York Region’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan engages residents

By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

York Region engaged many residents while revamping its Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, which will last until the next decade.

Its most recent survey, which closed on Nov. 30, received around 1,900 responses from residents throughout the region.

Monica Bryce, integrated business services director at York Region, said that the region plans to use the survey to hear from underrepresented communities, such as newcomers, seniors, low-income earners, and anyone facing a language barrier.

Afterwards, Bryce said that the region will determine common themes emerging from the survey across different areas and engage with various partners for solutions.

York Region is developing a new Community Safety and Well-Being Plan to address the growing needs of the region, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The original 2022 to 2026 plan used a place-based system to improve community safety and well-being, identifying south-central Markham as one of four priority areas. The other three were northern Georgina, central Newmarket, and south-central Richmond Hill.

The plan resulted in York Region forming a Resident Engagement Network in the area, which involves focus groups with residents to help brainstorm solutions. It also resulted in a Community Action Table, allowing partners – such as the Agincourt Community Services Association – to provide needed support.

The plan provided various services to support vulnerable youth, such as the York Region Children, Youth and Families Situation Tables; Mobile Youth Services Hub; and the Youth Supporting Youth Pilot Program. It also launched a Traumatic Incident Response Pilot Program to aid residents affected by traumatic events.

The South Markham Community Action Table identified mental well-being and housing stability as south-central Markham’s top issues.

The group listed 28 key actions, which Bryce said have all been implemented or are underway.

“I think it is safe to say that [the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan] did exceed our expectations,” she said. “I think the partnerships that we’ve seen flourish under the plan have been just tremendous.”

Bryce said that for the new plan, she aims to build upon the original plan’s successes and expand its reach beyond the four priority areas.

Additionally, she said that the new plan can address emerging issues within each area, such as south-central Markham’s share of residents facing financial difficulties and the area’s growing senior population.

“Communities will continue to form,” she said. “And so, how can we – in the plan – be thinking ahead, so that we are supporting communities that might be undergoing or anticipating change?

“[We] try to put that into the plan so that we sow the seeds to get there.”

Bryce said that people looking to get involved with the new Community Safety and Well-Being plan can contact their local Community Action Table, such as the South Markham Community Action Table.

For more information about the plan itself, visit www.york.ca/york-region/plans-reports-and-strategies/community-safety-and-well-being-plan.