In order to enhance the degree to which our mission can be addressed, and the people of Peterborough City and County can be served, the Peterborough Social Planning Council has navigated through an invigorating year of transition.

The most exciting part of that process involved a complex strategic planning initiative. Ryerson University Professor Mitchell Kosny worked with the PSPC. He facilitated a public forum in October 2004 where the community at large was invited to voice their concerns and goals for the future and the role they saw for the PSPC in addressing them. The forum was well attended and lively. It became clear that the PSPC’s work is highly regarded throughout the City and County and that we have an important role to play in focusing on the following primary issues:

• Income Security
• Affordable Housing
• Access to Health and Social Services

Another part of the process involved the restructuring of Board committees to improve efficiency and ensure the ability of our dynamic and talented volunteer Board members to more fully engage in PSPC activities and decision making. The new Finance and Human Resources Committees and are working well. In addition, Brenda Dales from the United Way offered the Board and PSPC staff valuable assistance in facilitating a vigorous examination of the manner in which the PSPC delivers its core services.

Our Strategic Plan 2005-2007 will reflect our new structure and ensure that the critical issues identified by the community are addressed in a thoughtful and efficient manner through our core services, which include public education, social research, social policy analysis, community development, and advocacy.

Thank you to the United Way, the City and County of Peterborough, our members, donors, community partners, and in-kind contributors for supporting us with not only the funds necessary to do our important work but also with volunteer services and expertise. I would also like to thank our incredible staff for their dedication to the PSPC and to social justice in our community.

Susan Hubay

top

Public Education

Our operating year began, and almost ended, with a federal election. The Social Planning Council took the initiative to offer the community an opportunity to learn in an objective manner, the different political options are offered to Peterborough. The council lead a group of community organizations in organizing a local debate for the candidates to parliament.

In a different area of Public Education Trent University invited us to do a presentation to their Class Urban Planning Theoretical on Multicultural Cities and Social Planning.

Over the year we prepared presented the Peterborough Profile to the United Way, to the Townships of Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan, Ashphodel-Norwood, and Smith-Enismore-Lakefield. This year we are going to present the profile to the rest of the County and city council.

I am honoured to say that the Social Planning Council was one of the recipients of the Book “Social Determinants of Health” that the Peterborough Health Unit presented to several social service agencies.

Social Policy Analysis / Advocacy

During this year we chaired the Social Policy Iniative Network (SPIN) A municipal committee created to support the Municipality on social policy. The Social Planning Council has been an active participant in the implementation of what was called the Municipal Social Plan. As the city and county have moved forward and are in the process of implementation, we have been appointed as a resource to what is now called the Peterborough Community Social Plan (PCSP).

Community Development and Community Partnership

Through the year the Social Planning Council worked with the following grass root groups:

• The Ontario Disability Support Plan (ODSP) Action Group which supports the Walk Wheel and Ride for Dignity an awareness initiative that inform the public that social support and minimum wage are less than sufficient to have a dignified existence.
• The Peterborough Coalition for Dental Health Care has a broad representation of citizens and agencies concerned with the health care of society and how dental care directly affects the overall health and wellbeing of a person.
• The Urban Aboriginal Circle is an initiative to build capacity within the aboriginal community. The Social Planning Council is support ing the initiative and is part of the discussion circle. Lately we are a member of a sub-committee seeking funds to research the needs of the urban aboriginal population in the City and County under the project named “Don’t tell me what I need, ask me”.

Through the year we provided administrative support to the Peterborough Affordable Housing Foundation (PAHF) and the Community Advisory Board (CAB) initially with funds from HRSDC and subsequently from the PAHF.

There was much more work that does not fit into any of the categories above but actually crosses over several strategies and therefore it is important to mention: The Community Consultation.

In the fall of 2004 we implemented a community consultation to ask the citizens of Peterborough city and county where they saw the Social Planning Council going. From that consultation the community told us what they saw as priority concerns to be addressed by PSPC: Access to Health, Income Security and Housing and Homelessness.

The challenges were (and are) many and difficult to overcome. I am sure with the support of the membership and the other stakeholders of the Social Planning Council these challenges will be resolved.

During the year 2004-2005 the format on what is needed has been laid out and the start of a process has begun.

Thank you for your continued support.

Enrique Robert

top

The Peterborough Social Planning Council acknowledges the generous support of
_____________________________________

United Way of Peterborough & District

City of Peterborough         County of Peterborough

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Peterborough Affordable Housing Foundation

F.K. Morrow Foundation
____________________________________

Special thanks to the many contributors
Who anonymously and faithfully support our work
Both financially and as volunteers

        Personnel

The Peterborough Profile

The Peterborough Profile 2004 edition uses a full range of demographic data to provide a social and economic profile of the people of the Peterborough City and County. Where possible it provides data covering the period from 1981 to 2001, allowing an examination of trends over the last two decades.

Previous editions reported on the pre-amalgamation of municipalities. For this edition, re-calculated data from prior Censuses allows the reader to see trends since 1981 for the new amalgamated townships.

Information is important and that is why caution should be used in interpreting of statistics and making comparisons among communities. An increase of 50 people in the City of Peterborough (population 71,446) changes verily 0.07%, whereas an increase of 50 people in Hiawatha First Nation with population of 265 shows an increase of almost 17%.

The Peterborough Profile is one of the key ways in which the Peterborough Social Planning Council fulfills its mission of building a strong local community through research, community development and public education. The Peterborough Social Planning Council has provided the Peterborough City-County community with reliable local data for over 25 years.

This year the Peterborough Profile has two formats; print and CD ROM. You can order yours from our office.

top