While MNL, CCRC, NLAMA and the Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA) work together to determine the future direction of the ICSP process for NL there are resources that have been developed around the country that can be useful in preparation for developing your own ICSP.
The CCRC has recently added a page of ICSP resources compiled from various sources. Check it out here. Check back regularly as it will be updated as new resources and information becomes available.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Economic Development and the Cooperative Approach
In two weeks MNL will be hosting another Economic Development workshop in its series around the province under the Local Action for Developing Regions(LADR) program.
One of the unique aspects of the LADR workshops is that they are designed around the specific issues of the host region while still delivering general information that is broadly applicable. The presentations usually include the areas of various natural resources, tourism, funding and support programs and of course regional and/or municipal cooperation on economic development. There are growing examples of cooperation on the economic development front and the CCRC will be focusing on some of these examples at the St. Anthony workshop.
Registration is not costly and space can fill up quickly so call now to secure your spot 1-800-440-6536.
LADR WORKSHOP, ST. ANTHONY AUGUST 21 & 22
MNL’s LADR Economic Development Workshops are more popular than ever! They bring business leaders to a discussion with municipal leaders on critical economic development issues all over the province. The results have been beyond our expectations. The last session in St. John’s attracted over 70 participants. On August 21-22 we will bring LADR to St. Anthony.
This will be a great opportunity for municipal leaders from the Great Northern Peninsula to discuss the critical economic issues facing their communities and how they can play a meaningful role in addressing them. Of course we encourage participation from across the province and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this exciting event. Space is limited, Call 1-800-440-6536 today to register
One of the unique aspects of the LADR workshops is that they are designed around the specific issues of the host region while still delivering general information that is broadly applicable. The presentations usually include the areas of various natural resources, tourism, funding and support programs and of course regional and/or municipal cooperation on economic development. There are growing examples of cooperation on the economic development front and the CCRC will be focusing on some of these examples at the St. Anthony workshop.
Registration is not costly and space can fill up quickly so call now to secure your spot 1-800-440-6536.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Rural Matters!
July 5th to 8th in Edmonton the AAMDC held a conference dedicated to issues on communities of rural Canada called Rural Matters! The exclamation point is important because it drives home the point that in this age of urbanization and population shift toward the cities it is the rural areas that continue to support the urban areas.
The conference included education sessions on rural diversification, rural-urban interaction, regional governance, green energy, capacity building and community based development organizations. As there were 9 sessions running concurrently for 4 sections this is just a short list of the opportunities available at the conference. Those sessions included speakers from rural areas around the country including from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Beyond the education sessions there was a long and distinguished list of keynote speakers including Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Dr. Mark partridge (economist), Dr. Patrick Moore (founding member of Greenpeace) and the Honourable Mike Harcourt ( former May of Vancouver and former Premier of BC). Despite this impressive list the only speaker to get 2 standing ovations was Newfoundland and Labrador's own Rex Murphy. Rex spoke with such passion and first hand knowledge of rural issues that he brought the crowd to their feet each time he spoke. Rex mentioned the need to recognize the contributions that rural areas make to urban areas and the symbiotic relationship that exists between city and county areas. Despite his reputation for using large words and complicated phrasing he spoke with such simple elegance that those in attendance could not help but be moved.
Two issues to note: First there were workshops that focused on creating specific goals that could be passed on to the FCM for action and Second there was discussion around the idea of holding a rural conference on a regular basis to ensure that rural issues remain at the forefront.
By the end of Rural Matters! those who attended at least had a better understanding that rural issues were just as important in Ontario as they are in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The conference included education sessions on rural diversification, rural-urban interaction, regional governance, green energy, capacity building and community based development organizations. As there were 9 sessions running concurrently for 4 sections this is just a short list of the opportunities available at the conference. Those sessions included speakers from rural areas around the country including from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Beyond the education sessions there was a long and distinguished list of keynote speakers including Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Dr. Mark partridge (economist), Dr. Patrick Moore (founding member of Greenpeace) and the Honourable Mike Harcourt ( former May of Vancouver and former Premier of BC). Despite this impressive list the only speaker to get 2 standing ovations was Newfoundland and Labrador's own Rex Murphy. Rex spoke with such passion and first hand knowledge of rural issues that he brought the crowd to their feet each time he spoke. Rex mentioned the need to recognize the contributions that rural areas make to urban areas and the symbiotic relationship that exists between city and county areas. Despite his reputation for using large words and complicated phrasing he spoke with such simple elegance that those in attendance could not help but be moved.
Two issues to note: First there were workshops that focused on creating specific goals that could be passed on to the FCM for action and Second there was discussion around the idea of holding a rural conference on a regular basis to ensure that rural issues remain at the forefront.
By the end of Rural Matters! those who attended at least had a better understanding that rural issues were just as important in Ontario as they are in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Full Summer Ahead
Despite the regular trend of municipal business slowing down a little during the summer months the CCRC is chugging full steam ahead. We have finally started our Sustainability Self-Assessment project and we have retained Mr. Stephen Quinton as our Project Coordinator. Stephen will be responsible for all the logistics and reporting for the project and he will be in contact with every municipal office over the coming months to arrange a time for each council to go through the Sustainability Self-Assessment tool kit.
The process should take about 3 or 4 hours and we are flexible to arrange these sessions around the schedules of councillors and staff. Summer is a difficult time to start a project of this nature but we have to get it off the ground now and it will run for approximately 5 months. We are asking that all municipalities take the time to engage in this process because it is a great opportunity to step back and take an honest look at long term sustainability issues and it is a first step toward developing ICSPs as mentioned in previous posts.
If you would like to be proactive you can give Stephen a call here at the MNL office at 709-753-6820 and he can begin setting up meeting times that work for you. Otherwise expect a call form him in the near future.
The CCRC is also continually involved in the Functional Regions research project as mentioned here. That project involves multiple researchers and research assistants including Ann Marie Cashin working out of the MNL office under the direction of the CCRC. She is conducting some follow up work on the 2007 Census that the CCRC completed recently.
Beyond those two projects is the work on regional cooperation that the CCRC is continually involved with and the work related to building our resource centre and having it searchable online. Unfortunately it is not yet searchable from the CCRC website but we're working on it.
Cheers to a safe and happy summer all around.
The process should take about 3 or 4 hours and we are flexible to arrange these sessions around the schedules of councillors and staff. Summer is a difficult time to start a project of this nature but we have to get it off the ground now and it will run for approximately 5 months. We are asking that all municipalities take the time to engage in this process because it is a great opportunity to step back and take an honest look at long term sustainability issues and it is a first step toward developing ICSPs as mentioned in previous posts.
If you would like to be proactive you can give Stephen a call here at the MNL office at 709-753-6820 and he can begin setting up meeting times that work for you. Otherwise expect a call form him in the near future.
The CCRC is also continually involved in the Functional Regions research project as mentioned here. That project involves multiple researchers and research assistants including Ann Marie Cashin working out of the MNL office under the direction of the CCRC. She is conducting some follow up work on the 2007 Census that the CCRC completed recently.
Beyond those two projects is the work on regional cooperation that the CCRC is continually involved with and the work related to building our resource centre and having it searchable online. Unfortunately it is not yet searchable from the CCRC website but we're working on it.
Cheers to a safe and happy summer all around.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What's in a plan?
Dwight D. Eisenhower is reputed to have once said that "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."
The intent of the message is not lost on those who have shelves of pans but no method to implement, monitor or revise them. Instead they sit, collecting dust and providing nothing but a distant reference point to a conversation that includes "Yeah we've got one of those plans.......somewhere around here." Municipal operations are no different. Many times legislation simply requires that you have a plan but nothing more. Enter the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.
With the "new deal for cities and communities" the Federal Government has designed a program to flow gas tax monies back to local governments for infrastructure projects. One of the issues is the desire to enhance the sustainability of communities and also to ensure that funding is spent on sustainable projects in sustainable communities. One of the ways to accomplish this is through the development of long term sustainability plans or ICSPs by all municipalities in Canada.
While it is an obligation of gas tax funding to complete ICSPs the most important note is that it is an opportunity to improve the planning processes and possibly even enhance some planning capacity in the province. ICSPs must be integrated and must be "living" plans that are continuously consulted, maintained and revised. They must be flexible and useable and involve goals and directions as developed by the community. Obviously this is a different approach that requires more community engagement and simply more work up front. However the advantages are exponential to the amount of work required.
Recently the CCRC arranged a session for the senior administrators from the municipalities in the province with more then 4000 residents. This session was intended to give these administrators an opportunity to speak with senior staff within the Provincial Department of Municipal Affairs and Infrastructure Canada regarding their perspectives on ICSPs and the specific requirements involved. The main points that developed from this discussion included the need for ICSPs to be a living document, the importance of building on existing planning processes and the importance of identifying infrastructure needs.
Also of note is the recent education session delivered by CCRC at a NLAMA session in Clarenville. The session was very well attended and the feedback from that session will help the CCRC work with the Department of Municipal Affairs to determine some of the specifics of ICSP development for Newfoundland and Labrador.
The CCRC is committed to ensuring that the ICSP process focus on planning as opposed to just developing a plan that sits on a shelf!
Stay tuned for further details.
The intent of the message is not lost on those who have shelves of pans but no method to implement, monitor or revise them. Instead they sit, collecting dust and providing nothing but a distant reference point to a conversation that includes "Yeah we've got one of those plans.......somewhere around here." Municipal operations are no different. Many times legislation simply requires that you have a plan but nothing more. Enter the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.
With the "new deal for cities and communities" the Federal Government has designed a program to flow gas tax monies back to local governments for infrastructure projects. One of the issues is the desire to enhance the sustainability of communities and also to ensure that funding is spent on sustainable projects in sustainable communities. One of the ways to accomplish this is through the development of long term sustainability plans or ICSPs by all municipalities in Canada.
While it is an obligation of gas tax funding to complete ICSPs the most important note is that it is an opportunity to improve the planning processes and possibly even enhance some planning capacity in the province. ICSPs must be integrated and must be "living" plans that are continuously consulted, maintained and revised. They must be flexible and useable and involve goals and directions as developed by the community. Obviously this is a different approach that requires more community engagement and simply more work up front. However the advantages are exponential to the amount of work required.
Recently the CCRC arranged a session for the senior administrators from the municipalities in the province with more then 4000 residents. This session was intended to give these administrators an opportunity to speak with senior staff within the Provincial Department of Municipal Affairs and Infrastructure Canada regarding their perspectives on ICSPs and the specific requirements involved. The main points that developed from this discussion included the need for ICSPs to be a living document, the importance of building on existing planning processes and the importance of identifying infrastructure needs.
Also of note is the recent education session delivered by CCRC at a NLAMA session in Clarenville. The session was very well attended and the feedback from that session will help the CCRC work with the Department of Municipal Affairs to determine some of the specifics of ICSP development for Newfoundland and Labrador.
The CCRC is committed to ensuring that the ICSP process focus on planning as opposed to just developing a plan that sits on a shelf!
Stay tuned for further details.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
A Proactive Approach
This past Saturday the Town of Harbour Breton held it's second Community Capacity Building Forum. The purpose of this forum was to engage the residents and local and regional stakeholders in the process of developing a strategic economic plan.
In May 2000 they held a similar forum and it became the basis for their 5-year Strategic Economic Plan which guided the Town's economic development activities for the following five years. On May 24th they began the process again. With representation from the Town, residents, local businesses, the Regional Economic Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the CCRC discussions were fruitful and a new planning process has begun.
Discussing the issues around Aquaculture development and the switch from a fish plant that closed in 2004 and is now operating to process farmed fish is a great indication of what can be accomplished in rural areas of the province.
One of the points made by Harbour Breton Mayor Don Stewart in his welcoming remarks that was repeated throughout the day was that they needed to be cognizant of the fact that they cannot survive as one community and it is the entire Coast of Bays Regions that must work together on these kinds of issues. That's the kind of talk the CCRC is hearing all around the province.
This event displayed great work and proactive thinking by the Town of Harbour Breton in taking the initiative and planning for a prosperous future within a functional region.
In May 2000 they held a similar forum and it became the basis for their 5-year Strategic Economic Plan which guided the Town's economic development activities for the following five years. On May 24th they began the process again. With representation from the Town, residents, local businesses, the Regional Economic Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the CCRC discussions were fruitful and a new planning process has begun.
Discussing the issues around Aquaculture development and the switch from a fish plant that closed in 2004 and is now operating to process farmed fish is a great indication of what can be accomplished in rural areas of the province.
One of the points made by Harbour Breton Mayor Don Stewart in his welcoming remarks that was repeated throughout the day was that they needed to be cognizant of the fact that they cannot survive as one community and it is the entire Coast of Bays Regions that must work together on these kinds of issues. That's the kind of talk the CCRC is hearing all around the province.
This event displayed great work and proactive thinking by the Town of Harbour Breton in taking the initiative and planning for a prosperous future within a functional region.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Rural-Urban Interaction and what it might mean for NL
This weekend representatives from the Regional Economic Development Boards from around the province are meeting in Labrador West to discuss current topics and trends within economic development. MNL Small Town Director and Mayor of Bishops Falls is attending to discuss the MNL initiative titled Local Actions for Developing Regions(LADR) which is the MNL economic development venue.
To help set the stage for the weekend there will be a short session on the Rural - Urban Interaction project. This project involves research on regional governance organization and labour market flows around the province. There are 3 pilot regions where more detailed work will be happening and those areas are the Irish Loop, the Twillingate - New World Island area, and the Labrador Straits. The project is ongoing and will include regular feedback sessions in each of the pilot areas. This blurb is taken from an earlier press release on the project:
The website for the project is contained within the CCRC webpage and under the link Rural - Urban Research. The presentation provided by the CCRC and the Project Coordinator Pat Curran this weekend will be uploaded to the presentations page of the site early next week.
To help set the stage for the weekend there will be a short session on the Rural - Urban Interaction project. This project involves research on regional governance organization and labour market flows around the province. There are 3 pilot regions where more detailed work will be happening and those areas are the Irish Loop, the Twillingate - New World Island area, and the Labrador Straits. The project is ongoing and will include regular feedback sessions in each of the pilot areas. This blurb is taken from an earlier press release on the project:
Rural-Urban Interaction in Newfoundland and Labrador: Understanding and Managing Functional Regions.
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) in association with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL), the Department of Geography and Harris Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Department of Rural Studies, University of Kentucky, with funding support from the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement, have launched a 30-month project titled Rural-Urban Interaction in Newfoundland and Labrador: Understanding and Managing Functional Regions.
The website for the project is contained within the CCRC webpage and under the link Rural - Urban Research. The presentation provided by the CCRC and the Project Coordinator Pat Curran this weekend will be uploaded to the presentations page of the site early next week.
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