Social plan given new focus with selection of new committee
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - Roderick Benns
Peterborough’s social plan has been gaining stride, as the Joint Services Steering Committee has selected the members for the Peterborough Community Social Plan Committee. The committee will be charged with helping to implement the city’s wide-ranging social plan.

Marshall Elliott, co-ordinator of the Peterborough community social plan, says the first step for the group is to have a meeting in early November to give everyone a chance to meet each other and to ensure everyone is comfortable with the mandate.

That mandate, says Marshall, must include both social and economic planning. He says as much as possible, "social concerns are also economic drivers."

For example, Marshall says in a small community, child care may be a linchpin to ensure working can even be made possible. "Child care may need to be there in order for someone to work at all," which makes the issue both social and economic.

Social concerns are also part and parcel of the infrastructure of an economic base, he underlines.

Another big part of the plan, at the municipality level, will be to try and facilitate a group of people who are very knowledgeable about the socio-economic needs of various corners of the county, says Marshall.

He says in smaller pockets in the county, this is often accomplished through local elected politicians, the church community and service clubs -- places where people congregate and are networked.

"These are often people who truly understand their community. We need a partnership with community members who can understand their own community trends. Often, they also have solutions," says Marshall.

In the short and medium term, Marshall notes he would like to identify redundant municipal space, such as old firehalls where services have long since been amalgamated. Marshall says this could be used for office space for service providers who exist only in Peterborough right now, but who could be in farther-flung communities in the county.

He notes this would serve to create a bridge between the city and the county and help bring more services to rural areas, a desirable outcome under the social plan.

The Joint Services Steering Committee is made up of Neil Cathcart, Eric Batten and Dave Nelson from Peterborough County. Terry Guiel, Paul Rexe, Henry Clarke represent the City of Peterborough.

The new Peterborough Social Plan committee is made up of Sandy Gougeon, Nicola Crow and Dirk Verhulst representing the County. Doug Peacock, Arlynn Dupuis and John Martyn represent the City.

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