AHED

Minutes of meeting

Monday, December 12th, 2011 10:00 a.m. – 12 noon

South River, Council Chambers, 63 Marie St

• Welcome, call to order  ~ Jeff Johnston Chair
• Introductions of Attendees –

Jeff Johnston : KPABA/Kearney, Jim Coleman: South River & CAEDA, David Stewart: Almaguin Highlands Inc., Rosalind Hall: Ryerson Township, Caroline Loiselle: MCI, MHPS, MTC, Melanie Davis; Health Unit; Sharon Smith: District Social Services;  Merv Mulligan : McMurrich/Monteith Twp., Jennifer McCourt; Discovery Routes, Shelly Heffernan; Anki Rocks Cottages; ,Don Carter: Municipality of Whitestone, Tammy Wylie; Municipality of Whitestone, Kara Mitchell; Women’s Own Resource Centre

Regrets received:  Great North Arrow, Westwind, and Almaguin Arts Council

• Caroline Loiselle keynote speaker on ‘Healthy Communities’, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Regional Services Branch

Who are we?

• The community connection for the Ontario Ministries of Citizenship & Immigration, Tourism and Culture and the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport
• We support community development by working closely with municipalities, aboriginal communities and not-for-profit voluntary organizations
• We deliver government programs and services at the community level

What we do

Regional Advisors work with communities to improve services & programs and to build new partnerships through: 

- Community & organizational development

- Consultation & advice including potential grant applications

- coordination & monitoring of applications, approvals & compliance for grants programs for the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Ontario Women’s Directorate and the Seniors’ Secretariat.

Of interest to our committee and partners would include:

Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration:

Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat

Volunteer Service Awards – celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011.  2011 North Bay Ceremony, June, 2011.  

• Purpose is to recognize continuous service with one organization.
• Recognition is given for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 or more years of continuous service.
• Youth volunteers (under age of 24) are recognized for 2 or more years of continuous service.
• Nomination deadline is January 25th, 2012

Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/citizenship/honours/vsa.shtml

Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (Sport portfolio has been recently added)

• Heritage (Museums, Archaeology, Architecture) Program also delivered by Toronto  however we assist with:
•                    Cultural Strategic Investment Fund (CSIF)
•                    Museums and Technology Fund
•                    Creative Communities Prosperity Fund (CCPF)
• Libraries
• Agencies (Example: Science North)
• Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat

Cultural Strategic Investment Fund:

This fund provides strategic support for projects that secure and enhance Ontario's cultural achievements. It helps applicants at provincial and regional levels make strategic investments that promote innovation, stimulate job growth, support new, dynamic content creation, penetrate new markets and encourage cultural tourism. The fund also supports the development of unique cultural resources to enhance the health and vitality of our communities and the quality of life of our people. http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/awards_funding/csif_fund.shtml

Creative Community Prosperity Fund:

This fund provides Ontario municipalities and Aboriginal communities with financial assistance for cultural planning projects. It also provides funding to help not-for-profit organizations carry out specific capacity-building initiatives that enhance the cultural planning process. The government launched this four-year financial assistance initiative in August 2009.

http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/awards_funding/ccpf_fund.shtml

Museums and Technology Fund:

This fund helps collections-based arts and heritage organizations preserve and present Ontario's diverse and rich heritage. It is supported by the government's $6.5 million commitment, announced in 2009, to help community museums, art galleries, archives and associated heritage service organizations invest in innovative projects and partnerships that help them improve public access to their collections through digital technology.   Applicants must have a collection. http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/awards_funding/museum_tech_fund.shtml

Ontario Seniors Secretariat

http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/index.php

Work with the local Seniors at Risk Network of North Bay and District – Elder Abuse Committee who promotes awareness about elder abuse and provides information on how to access services and education. 

Sport (& Recreation) Branch

Healthy Communities Fund – The local/regional stream of the HCF supports local and regional organizations that are well positioned to identify what programs and approaches will be best suited to their communities. The HCF will help provide the tools and resources that will enable communities to plan and deliver on initiatives that effectively address local needs.

More info available on-line, including past examples of successful projects

http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/healthy-communities/hcf/local.asp

New program has not yet launched and as soon as launch is made, Caroline will forward an email.  Please also note, the link above is last year’s criteria and is subject to minor changes. 

Grants Ontario supports the findings of the 2011 Partnership Project report where non profit organizations asked the Ontario Government to '... institute standardized application forms, timelines accountability and reporting requirements across ministries by moving as much as possible online.'

Grants Ontario's automated features will relieve program staff and grant applicants of the burden of repeated manual input of information.

In addition to eliminating data entry for on-line submissions, Grants Ontario includes workflow and forms customized to the needs of each grant program within a best practice framework.

Grants Ontario was designed as an Ontario Government-wide system and will accommodate more grant and transfer payments in the future. http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/healthy-communities/grants-ontario/default.asp

The Summer Experience Program (“SEP”) provides non-profit organizations, municipalities, Aboriginal/First Nation communities, and organizations serving/supporting people with disabilities with funding to create meaningful summer employment opportunities for students.

Program Goal:  To provide supervised work experience for students in summer positions that develop career related and transferable skills.  The period of employment for SEP funding will be 34 days occurring between May 1 and August 31

• If a participant does not complete the term, a replacement may be hired to do so with prior approval.
• Projects may last longer but SEP funding will not cover this additional amount.
• Summer positions that develop career related and transferable skills.
• SEP is an annual program announced early the spring through the local RSB offices.
• Application forms are available from the Regional Advisor.
• Completed applications must be signed and delivered to the local RSB office (with supporting documents) on or before the deadline date.

General Discussion from committee members present included:

Almaguin projects looking for relevant funding:

• Health professionals that go to town centres / to run a clinic – suggested funding would be easier this way via Health Fair – bring in variety
•  need for support networks for highly vulnerable peoples in our region

-    Playground equipment - Healthy communities only funds portable, eg. Sports equipment; Soccer balls, nets, - Ont. Hydro, Home Depot, Canadian had program, service clubs, kidsport, etc…

• Discussion of transportation being a need for Sr’s amongst many others in region in Almaguin  - Social Planning Council of North Bay developed a pilot from another rural Ontario region  that it was suggested to be drawn on for this regions – that regional Social Planning Council for Almaguin area discussed as beneficial, a project that as WORC rep brought up in AHED Sept. meeting ,  the local Poverty Reduction Network has supported and a leadership team has been formed for – having them present at upcoming AHED meeting recognized as beneficial – transportation can be a portion of Healthy Communities fund & for eg. The project for public programs of Almaguin Highlands SS is doing – idea of Transportation being a focus of  Showcase Almaguin in next year suggested

AHED Business; 

• Adoption of Minutes of Nov. 17, 2011 –deferred to email communications & final in January
•        Terms of Reference for 2011-12        - deferred to Jan
•        Reports from Community and Resource Partners

( Round table of updates from attendees – as time allowed)

• Next meeting date(s):   10 am – 12 noon Thurs. Jan. 19^th , 2012 ~ location:–Whitestone Lake Resort just outside Dunchurch – special lunch meeting, a feedback exchange between municipal representatives and sponsoring Labour Market group to follow  12-1:30.  Each municipality can have up to 2 representatives attend.  Invites to be sent out in next few weeks.

12.           In-Camera  (if required)

Adjournment

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