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Find out what's going on in your neighbourhood! Click here to find out about the James-Alexander community, or click here to find out about the Cairnsmore community. Remember to check back often for news and community updates!
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Neighbourhood |
Community Development
Neighbourhood Initiatives
Safer Futures: Current Neighbourhood Initiatives
Everyone enjoys living in a vibrant, safe, inclusive neighbourhood. Communities like this don't just happen; the people who live and work there create them.
Community safety issues are complex, and are related simultaneously to the physical, social/cultural, institutional and economic environments in which people live.
The solutions lie in fostering healthier, safer and more caring communities that respect the needs of those who are vulnerable to violence and who experience barriers to participation.
Since 2000, Safer Futures has been working with neighbourhoods to:
- explore issues relating to safety of women, children and other vulnerable groups
- assist communities to improve safety and accessibility through community planning and development
- address obstacles to participation through development of a range of community partnerships and mobilization of community responses.
This work has involved:
- Identifying and analyzing neighbourhood risk and protective factors
- Supporting partnerships between community members and organizations
- Mobilizing local involvement in neighbourhood initiatives
- Encouraging neighbourhood enhancement projects
- Developing recommendations and long term strategies for sustainable neighbourhood and community development
Safer Neigbourhoods:
James Street
Berkey and Cairnsmore Areas
SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS: JAMES STREET
Work in the James Street and surrounding neighbourhoods has gone through three main phases:
1. Phase One – Call to Action (2000-2001)
2. Phase Two – Neighbourhood Links to James (2002-2003)
3. Phase Three – Neighbourhood Planning (with the Municipality of North Cowichan, 2004 - present)
See our publications page for more information.
JAMES STREET: PHASE ONE
James Street: A Call to Action (2000 – 2001)
The idea for “A Call to Action - Building Safer, Healthier and More Caring Communities” came out of dialogue between community agencies, local government and the school district about how to address intersecting and overlapping needs of the community.
A Call to Action involved extensive community outreach and consultation with residents, businesses, youth, schools and other stakeholders. The project resulted in a comprehensive strategy for addressing community safety and access in the local (and general) area.
The outcome of these efforts was a balanced plan of action that addressed both short and long-term needs for community safety and vibrancy. It formed the basis for subsequent Safer Neighbourhoods work.
Click to view the Call to Action final report (2000) or see the Neighbourhood Links section of our publications page for the final report.
JAMES STREET: PHASE TWO
James Street: Neighbourhood Links to James Street (2002-2003)
Phase Two of the James Street project worked to begin implementing the Health and Safety Strategy contained in the Call to Action report.
The primary aim of this phase of the project was to engage a variety of community agencies, organizations and individuals in addressing the social, physical and community needs of the James Street residents.
Objectives included:
- developing new and/or enhancing existing programs and initiatives for social development that reflects cultural diversity (e.g., youth programs, food programs, educational initiatives, housing, etc.)
- enhancing the physical environment through revitalization and through physical improvements aimed at addressing safety and access (e.g., lighting, design improvements, structural improvements)
- affecting community development processes (e.g., creation of policies and guidelines to encourage sensitive development in this area for the future).
To undertake these objectives, the project established a Community Health and Safety Task Force that monitored and evaluated the progress of three action groups working in the priority areas of:
- Community and Social Development
- Community Planning and Management
- Safety and Security
Download a copy of the Final Report 2003
or the project's Executive Summary 2003, or visit our publications page.
JAMES STREET: PHASE THREE
Neighbourhood Planning (with the Municipality of North Cowichan)
How can we meet the challenges of growth and development and at the same time, address existing challenges in our urban neighbourhoods?
Phase III of work in the James Street area builds upon the previous phases of work in this neighbourhood that identified community issues, proposed a comprehensive strategy, and began to mobilized citizens, organizations and local government.
It recognizes the need to move from short term to long term strategies to bring about changes in broad policies and structures that have enormous influence on community residents and institutions.
It recognizes the unique needs of this area and employ a process that bridges all sectors and brings together local government, community organizations and citizens to work collaboratively. In neighbourhoods that have social and economic issues, planning exercises have to find ways of addressing them beyond the standard land use techniques.
This project is working together with residents, community organizations and local governments to address the long term aims of the James Street Community Health and Safety Strategy. These include long term social development actions, physical safety and security measures, and land use planning policies and processes.
This is being done through a partnership with the District of North Cowichan to develop and adopt a Neighbourhood Plan that will address the vision and goals of the James Street Strategy to foster a safer, healthier, more equitable and economically vibrant future for the James Street and Alexander areas.
SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS: BERKEY AND CAIRNSMORE AREAS
Phase I: “Barriers to Employment and Community Participation” Research Project
Between September 2001 and May of 2002 Safer Futures studied Barriers to Employment and Community Participation in these two neighbourhoods. This study consulted residents in these two similar but diverse neighbourhoods through questionnaires, focus groups, and Safety Audit walks to help identify what factors affect people's employment and community participation. Specifically, the project focused on the barriers experienced by women and other marginalized groups.
The community questionnaires were distributed to approximately 2700 households and provided valuable insight into the barriers to employment. Lack of education or training proved to be the greatest barrier, although issues such as childcare, health, age, family obligations and transportation were also identified.
For those people with barriers to community participation, themes around family obligation, lack of time, transportation and lack of money topped the list.
Download a copy of the Barriers to Employment and Community Participation Research Summary (2001-2002)
Phase II: Cairnsmore Neighbourhood Initiative (2004 – present)
In 2004, Safer Futures sponsored a neighbourhood meeting that looked at ways to strengthen community. A group of residents and organizations came together to develop a support strategy for this neighbourhood.
The research and dialogue has suggested some exciting prospects for neighbourhood revitalization and development. These goals are presented below. They are not written in stone; rather, they are meant to reflect the range of things the local community has talked about over the course of two years, and to provide a place to begin.
Neighbourhood Management Strategies
Short term, concrete actions that can help to deter crime and improve the presence and safety of the local area:
- Clean-up and revitalization
- Improving connections between neighbours and businesses
- Providing support and direction in combination with enforcement and deterrence
Community Development
Short and medium term actions to strengthen neighbourhood and address barriers, and address pressing issues such as substance use, violence prevention, childcare, youth activities, and basic needs food, clothing, etc.
- Enhancing neighbourhood supports / Outreach and support to residents via a community initiative
- Partnership building to strengthen support, respect and communication
Neighbourhood Planning
- Community and neighbourhood level planning for better involvement in decisions about the future, and more integrated development processes.
- Looking at options for more affordable, safe development and housing; addressing homelessness, and other measures that support neighbourhood needs, such as local recreation.
Neighbourhood Actions
During 2005/6 the Cairnsmore Neighborhood Action Project has been working with residents, schools, community agencies and local government, to explore ways to:
- enhance opportunities for youth and families
- improve neighbourhood conditions
- work collaboratively to strengthen neighbourhood linkages and capacity
Safer Futures served as sponsor for a Job Creation Project through Service Canada. The project provided employment experience to three individuals, and working to facilitate actions identified by the community.
Community consultation identified a long list of actions for neighbourhood enhancement and programming. The aim of the project is to undertake and/or spark as many actions as possible by the end of June, 2006, and to promote sustainable and long term activities and programs that will serve the community beyond that timeframe.
Download a copy of the Cairnsmore
Neighbourhood Highlights Summary (June, 2006) report, the Cairnsmore
Neighbourhood Action Plan report (Dec, 2005), and the Action Report
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