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What is The Social Planning Council?

Activities:

o Monthly Meetings: Attend meetings with guest speakers from within the community &/or presentations at each meeting. We currently meet the fourth Monday of every month (excluding summer) at City Hall with light lunch by donation.

o Facebook & Email Group: Utilize the network on Facebook. Start discussions, learn about & share upcoming community events, projects and meetings. If you don’t use Facebook, then join the email network instead.

o Inform City Council: The SPC provides reports to City Council regularly and the City keeps the SPC informed. Use the network and have your voices heard.



Strategic Direction of the Social Planning Council of Williams Lake & Area:

o Poverty Reduction and the local Living Wage Campaign.

o Community Collaboration and Networking.

o Retention and Succession of residents within the Area.



Community Social Planning:

o Supports communities in building an integrated approach to complex problems that take into account social, economic, and environmental concerns.

o Maximizes the effectiveness of often scarce resources by working to reduce duplication, overlap and competition.

o Provides an ongoing forum for communication, coordination and conflict resolution.



Friday, January 25, 2019

SPC Monthly Meeting Minutes (draft) - Oct 22, 2018


Location: Cariboo Friendship Society (upstairs boardroom), Williams Lake, BC

In attendance (from sign-in sheet): Janice Breck, Pratyush Dhawan, Jon Jackson, Ashlee Hyde, Rosanna McGregor, Shannon Thom, Anne Burrill, Jessica Dunn and Bruce Mack.
Regrets: Larry Stranberg, Diane Wright

Review Agenda and Minutes

·   Review meeting agenda for Oct 22, 2018
MOTION to accept agenda as presented - motion was seconded, all in favour, motion CARRIED

·   Review meeting minutes from Sept 24, 2018
MOTION to accept minutes as presented - motion was seconded, all in favour, motion CARRIED

Lived Experience Presentation - Anne Burrill
Discussion - Utilizing Lived Experience when researching any topic is an emerging best practice (strengthening over the past few years). Anytime there is planning, it is important to engage with people who have "lived experience in the subject". Not just in a token sense,  but through a meaningful process.

THRIVE Williams Lake is using this best practice in the project. In an engaged qualitative way (rather than in a quantitative way). You cannot just invite people to a meeting, they need to be engaged properly and supported.

When there is a table full of professionals - it is hard to attract Lived Experience people (intimidating environment). Respectful, meaningful dialogue while supporting them in the process of participating works best. A Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Coalition Publication provides many ways to engage (electronic copy available - put your name on it).

THRIVE Williams Lake Project specifics:

1) Interview (casual conversation initially - tell me your story, and then prompt) - 6 people so far.
2) Online survey - opportunity to share anonymously (with question - can we contact you for an interview?). Article in paper, posters around town, on facebook (starting to pick-up steam) - 28 people have taken this survey so far (goal is not a representative sample - to gather information only). Of the participants to date, 14 want an interview.

Handout was provided with some summary data of information already collected - Sample questions discussed:

1) What does poverty mean to you personally?
Stress (listed by all), isolation and embarrassment also high responses - really shows in our survey (and expressed in interviews). Significant mental health component.

2) What would it take to help your situation?
Housing is still identified as the top issue.

Currently the vacancy rate is the lowest it has been in many years.
1 bedroom a year ago was 625, now 750 dollars rent per month.
1000 dollars or more for a nice basement suite currently
Almost in a crisis situation locally with so many people living here temporarily (on temporary assignments including many road workers).

THRIVE Williams Lake project - will be bringing people with lived experience together to provide input as a group. In a non-intimidating environment (only lived experience participants will be invited) - likely taking place in November. Advocacy workers are invited to attend with clients.

Other Discussions:
One local employee had to quit her job because they have been homeless for over a month, and the employer didn't even suspect this.

Question - BC Housing - what are the plans for the Williams Lake Area?
Answer - Capacity to organize projects of this size is an issue in Williams Lake (huge projects can only be built every 5 years or so with current capacity). First Avenue development is currently taking place. There is also a great need for transitional housing locally.

Having lived experience info/voice is invaluable, but there is a risk in adding too much weight to any one perspective. Also impact is much more powerful and of value when you directly hear from people themselves.

Rosanna - participants at the Minister's table (legislative work behind the scenes) have been appreciative of the inclusion of lived experience being shared (philosophy from the beginning was to include lived experience and they have). Natural gas prices is also an identified issue in the north - not just housing affordability.

Hydro - two tier rate system is also hurting people in the north financially.

In even a small apartment - people can pay up to $100/month for electric bill in 2018

THRIVE Williams Lake Update
Project in general has felt slow to start, and is now "roaring down the freeway".

-Business at it's Best update: partnership (including City, CF, Chamber, WLCBIA). Gathering examples of good employers -  treat employees well, pay well and use creative ways to attract good employees. Then - the project will SHARE this to other employers with a celebratory event in the new year with the goal to share and promote other employers to consider some of these ideas. No shame and blame - focus on the positive entirely.

-Work Summit event with the Regional Education Council's steering committee in February - summit on employment potentials - what are things we can do within the community to address the gaps between the demand and supply between service providers and people looking for employment. The goal is to explore solutions and actions that can be taken.

Rosanna - There is a Cariboo Friendship Society workshop in November to engage young people from an entrepreneurial side, and she will keep the two ideas connected at this event.

Annual General Meeting reminder
Monday Nov 26 OPEN HOUSE from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm (AGM Business at 12:30 pm)

Check out the new office space
Participate in the survey sent out by the SPC
Learn about CTC
Learn about THRIVE Williams Lake
AGM Business (& Election of Officers) at 12:30
Coffee, tea, and snacks

Roundtable Updates
Shannon Thom (Williams Lake Employment Services) - Nov 29th event Find your Fit Tour (career exploration event geared towards youth). Interactive tables that are appropriate for children. Apr 1st, the Workplace BC contract is up for renewal.

Rosanna McGregor (Cariboo Friendship Society) - Interior Health opiate overdose response and evaluation re: aboriginal mental health and wellness plan (ten year). Small sharps portable - pushing for testing of drugs. Ministers Poverty reduction committee - lots of great ideas coming. Williams Lake Social Housing Society - approved to take a daycare space (and funding is approved). They have signed an agreement to pay $25/hour (dictated by government funding). WLSHS AGM Oct 29th at 12:00 pm (at 2004 - Third Ave).

Question - is there enough qualified ECE's locally for this daycare to hire? Also, comments - I think this would be the highest paid ECE position starting wage within the City! Answer - yes, some ECE's are not working after other local daycare closures.

Jon Jackson (Red Cross) - 2017 Wildfires: recovery efforts are still underway (including Housing repair and reconstruction efforts addressing those who sustained damage and need to rebuild with links and supports to other organizations). 2018 Wildfires: current assistance for early recovery. Team is in Dease Lake at this time (then travelling to near the Yukon Border).  More than early recovery was requested - under current review.

Ashlee Hyde (United Way) - Grant cheques sent out last week. Local Love is this year's campaign slogan. Video will be shared. Community Wellness teams are still out in the community (assessing gaps in services). Brand new project (partnership with WorkBC) - Fire mitigation job creation partnership - currently 4 participants being trained in fire smarting people's homes for seniors and people with low mobility. Package being developed. Signed an MOU with SD 27 & Interior Health to deliver program called "Cook it, Try it, Like it" - teaches kids to cook and try new foods (with request to bring it to Williams Lake). RCMP & Interior Health discussions taking place to bring back "positive ticketing". United Way purchased a poverty reduction simulation kit - can be taken to places for people to learn what it is like to live in poverty.

Pratyush Dhawan (Red Cross) - Four community partnerships program (3 in BC - 2017 BC Wildfires, 2018 BC Wildfires, and 2018 BC Floods). For 2017 funding is now shifting towards long term projects (for 2019 - and beyond with lots of mental health supports, safety and wellbeing, and aboriginal partnerships). Still looking to fill gaps. Red Cross has an increased capacity nationally now. New program guidelines with workplans etc. Updated list of projects online - approx 100 partnerships currently. Still working in our area - no deadlines yet and more support for longer term projects. Questions - contact Pratyush directly (or via other methods of contacting the Red Cross). New deadlines for 2018 - end of April next year (gave more time as requested/ broader window of time now).

Bruce Mack - looking forward to Summit in Feb (See Anne's updates)

Anne Burrill (Changemaker Consulting) - As part of the THRIVE Williams Lake project, the Adaptive Leadership Training workshop is taking place Oct 29 - 30th  - this is an experiential and hands on workshop. Housing First moved to CMHA (formerly out of Fraser Basin Council office). Low caseload at this time (due to higher current rent supplements and lack of available housing).

MOTION to adjourn meeting was made at 1:04 pm, was seconded, all in favour, motion CARRIED.

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Contact Us

The Social Planning Council is made up of volunteers from the community. Many of us work in social services agencies or also volunteer for other organizations.

Our Mailing Address is Box 20045, Williams Lake BC V2G 4R1

To reach the Society Coordinator Jessica Dunn please email spc-coordinator@xplornet.com or call 250-243-2126

To reach the Communities that Care Project Facilitator Barb Jones please email communitiesthatcare.wl@gmail.com or call 250-305-4838

To reach the THRIVE Williams Lake Project Manager Anne Burrill please email annelburrill@gmail.com or call 250-267-7211

To reach the current SPC Chair Larry Stranberg please email happytrails@cfdccariboo.com or call 250-392-3626