SPC Monthly Meeting Minutes (draft) - Jun 23rd 2014

SPC Monthly Meeting Minutes - draft

Jun 23, 2014 - 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Location: City of Williams Lake

In attendance (from sign-in sheet): Leah Selk, Diane Wright, Monica Johnson, Bruce Mack, Nancy Gale, Michelle Daymond, Anne Burrill, Rosanna McGregor, Shannon Thom, Diana French, Sharon Taylor, Kathie Vilkas and Jessica Knodel.

Accept Mins & Agenda

Reviewed meeting minutes from May 26, 2014

Reviewed meeting agenda for Jun 23, 2014 - added: Poverty discussion (to AGM plans), and CCBAC

SPC Updates - Updates from Community Initiatives

1) Communities that Care Key Leaders meeting (Carla Bullinger):

These meetings have been taking place since 2008, and the last meeting had 50 people in attendance. The focus of the meeting was on ideas for prioritizing risk and protective factors. There are working groups that will generate project ideas and they will reconvene again in the middle of October.

2) Housing First meeting (Anne Burrill)

The introduction  workshop has over 35 people in attendance. As a collective approach to homelessness, the focus was on harm reduction and the platform that housing is a right. It promotes finding people housing first, before addressing other barriers they are facing. Once housing is found, then support can be built around the person which requires the support of the whole community and a wide range of organizations.

As the meeting was not solution driven, the next steps are to develop a systematic plan.

3) Let's Talk Mental Health in the Cariboo (Sharon Taylor)

The Social Planning Council has been attending the stakeholder meetings. Staff has been hired to do a gap analysis, and the next steps are applying for a Let's Talk Bell Canada grant.

4) TRU's ECE Program (Jay Goddard)

For the first time the province has an initiative to encourage 25% of post secondary programming to be job based as demonstrated by the needs of each specific community it serves. Under new post secondary funding there is resources available for area with a lack of qualified people able to fill available jobs. Locally, there is a demonstrated need for an ECE program at the Williams Lake campus, and the Advisory Committee has brought this recommendation forth. There is a request for Letters of Support and an online survey people and organizations are encouraged to complete - details sent  in community updates.

Comments on the above included:

Post Secondary institutions have the responsibility to meet the needs of their community.

Even programs in high demand in Williams Lake are being cut, which has nothing to do with the numbers in attendance.

Decisions for our area, are being made from Kamloops which makes writing letter of support all that more important.

5) Labour Mobility research discussions with Kristina

Continuing with the research presented by Laura Reyser at our last AGM, Jessica met with Kristina when she was in Williams Lake. A list of names was provided to Kristina so you may be getting a call (or have already spoke with her). The SPC will continue conversations and invite to our AGM

AGM/Retention Forum discussion & Fall Wrap Up

Firstly, as it relates to our AGM planning, Anne Burrill addressed the issue of poverty as having great importance to our discussions, and to not let this issue fall to the sidelines, and everyone agreed... "the roof is still leaking". Some background discussion on this subject included:

80% of homelessness is invisible

Hydro Bills are going to soar over the next year.

Vacancy rates are 3.5% and rent is up by 8%

There are two areas the SPC wants to focus on at the AGM:

1) Planning a discussion around retention, and why people come to live in Williams Lake, and why they choose to leave Williams Lake. The SPC wants organizations such as SD no. 27, Tolko, Taseko, the RCMP, Interior Health, Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures to attend. We would also like to hear from Project Comeback as it directly relates to the conversation.

In regards to the above, some discussion included:

Do the employers see themselves as having a role in this?

The depth of conversation needs a preliminary discussion with Human Resource personnel beforehand.

A database with data that shows how the social impacts affect the economy would be useful.

Action: Shannon Thom, from Williams Lake Employment services can proceed with this as she is best suited for this conversation.

2) Poverty and it's effects on our community. Some discussions included access to recreation, and highlighting the long term economic impacts of high poverty rates (Poverty hits the pocket books of everyone). Community gardens are one medium that can help address this, and it is nice to see our community embracing this. Currently there is a waiting list for plots, and the FPC is looking at ways to expand.

Format for AGM - The cafe style model was discussed and the format will be further developed as we continue to plan. The  SPC would also like to highlight what great initiatives and programs are already available in our community and how they are positively affecting our communities as starting point.

CCBAC update - Nancy Gale

Cariboo Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition has funding available for Social Development Initiatives years ago. A strategy was compiled for the three communities of 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Quesnel. The remaining funds were dispersed equally between the communities to support initiatives. In Williams Lake the funds were used by the Social Planning Council to create the Access Williams Lake database (in addition to United Way funding for this), and to calculate the Living Wage in our community.

Since this time, Social Development has dropped off CCBAC's "radar". This undermines the goals of CCBAC to ignore the Social Planning aspects of the affected communities, therefore Nancy Gale is trying to reignite these discussions.

Nancy is now compiling an updated report and strategy for the three communities. An environmental scan has been completed in 100 Mile house, and Williams Lake needs to do this also.

Action - once the SPC hears back that these initiatives are supported, we will then decide how to proceed further.

Roundtable Updates* - information sharing around the table

*Includes information not sent out via community updates. To view past updates please visit http://socialplanningcouncil.blogspot.ca/

Rosanna McGregor (Friendship Society) - 1) Staff is coming and going. Barbara Jones will be taking over Tracey Higgins's position at Pregnancy Outreach, 2) Reminder of upcoming Mental Health and Addictions training.

Anne Burrill (City) - 1) The deadline for Junior Council applications has been extended. 2) Project Comeback has received funding for a part time position to compile an inventory and online portal of information for newcomers.

Michelle Daymond (Food Policy Council) - Having community gardens is more than just providing garden plots. It addresses so many other needs of communities including poverty and health. Recently Squamish contacted the Williams Lake Food Policy Council to gather information due to their great work and successful model of collaboration.

Bruce Mack (Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy) - Notice of upcoming annual event at Bell E Acres - details were sent out in updates.

Jay Goddard (TRU) - 1) Currently Douglas College has some online courses at reduced rates specifically for students in the Interior of BC, 2) Regular programming update -more part time programs should help encourage more people to attend, 3) Vancouver Island University has showed interest in partnering with TRU with a cohort pilot model for Child and Youth Care degrees.

Leah Selk (Central Cariboo Arts & Culture Society) - 1) The review of the CCACS has been completed and the results are available online, 2) The line up for Performances in the Park is now set - details will be distributed, 3) the CCACS has posted for a 12 hr/week job for a Building Administrator.

Kathie Vilkas (Hospice) - 1) Proceeds from the July 12th Arts & Garden Tour will go to Hospice and people are encouraged to attend, 2) At Street Party, there will be Memory Seeds available by donation, 3) Awareness is growing within the community.

For more information, or to forward an update of your own, please visit http://socialplanningcouncil.blogspot.ca/ or email Jessica at spc-coordinator@xplornet.com