Keeping people safe & well

United Way 2007 Community Builder Award for NCLB

 

EPIC Award 2007

 

TMinutes of the Steering Committee meeting

7th meeting

 

May 16, 2005, 1:00 – 02:30 pm
Banff Community House

 

Present:                               

Chairperson of the Steering Committee, Board member SEOCHC
Representative of Councilor Maria McRae’s Office
Youth Services Bureau
Tenant and Community Worker, Ottawa Community Housing
Manager BBBF and Community Services
Constable, Ottawa Police Services
Constable, Ottawa Police Services
Project Coordinator, No community Left Behind Project, SEOCHC

Regrets:               

Director Banff Avenue Community House
Superintendent, Ottawa Police Services
South Ottawa Community Legal Clinic
Executive Director, Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa
Osgoode Veterinary Clinic
Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa
Vice President, Community Services, United Way 

1.      APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

James Williams invited a motion for the adoption of the Agenda.  Agenda approved as presented.  

2.      APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF  JANUARY 24, 2006 MEEETING

Minutes from March 21st meeting were approved as circulated. 

3.      PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

Following is the summary of Abid Jan’s progress review presented to the Steering Committee:

  • The NCLB was one of the few selected crime prevention models for display at Crime Prevention Forum on April 7, 2006. It was a good opportunity for connection and introduction of the initiative. Participants took keen interest in the approach, process and different phases of this model. Professor Irvin Waller from the University of Ottawa was particularly impressed. Participants of the forum made several references to the NCLB approach in the breakout sessions.
  • Youth Pizza Party was organized on April 12, 2006 to promote rapport between youth from Banff Avenue community and Ottawa Police Service (OPS). The main objective was to break-down barriers, build trust and open communication channels between OPS and local youth. Members of the Youth Council were present.
  • A follow-up meeting with youth from Banff community is planned, and will be facilitated by staff from Boys and Girls Club.
  • The Community Dinners and Homework Club activities were going well. Participation level is gradually increasing. So far community participation has surpassed that of all previous project activities at the Community House.
  • The Community Dinners have so far covered more than 37 percent of the households. Participation of community members is on the rise. The May 4, 2006 meeting had a record number of participation from 17 households.
  • SEOCHC (in partnership with Ottawa University, Culture Shock Canada and the Heron Road Community Centre) received funding to provide a community based hip hop dance program.  Ottawa University, as a partner in the project, is contributing to the project by conducting research on the impact of this type of intervention on marginalized youth.  South East Ottawa will be offering this program in the fall at Heron Road Community Centre. Students from University of Ottawa have completed two focus group sessions with parents over two weeks to identify priority activities, the intended impact, willingness of parents to cooperate, interest of youth to participate, etc. Again the platform provided by the NCLB is proving beneficial to all service providers and other agencies interested in reaching the community at large.
  • Coordinator of the NCLB project attended Law Enforcement, Aboriginal and Diversity Conference in Toronto from April 30 to May 03, 2006. It was an excellent opportunity in terms of connecting to the concerned OPS and OPP staff. The occasion also helped in describing the NCLB initiative to Chief Vince Bevan and Deputy Chief Larry Hill in an informal way. Chief Bevan strongly believes in the approach of community engagement and building trust. At the Crime Prevention Ottawa level, Chief Bevan is advocating the same approach of tackling crime on the community to community, rather than on a crime to crime basis. The Conference was a good opportunity to learn more about community policing and complex problems in multicultural and diverse settings.
  • Regarding the overall environment at Banff Avenue, the community did not seem overly concerned with safety and security issues of late. Nevertheless, the project staff personally witnessed some suspicious activities during their outreach visits to the community. Concerned police officers were informed about these developments. A tire on the car of one staff member was slashed in the first week of April 2006. On the occasion of Youth Pizza Day, a door lock was vandalized at the portable where youth were scheduled to meet. It showed that some trouble-making elements were still around.
  • A proposal for funding has been submitted to Crime Prevention Ottawa to support additional activities of NCLB Phase 2 in the other neighbouring communities.

 4.      Partner’s Reports

 Ottawa Police Service

Constable Mario Bergeron presented an update on Police Service activities since the last meeting. Accordingly:

  • OPS undertook bicycle and foot petrol in the communities.
  • The police officers had three meetings with the community at Russell Heights and two at Banff Avenue Community.
  • One of the meetings at Russell Heights was with youth between the ages of 12-17. More than 20 youth participated in the meeting in which a positive exchange of ideas took place concerning misconceptions about police brutality. The meeting lasted for more than two hours and the youth participated in a civilized and disciplined manner. As a result of these interactions, OPS was able to develop some connections, and information of interest to OPS was gradually being gathered.
  • Discussions were underway to establish neighborhood watches.
  • The Police were welcomed in the community at Banff, even by those community members who had not attended any of the sessions.  This confirmed that the community appeared to be well aware of the developments under the No community Left Behind initiative.
  • At Heatherington, the situation was not satisfactory. The police officers met with the Tenants’ Association. However, there is need to reach the community at large to build communication channel and trust.
  • The situation at 1455 Heatherington has improved considerably. The assigned officers have gone from door to door in this community to engage the community at large in crime prevention cooperation.
  • In Confederation Court, bad elements were no so visible. There was a need to initiate a dialogue with the community.
  • The situation in Banff has improved. Unlike the past experience, when the police officers approached suspected outsiders in the community, people no longer crowded around the Police out of curiosity and suspicion.
  • Crime Stoppers activity for Russell Heights was planned.

Youth Services Bureau 

Mohamoud Abdulle reported on activities of the Youth Council. United Way has approved funding for Read a Book, Realize a Dream project submitted by the Youth Council in Banff. Youth Council is also organizing movie nights. Youth Council members actively participated in the Icebreaking sessions with the police officers and were acting as a role model for the younger youth. 

Ottawa Community Housing 

Melanie O’Rourke reported that:

  • Tenants’ Association (TA) has successfully completed a three-part capacity building training exercise with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH).
  • OCH has released $2200 to the TA’s account for community activities.
  • Safety and security situation at Russell Heights community has deteriorated substantially and needs serious attention.
  • Situation in Banff Avenue community has considerably improved. There has been no recent report of serious incidents.
  • Community Safety officers were in place. They were community oriented and reported to OCH every morning in a professional manner. These officers have certain powers to arrest, and were having good dialogue with the community.

5.  YOUTH NEEDS AND CONCERNS

  • The Youth needed a pin pong table for recreation during the youth Drop-in activity. Cam McLeod from United Way was kind enough to make an arrangement for a ping pong table, which will be in place by May 20, 2006.
  • Youth are having problems with the outdated/dysfunctional computers, which they use for the homework club activities. The Banff Avenue Community House needs, at least, three computers in working condition to replace the present lot. Requests have been made to different agencies (including OCISO, Minto, Reboot Ottawa), but so far, we have not received an encouraging response.
  • The City has purchased land from NCC for a sports facility in Banff area but the construction will take a while. Meanwhile, youth were utilising the portable in the park for their recreational activities.
  • The Portable was a run down building and required substantial renovation. The Youth Workers suggested revamping the structure so that they could accommodate more youth and manage a variety of activities.

Decisions:

  •       Rey Francis will get in touch with different agencies and groups which might  help in providing a new portable or renovate and revamp the existing one at Banff Community.

  •       Rey Francis will also bring the pressing need of the portable (recreation space) in the community to the notice of Councillor Maria McRae.

  •       Lisa Briggs will follow up with Canada Post regarding computers for Homework Club activity.

  •       Abid Jan will discuss possibility of training/orientation of the Youth Workers at Banff Avenue Community House with Boys and Girls Club.

  •       Abid Jan will discuss with the community and the Community House about the possible date and arrangements for a Community Safety Day at Banff.

  •       The Community Safety Officers will be invited to the sessions with youth as well as to the parents’ meetings on Thursday nights.

  •       Leslie McDiarmid will help in setting up a meeting with the community at Heatherington.

  •       Melanie O’Rourke will work on social mobilization at Confederation Court.

  •       Abid Jan will conduct a Community Safety and Perceptions survey at Banff before the next Steering Committee meeting.

  •       Abid Jan will confirm date with Boys and Girls Club for a session with youth and inform the police officers.

  •       Abid Jan, Mario Bergeron and Lisa Briggs will prepare and jointly organize the workshop for the United Ways Sharing Our Strengths conference on June 15, 2006.

 

6.  Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m. 

Next Meeting: Tuesday, June 27, 2006  
1 p.m.
Location: South East Ottawa Centre for a Healthy Community (SEOCHC)

© 2005-15 South - East Ottawa Community Health Centre
Centre de Sante Communautaire du Sud Est D'Ottawa

Contact: Abid Jan Tel./ Tél: (613) 737-5115 Ext. 2403  Fax/Télé: (613) 739-8199

NCLB matters because neighbourhoods matter