, 2006 - Social Policy and People's Lives - Speaker:
Richard Schillington
is a policy expert who has focused on income security
policies and programs.
For 30 years, Mr. Shillington has conducted research on health, social and economic policy. He has worked for governments,
the private sector and NGO's. www.shillington.ca
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September 26, 2006 - Access to Recreation for all Youth - Speakers:
Dr. Troy Glover
Professor, Dept. of Recreation and Leisure Studies and the Healthy
Communities Research Network, Univeristy of Waterloo
-- Dr. Gina Browne
Professor, School of Nursing, McMaster University. Founder and Director of the
System-Linked Research Unit on Health and Social Service Utilization
Thanking the Speakers: Reg Weber, Director, Community Recreation Services & Partnership Development, The Corporation of the City of Cambridge.
Masters of Ceremony: Richard Moffit, President, Waterloo Region Labour Council; Member of Opportunities' Leadership Roundtable.
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May 23, 2006 - How has public policy affected your life - Speaker:
Kate Bezanson, Ph.D.,
Department of Sociology/Social Justice and Equity Studies,
Brock University, St. Catharines and co-author of the book 'Telling Tales: Living the Effects of Public Policy'.
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March 28th, 2006 - Poverty in Waterloo Region - Speaker:
Theresa Schumilas,
Director, Health Determinants Planning & Evaluation, Region of Waterloo –
Public Health Department
Theresa Schumilas, a Leadership Roundtable member, presented and explained the
most recent poverty data (based on the 2001 Census) as it relates to our
community. Many interesting trends and changes were discussed.
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January 24th, 2006 - Risk and Opportunity:
Options for Vulnerable Workers - Speakers:
Ron Saunders
of
Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN), Denise
Wamsley of
Opportunities Waterloo
Region and Katharine Schmidt
of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region
Ron Saunders
provided a framework for
discussion on this topic by sharing CPRN’s findings and recommendations as
illustrated in their recent publication
“Risk & Opportunity”.
Denise Wamsley discussed past research that
has been done in Waterloo Region regarding a Working Poor initiative.
Katharine Schmidt,
a Leadership Roundtable Member provided information
regarding the current working poor population within Waterloo Region and
highlighted current local efforts being made to increase available
opportunities.
2005
The Law Commission of Canada worked
with Opportunities Waterloo Region to bring members of our community
together to explore and discuss necessary changes to Canada's labour and
employment laws to include under its protection people working part-time, under
contract, self-employed, temporary employment, etc.
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September 27th, 2005 -
Building Community Through Effective Relationships-
Speakers: Jane Neath of the Cambridge and
North Dumfries Community Foundation, Ron Dowhaniuk of the United Way of
Cambridge and North Dumfries, Jan Varner of the United Way,
Kitchener-Waterloo and Area, Tracey Robertson of the Ontario Trillium
Foundation and Rosemary Smith of the K-W Community Foundation.
The purpose was to provide
information and a platform for open dialogue regarding themes and trends within
grant making, effective collaboration and changing donor expectations.
See slide presentation here.
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May 24th, 2005 - Social Enterprise2: Reasons,
Realities, Rewards
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Speakers: Sandra Watt of Lutherwood, Joe Mancini of The Working Centre and
Peter Frampton of The Learning Enrichment Foundation.
The purpose was to provide more depth of information about 'social enterprise'
to Waterloo Region leaders and residents in a way that addressed many of the
questions raised by the participants at the March 22 meeting. Also, to
provide enough background for new attendees to understand the concept so that
non-profit organizations and board members receive answers to some of the key
questions about 'social enterprise' and become more knowledgeable to discuss and
decide what action their organization should take regarding this concept.
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March 22nd, 2005 - Social Enterprise: Perspectives,
Potential, Pathways
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Speaker: Sonia Pouyat, Co-Founder of the Canadian Social Entrepreneurs Network
and CEO of kidsLINK.
The purpose was to introduce and explain the concept of social enterprise to
leaders and residents in Waterloo Region in a way that would generate interest
and new insights. Also, to highlight the potential for social enterprise
to prevent and alleviate poverty and how it might generate revenue so that local
businesses and non-profit organizations have an opportunity to consider it and
make informed decisions about whether they want to learn more.
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January 25th, 2005 - Purchasing That Builds Community
Prosperity
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Speaker: David LePage.
Founder of the Social Purchasing Portal and CEO of Fast Track to
Employment shared how this innovative tool has successfully integrated supply
chain economics with and corporate social responsibility to achieve community
benefits in Vancouver, BC. The SPP increases employment opportunities for
hard-to-employ or long-term unemployed people.
2004
-
November 16th, 2004 - Waterloo Region's Housing
Paradox -
Speakers: Rob Horne, Director of Housing with the Region of
Waterloo, Pat McLean, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity and Ed Wilson,
Executive Director of Heartwood Place.
This panel explored the paradox of Waterloo Region being a
recognized leader in housing strategy, yet many in the area still urgently need
affordable housing. Success in the region was highlighted while outlining some
of the challenges we are facing.
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September 28th, 2004 - Impacts of Low Income
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Speaker: Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders of the Canadian Policy Research Network updated the audience on the
impact of low wages, government policies, what's happening in other communities,
the reality for business and public support and who holds the solution.
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May 25th, 2004
- Determinants of Health -
Speaker: Dr. Dennis Raphael.
Dr. Dennis Raphael,
leading academic and Program Director & Associate Professor with the School of
Health Policy & Management, Atkinson College, York University.
Considered one
of the foremost proponents of progressive health for over a decade, Dr. Raphael
focused his discussion on healthy public policy and the role that community
stakeholders can play in supporting its development.
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March 23th, 2004 - Surviving or Thriving in The
Service Sectors
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Panel Moderator: Brent Hanson,
CKCO-CTV.Speakers: Heather Melrose of Straight Street Sound Services;
Sandra Shantz, The Stone Crock Group, John Bergen, City Café, Pat Dyck,
Artistic Landscape Design.
Discussion focused on the role of small business and the services sector
industries in community capital, quality of life, and the issues that must be
overcome in order to make a profit, serve customers and retain loyal employees
in a sector that pays inherently low wages.
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January 27,
2004 - Corporate Leadership in Community Health
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Panel Moderator Brent Hanson, CKCO-CTV.
Speakers: Lloyd Field, Performance House, Mike Kuntz, Kuntz Electroplating,
Wes Worsfold, J2X Technologies, Murray Gamble, C3 Group.
Four
outstanding business leaders face off in a round table discussion on Corporate
Involvement & Community Engagement moderated by CKCO-CTV's Brent Hanson. The
questions: Does business have a responsibility to take leadership
in community health? Are financial donations to local causes enough?
What kind of leadership is needed to steer us through the next decade of
incredible change and growth?
2003
-
November 18th,
2003
: "A Snapshot of Waterloo Region"-
Speakers Theresa Schumilas,
Director of Health Determinants, Planning & Evaluation Waterloo Region
Public Health, Carol Simpson, Executive Director of the Waterloo Wellington
Training & Adjustment Board, Bill Elliot, Director of Business Development
for Canada's Technology Triangle & Cathy.
A
discussion on how future trends are changing the way we need to communicate,
what this community must develop so that more business will choose Waterloo
Region for their location and the challenges this area must tackle to renew its
labour force.
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September 23, 2003 - Healthy Community - Healthy Business,
which comes first?
Speaker: Jan Varner, Director of the Laurier
Institute of Business, Wilfrid Laurier University.
Human capital & Community
Assets. The purpose was to learn
that there are alternative market-driven retention strategies, that business and
community sustainability are interdependent and to discover the key success
factors that drives it all.
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May 27, 2003
- A Living Wage - Speakers: Ron Saunders and Donna Diebel.
What does it mean for Waterloo Region? Ron Saunders is the
director of Work Networks for the Canadian Policy Research Networks in Ottawa.
He focused on the big picture impacts of low wage work. Donna Diebel is the
recipient of numerous community and leadership awards outside of her expert
roles in Human Resources and Public Relations for Kuntz Electroplating.
Larry Hershfield, is the manager of the Centre for Health Promotion at the
University of Toronto. He
conducts consultations and contributes significantly to the content of
resource materials. He discussed the latest and most effective methods
used to change social behaviours, how to motivate your audience, how to create
attention and how to critique and learn from real-life, local social marketing
campaigns.
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January 23, 2003 - Work-Life Harmony
- Balanced Communities with Speaker Nora Spinks, President of Work Life
Harmony Enterprises
Work Life Harmony Enterprises is an organization that provides
national and international leadership in the work-life field. Working with
leading corporations, governments and progressive labour unions, Nora has been
instrumental in setting the standards for work-life initiatives across Canada.
She explained the benefits of a work-life initiative and how to keep the best
employees, as well as lower training costs, increase productivity and raise
morale. She also touched on the increasing importance of this workforce
issue and the leading ideas on how to get started.
2002
Regent Park,
Toronto - A program for at-risk youth. The purpose is to learn what it
takes for high-risk youth to graduate from high school, how this responsive
blend of educational, social & financial supports breaks the cycle of poverty
and how this progressive program can be adapted to our region through best
practices.
The five building
blocks essential for anyone's long-term resiliency and practical solutions for
blending social and economic objectives in programs and new methods of designing
and evaluating your programs. Our region is poised to be the very first
in Canada to adopt these new asset-based strategies, supporting the development
of sustainable livelihoods.
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