Which is more important: building an arts centre in Collingwood, or having a robust transit system?
Would affordable housing be at the top of your list of priorities, or would a multi-use recreation facility rank higher for you?
These are the types of questions Collingwood councillors will be grappling with over the next few months while building the town’s new community-based strategic plan, and on May 9, they sat down to talk about it.
Stacy Hushion, a vice president at StrategyCorp who is leading the work, led a three-hour special council meeting at town hall on Thursday to explain what the consultant discovered through public consultation that has taken place over the past seven months, and what residents would like to see happen in Collingwood looking into the future.
“What we want to talk about here are those big questions. What is our vision for the future? What are our priorities for the next four years?” Hushion explained to councillors. “Collingwood is a mature, sophisticated administration. I say that confidently having led similar processes in about 50 other municipalities.”
The community-based strategic plan will outline Collingwood’s strategic vision, values, and priorities from 2024 to 2028. It will act as a guide for decision-making and resource allocation and help to build consensus among council, staff, and the community about where Collingwood is headed and how it will get there.
Forum Research ran a telephone and online survey of residents from March 18 to April 4 this year, netting nearly 1,000 responses, the results of which have informed the draft plan. To read about the outcome of that survey, click here.
Town staff and StrategyCorp also ran multiple public information sessions this past December to gather resident feedback. The consultant met with all the town’s committees, boards and task forces, and ran two community-focused sessions with community partners, sports and arts groups.
On Thursday, Hushion led councillors through an exercise identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the town completed by StrategyCorp based on that feedback.
Collingwood’s strengths included civic pride, an engaged community, the town’s strategic location, Collingwood’s downtown, its identity as a small town, local businesses, active lifestyle, the natural environment, healthcare, arts/culture, governance satisfaction, committed town staff and Collingwood’s reputation as a four-season destination.
Coun. Christopher Baines said that waterfront access is top of mind for many residents and asked for it to be included in strengths.
“Our access to the waterfront is amazing now, and it’s only going to get better. I don’t know if that message isn’t getting out to the public. Perhaps we could do a better job getting that message out,” said Coun. Steve Perry.
Growth was listed as both a strength and a weakness.
Weaknesses also included concerns about growth, housing supply, affordability, tensions between born-and-raised residents and new residents, social issues, car dependency, inadequate infrastructure, labour supply, customer service and long-term financial planning.
Threats to the town include housing supply, expectations of residents, changing provincial rules, the current economic climate, climate change, erosion of public trust, social media and the impacts of tourism.
Opportunities for the future include fostering economic development, managing growth, addressing the housing crisis, regional collaboration and building on Collingwood’s reputation.
Mayor Yvonne Hamlin raised the issue of transit, the possibility of cross-regional collaboration on transit, and the master mobility and transportation plan currently under development.
“Transit is a little-explored opportunity for our community,” said Hamlin. “Our transit is sub-par.”
StrategyCorp has created five draft pillars as a framework for the new plan – considered conversation starters at this point in the process – which are managed growth, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, community sustainability and transparent/accountable government.
When comparing the priorities of town residents now to those found when completing the exercise in 2020, Hushion noted that action items from the findings of the town’s judicial inquiry are not included in the new plan.
“This... plan is an evolution, because you’ve acted on those. I think you’ve come a long way," said Hushion.
Through the exercise, StrategyCorp also pointed out that the Town of Collingwood does not have a mission statement, however noted that 70 per cent of town staff expressed interest in creating one through the process.
Based on feedback from Thursday’s session, the draft plan will be revised, and StrategyCorp will work with department heads to refine the ideas and develop options for council consideration of a mission statement, strategic vision and values.
The town’s last community-based strategic plan was completed in 2020, and covered 2020-2023. To read through the previous plan, click here.
To learn more about the current community-based strategic plan work, or to provide your own feedback, click here.
