NEWS RELEASE
HARMONY CENTRE
************************
Owen Sound’s Harmony Centre is attracting experts from across the country to an important conference that highlights solutions to some of the most vexing problems that face small communities today.
The one-day conference will be held on March 29 beginning at 8:30 am at Harmony Centre.
The cost for the conference is $50 per person, or a nominal charge for those who find finances a barrier to attendance.
Register online at https://harmonycentre.ca/scsc. Registration closes March 26.
According to conference organizer and Harmony Centre board member Leigh Greaves, the gathering is meant to showcase a variety of solutions to the problems and needs that small communities face, as told by community leaders and innovators from across the country who have first-hand experience putting these solutions into practice.
Thirteen years ago, Harmony Centre itself was created as a solution to the problem of finding a place for a soup kitchen in Owen Sound, so it is a fitting site to host this gathering of forward-thinking community members and proven problem solvers.
“There are a lot of thoughtful and ingenious projects going on locally and nationally from which we can all draw inspiration,” Greaves said.
“This conference will highlight practical, effective solutions that are being implemented in Grey-Bruce right now, and also provide proven solutions from other communities for issues that remain unsolved. It will be a day of creativity, connection, and hope.”
Conference speakers include Gwen Patrick from The Shorefast Institute in Fogo Island, N.L., Lori Pyne from Helping Hands in Squamish B.C., Grey County’s CAO Kim Windgrov and Owen Sound’s police chief Craig Ambrose, alongside representatives from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce, the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay, and Owen Sound’s Safe ’N Sound.
A full lineup of speakers will be available on Harmony Centre’s website later this month.
“The Small Communities Solutions Conference presents a rare opportunity for experts and concerned citizens to hear directly from front-line specialists who will outline their successes in addressing issues like food insecurity, affordable and emergency housing, public safety, mental health services and basic income,” said Greaves.
“It will be an exciting forum featuring a diverse array of ideas, inspiring case studies, and pathways to meaningful change."
Jeff Elie, Chair of the Board of Directors at Harmony Centre, explains that the Small Communities Solutions Conference is an example of a home-grown effort to encourage new approaches to social issues and to reinvigorate those that have succeeded.
“Our conference steering committee is comprised of a very talented group of social service experts, activists, and municipal leaders, so it’s no surprise that the program reflects the relevance and urgency of the issues facing small communities,” Elie said.
“This conference is especially timely today, when small town and rural communities are looking for ways to remain viable in a world that’s changing quickly, balancing tradition with progress, and confronting unique local challenges head on."
************************