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Inclusive Cities Canada
Burlington: Community Voices, Perspectives And Priorities
Part 1 – Executive Summary
I would like to take the opportunity to share with you Community
Development Halton’s recent report, “Inclusive Cities Canada – Burlington:
Community Voices, Perspectives and Priorities.” Inclusive cities and communities
are critical not only to the well-being of individuals, but also to the social
and economic health of nations. This study is part of a cross-Canada civic
initiative based on a groundbreaking partnership among the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities and five social planning partners in cities across
Canada: Vancouver and North Vancouver, Edmonton, Burlington, Toronto and Saint
John, N.B. Local Civic Panels composed of community leaders have given
leadership and vision to the project and have developed recommendations that
identify the steps needed to build an inclusive community. Recommendations are
addressed to all levels of government and the community at large. Our full
Burlington report is available online at
www.cdhalton.ca and those of other partner cities at
www.inclusivecities.ca. In the
coming months, a cross-Canada report will be published, combining learnings from
the participating cities across Canada. Civic Panel members and their social
planning partners will be working individually and in cross-Canada civic
alliances to move their recommendations forward.
Joey Edwardh
An inclusive community is one that provides opportunities for the optimal
well-being and healthy development of all children, youth and adults. Social
inclusion is key to individual and collective well-being. All members of the
community gain from social inclusion – those who are vulnerable for reasons of
poverty, racism, or fear of difference – as well as the broader community that
benefits when everyone is able to participate as a valued and contributing
member of the community. Inclusive cities and communities are recognized as
critical not only to the well-being of individuals, but also to the social and
economic health of nations.
Inclusive Cities Canada: A Cross-Canada Civic Initiative (ICC) is an
innovative and timely project to examine and enhance social inclusion in cities
and communities across Canada. The aim of Inclusive Cities Canada is to
strengthen the capacity of cities to create and sustain inclusive communities
for the mutual benefit of all people.
Inclusive Cities Canada is a collaborative venture of five social
planning organizations across Canada and the social infrastructure sub-committee
of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
In each participating city, municipal and community leaders have come together
to form a Civic Panel, to provide leadership and direction to the initiative
locally. Local research, analysis and reporting by each of the five social
planning partners is based on a common framework and methodology.
Inclusive Cities Canada — Burlington: Community Voices, Perspectives
and Priorities reports on the first phase of the project in Burlington,
and includes both qualitative and supplementary quantitative research. The
report integrates the perceptions of 244 community members who participated in
focus groups, local soundings and a survey. Statistical information pertaining
to inclusion in Burlington has been added. The report contains several sections:
The Changing Face Of Burlington provides a statistical profile of the
community.
Common Areas of Inquiry summarizes participants’ observations and
suggestions for change regarding the areas of inquiry discussed in all the
participating cities: health care; crisis services; publicly funded education;
early childhood development; recreation, arts and culture; transportation and
mobility; local government; policing and justice; income and employment;
housing; community safety; public spaces; and community capacities.
Local Soundings report on additional small-group discussions and
interviews conducted with newcomers, seniors and youth, in order to clarify, and
make more profound, the understandings gathered in focus groups.
Barriers To Social Inclusion. During this study, participants were
asked to identify both what is being done well and what areas need improvement.
They found that there are many strengths supporting inclusion in our community.
However, certain broad themes arose in discussions on diverse areas of inquiry
and local soundings, which have assisted in the identification of underlying
barriers to social inclusion in our community, and have been useful to the Civic
Panel in developing its recommendations. They are:
Underfunding Of Social Infrastructure
- Despite services of generally good quality, participants believe that
access and quality, particularly in health care, home care and education,
have declined significantly over the past decade or more, due to
underfunding. Major issues identified include:
- Shortage of family physicians, specialists and psychiatric professionals
and services
- Insufficient range of, and access to, home care services for the frail
elderly and those living with disabilities, attributed in part to a funding
shift toward long term care
- Ongoing erosion in overall quality of education, in programs which
nourish the whole person and in special education and student services
- Shortage of affordable and appropriate child care
Poverty And Housing
One or both are raised in most areas of inquiry. Participants observe:
- That poverty compromises social inclusion in the community and has
impacts on health care; crisis services; early childhood development;
opportunities in education; housing; transportation and mobility; access to
recreation, arts and cultural activities; civic engagement; and access to
public spaces
- That there is a severe shortage of affordable housing, accessible
housing and affordable supportive housing
- That the impact of poverty is exacerbated by living in an affluent
community
- That there are insufficient financial and social supports for low-income
families and individuals
- That family poverty compromises child development
- That, despite some shelter space, there are shelter gaps for youth,
seniors and those with mental illness
Income and Employment
Certain issues arise in the discussions:
- Barriers to newcomers in achieving recognition of foreign credentials
- Low social assistance rates and low minimum wage
- Barriers to getting off Ontario Works
- Shortage of secure employment with adequate wages and working conditions
Transportation
In almost every area of inquiry, participants express concerns that
inadequate public transportation, both within the community and to areas outside
the community, compromises social inclusion. The major issues include:
- Cost
- Inadequate routes and hours of local service
- Deficiencies in transportation to other parts of the Region of Halton
Physical Planning And Accessibility
Despite some positive initiatives in city planning, participants express
concerns about:
- “Car-based planning” and “building big”
- Loss of neighbourhood amenities, and concentration of amenities in
larger facilities on major thoroughfares
- Insufficient sidewalks and bicycle paths
- Need for improvement in sidewalk design for those with disabilities
- Physical barriers to mobility in public spaces, public and private
buildings and residences
Being “Priced Out”
Participants express support for free programs and festivals, and believe
that social inclusion is compromised by:
- Decline of free activities in schools
- Insufficient free and low-cost activities in the community
- Shortage of subsidies; attitudinal, capacity or awareness barriers to
applying for subsidies; subsidies which are not sufficient to ensure
affordability
Policing and Justice
Participants believe there are “two realities of policing.” They observe:
- Generally high level of respect for police in the community
- Police efforts to reach out to youth, seniors and diverse cultural and
racial groups
- Commitment to outreach and antiracism at the highest levels of the
police service.
Nevertheless, there is widespread agreement that:
- Youth are over-policed, both by the public police force and by private
security
- Both youth and some cultural and racial groups may be targeted by police
and are disadvantaged in the courts.
Communication And Awareness
Three aspects of communication and awareness are raised in nearly every area
of inquiry:
- Gaps in the public’s awareness of available programs and services
- Gaps in providers’ awareness of needs (diversity competence)
- Gaps in the public’s awareness of important issues, such as poverty and
the lack of affordable housing
Certain specific issues are frequently mentioned:
- Weak media coverage of local issues
- Lack of information on diversity in official publications
- Lack of orientation for newcomers
- Shortage of information and services in languages other than English
- Over-reliance on automated telephone attendant systems and Internet
Community Attitudes
Participants observe several attitudes they believe are widespread among
community members and that work against social inclusion:
- Lack of awareness and concern about poverty; reluctance to accept the
realities of poverty
- Viewing low-income individuals as either “deserving” or “undeserving”
- Lack of awareness and concern about the shortage of affordable housing,
accessible housing and affordable supportive housing
- Reluctance to accept differences, primarily those of income
- Fear of youth
NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome
Civic Engagement
Despite noting some strengths, such as an approachable City Council, advisory
committees, free festivals, parks and public spaces, participants articulate
concerns that social cohesion and civic engagement are compromised by numerous
factors, including:
- Voter apathy and lack of time in a “commuter community”
- Insufficient civics education in schools
- Selection processes for membership of City committees
- Few free and low-cost activities
- Unwelcoming attitudes toward youth
- Deficiencies in transportation
- Erosion of community members’ commitment and sense of control over local
issues, due to the presence and powers of the Ontario Municipal Board
Recommendations have been developed by the Burlington Civic Panel to
contribute to building social inclusion, and are addressed to all levels of
government, community agencies and organizations. These recommendations will be
included in the next edition of Community Dispatch Volume 9, #5 to be released
May 2005.
Burlington Civic Panel
Co-Chairs
Mayor Rob MacIsaac
City of Burlington
Joey Edwardh
Executive Director, Community Development Halton
Members-at-Large
Rick Craven
Councillor, Ward 1, City of Burlington
Gary Crowell
Deputy Chief, Halton Regional Police Service
Helen Ferguson
Elderly Services Advisory Committee, Region of Halton
Jeanne Hay
Past Chair, Board of Governors, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital
Peter Hoyle
Inter-Church Council of Burlington
Susan Jewett
Burlington Counselling and Family Services
Rick MacDonald
Superintendent, Halton Catholic District School Board
Suzanne Muir
Diversity Co-ordinator, Halton District School Board
Walter Mulkewich
Performing Arts Burlington
Dave Nanderam
Halton Multicultural Council
Elizabeth Rennie
Canadian Federation of University Women
Diane Tuszynski
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
Bob Van Cleef
Oakville and District Labour Council
Paul Wendling
Burlington Community Foundation
Project Coordinator: Glynis Maxwell
PDF: 94k
Produced by Community Development Halton
860 Harrington Court
Burlington, Ontario L7N 3N4
(905) 632-1975, (905) 878-0955; Fax: (905) 632-0778; E-mail:
office@cdhalton.ca
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