jumping into action - CivicAction

JUMPING INTO ACTION BOOTS ON THE GROUND June 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS P.1 P.3 P.4 P.6

Letter from the CEO and Chair About the Summit Model Warm Up Pre-Summit Stretch Out Better City Bootcamp

P.8

Work Out The Themes and Actions p.10

The Growing Need for Mental Health Support in the Workplace

p.13

Housing Affordability, Matching Senior Health Care to Housing Options

p.16

Childhood Health, the Importance of the “First 1000 Days”

p.19 Public Space: For the Health of Our People and Communities p.22

P.26 P.28

Infrastructure Needs of Tomorrow, Better Prepare Our Communities for Increases in Density and Weather Intensity

Thank You and Acknowledgments Civic Actions

letter from the chair and ceo The 2015 CivicAction Summit: Better City Bootcamp was an intense, action-oriented day where we convened close to 1,000 leaders to set the regional agenda for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) over the next four years. Emerging and established leaders from all sectors and across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and four orders of government joined us to “workout” an action plan to improve our region’s economic, social and environmental prosperity. We are CivicAction and at the Better City Bootcamp, we put our words to work. This Summit looked at five foundational issues at the core of the health and resilience of our people and communities - infrastructure, public space, mental health, affordable housing, and childhood health. Better City Bootcamp connected the dots between these five issue areas. Continuing to make these connections in our actions will be key to our success. Some of the common threads among these issues include: Experiences Differ A vibrant economy is key to our continued prosperity. While the GTHA has fared relatively well in the economic recovery, we know that income inequality is growing across the region with certain segments of the population feeling this pressure disproportionately. In each of our issue areas, residents with lower incomes are often hardest hit. Our solutions must address these disparities and make resources available and accessible to all. If we are able to create a supportive environment for our most vulnerable, we will create a supportive environment for all. The Need for A Multi-Sector Approach Each of the issues discussed at the Summit is complex. They require the input and energy of people and organizations across the private, public, labour, and community sectors. We need the expertise and resources of all sectors to address these issues. @CivicActionGTA | #bettercitybootcamp | www.civicaction.ca

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Actions Must Reflect Community Experience In each of our issue areas, those with lived experience were recognized as holding important knowledge that must be valued and integrated into the solution. Design approaches that reflect the realities and perspective of people who are directly affected will be critical to the success of actions in each of these areas. We need to be resourceful in tackling the issues of the region. The more we can leverage the assets and resources we have to address one or more of the issues that face us, the smarter we spend our hardearned dollars and the greater the potential impact. Collectively, we identified ways to ensure that support systems are in place for those most vulnerable and that we have the physical infrastructure, including public spaces, for healthy, connected communities. We are now exploring the actions that have been identified. Our experience has taught us that bringing a large group of passionate people together towards a common cause can, and does, make a huge impact. But that’s just the beginning. With the day behind us, CivicAction is exploring where we can play a lead or supporting role in driving change on our region’s most pressing issues and opportunities. Let’s all work to identify the opportunities to advance systemic changes. Let’s all, put our collective Bootcamp experience to good use. Regards,

Rod Phillips Chair, CivicAction @RodPhillips1

Sevaun Palvetzian CEO, CivicAction @SevaunP

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ABOUT THE SUMMIT MODEL

Every four years, CivicAction holds a Summit to put our finger on the pulse and identify the biggest issues facing the region. At the core of our Summit is the desire to improve the quality of life for residents across the GTHA. Out of the Summit, CivicAction sets our operational plan and the regional agenda for change for the next four years, then focuses on high-impact initiatives that lend themselves to multi-sectoral solutions. See below for a crash course in the many CivicAction initiatives that have emerged from previous Summits.

2007

Through the Years

launches and today, brings 900+ diverse GTHA city buiders together.

2004 2003

Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council facilitates 10,000 mentoring relationships since 2003.

Toront03 revitalizes the tourism industry post-SARS, generates $70 million in visitor spending.

INITIATIVES

2011 2008 initiative built out of consensus from 2007 Summit for a regional environmental vision and action plan.

Strong Neighbourhoods Task Force leads to 1,200 initiatives in six years across 13 priority neighbourhoods. Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults results in introduction of the federal Working Income Tax Benefit and Ontario Child Benefit.

2005

2000

SUMMITS 2002 First Toronto City Summit Leads to the creation of the Toronto City Summit Alliance (now, CivicAction).

2006

Luminato Festival annual international arts festival attracts about 1 million participants each year.

The Greater Toronto Leadership Project to address visible minority gap in GTHA leadership positions. To date, 130 DiverseCity Fellows have graduated and continue to do great things for the region.

2005

Toronto Region Research Alliance unites various sectors to focus the province’s and country’s research and innovation agenda.

2010

2014 Your 32 campaign engages thousands of residents and leads to dedicated provincial funding for transportation improvements.

creates mentoring, skills development, and job opportunities for youth. In collaboration with over 30 companies & organizations

2015

2013

2007

Toronto City Summit Enough Talk report outlines key issues facing the region and sets an action plan for change.

Living City Report Card assesses state of the environment and identifies opportunities for action.

2012

Toronto City Summit Over 600 leaders from the GTHA attend the third Summit: Making Big Things Happen.

2003

sees 42% of GTHA office buildings participating in, and collectively making a 7.9% energy reduction by 2014.

2011

Greater Toronto Summit A two-day conference engages 800 leaders from across the GTHA.

@CivicActionGTA | #bettercitybootcamp | www.civicaction.ca

CivicAction Forum brings 300 GTHA leaders together to reaffirm committment to improved transporation.

2015

CivicAction Summit: Better City Bootcamp Delegates attend Better City Bootcamp, focusing on five interrelated health issues as growing urban challenges and areas for opportunity, bringing the Summit to more people than ever with livestreaming and two satellite locations.

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P U M WEA-SRUMMIT PR

CivicAction’s model depends on cross-sector partners working from a common fact base to tackle issues of regional importance. To develop that fact base, CivicAction undertook a process of research, consultation, and engagement.

RESEARCH RESEARCH Local Context Global Context Environmental Scan

CONSULTATION Experts Elected Officials Local Residents

ENGAGEMENT Content Partners

Our research approach included three components: • an understanding of the unique context of the GTHA • an understanding of the global context of urban issues • an environmental scan of existing organizations tackling our region’s civic issues There is no shortage of studies about the challenges and opportunities we face in the GTHA. Indeed, the Martin Prosperity Institute counts over 360 studies of the GTHA published in the last five years. This breadth of research confirms what many might have suspected - we already know a great deal about our challenges. CivicAction undertook a review of this research to identify the most pressing and emerging issues already identified to move towards a phase of action.

CONSULTATION

The GTHA is not alone in the challenges that it faces today. To learn from what others are doing, CivicAction undertook a scan of best practices and emerging innovations from city-regions around the globe. This process included a review of dozens of international urban summit proceedings and recent publications. Finally, we know that the GTHA is rich with organizations active in the field of city building generally, as well as in our issue areas. Indeed, CivicAction participates in many existing initiatives, including the Evergreen CityWorks Housing Lab, the City of Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Advisory Council. To avoid duplicating existing activity and to learn from those already established successful interventions, CivicAction undertook an environmental scan of the mandates and priorities of over 50 local organizations and started to identify early partners.

A great agenda is informed by a diverse group of voices, including those with professional expertise and personal experience on what makes our region great and where we can do better. In addition to the research above, CivicAction undertook dozens of consultations and one-on-one interviews with academics, elected officials from three levels of government, and local citizens to get their perspectives on the most pressing issues facing our region today.


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ENGAGEMENT At CivicAction, we know that our objectives can be achieved only in partnership with others. Prior to the Summit, CivicAction developed a number of key partnerships with expert organizations to inform and frame each of our issue areas. These partners worked with us to develop a common fact base, shared resources of the scope of the challenge, provided ideas about how to focus the conversations, and offered suggestions for how to move from conversation to action. Thanks to our many research and content partners, including Hamilton Health Sciences, Martin Prosperity Institute and the Rotman School of Management, Park People, TD Economics, and Trillium Health Partners. At CivicAction, we know that emerging leaders are full of creative and innovative ideas for improving our region. are the future of our region. With this in mind, we made a conscious effort to amplify the voices and ideas of young people in our consultations. This included high school students, post-secondary students, and CivicAction’s own Emerging Leaders Network.

Consultation with CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network, a group of over 900 diverse rising leaders from the across the region. At the November 2014, ELNstudio Shaping Our Urban Health, members developed project ideas tackling housing affordability, physical fitness, mental health, and public space.

CatalystsX, an organization that connects Canadians with the knowledge, resources and technology they need to transform Canada’s future, & CivicAction’s ELN teamed up for an important pre-Summit conversation with emerging leaders, social innovators, and social entrepreneurs. The Better City Stretch brought together a diverse group to facilitate discussion on our five main Summit themes, which helped to inform actions coming out of the Summit.

Centennial College students from the School of Communication, Media and Design at the Story Arts Centre campus, in collaboration with CivicAction, challenged Torontonians to work together to reimagine their community’s public spaces with the ReImagineTO campaign. Students created a broad, integrated campaign of student-generated content at www.ReImagineTO.com to motivate residents to engage with city leaders to protect and create vital public spaces for everyone. Students also showcased their work at Better City Bootcamp. @CivicActionGTA | #bettercitybootcamp | www.civicaction.ca

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stretch out STRETCH OUT better city bootcamp On April 28, 2015, Better City Bootcamp brought together nearly 1,000 regional leaders representing the private, public, labour, and community sectors to surface the most innovative thinking on our most pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. It was critical that each sector and each level of government be represented in our agenda to ensure a successful dialogue.

The objectives of the day were to:

Our results were:

INFORM Educate rising and established leaders about the state of the region, five issues affecting the lives of its residents, and how they relate to each other.

87% of survey respondents felt more knowledgeable about the region after the Summit

CATALYZE ACTION Identify new ideas and opportunities to scale existing work by CivicAction and others, and foster commitment to act on these ideas and opportunities.

85% of survey respondents will take a more active interest in their community after the Summit

FORGE NEW RELATIONSHIPS to drive multi-sectoral action post-Summit.

85% of survey respondents said the Summit was a useful networking opportunity

Inclusive Conversations:

Outlining the regional agenda is a job for all of its residents. CivicAction strives to convene groups that represent our diverse region based on a number of factors including geography, gender, age, socio-cultural background, and sector. Here’s how we fared at the Summit: SECTOR

BUSINESS - 29% COMMUNITY - 23% GOVERNMENT - 23% OTHER - 16% ACADEMIC - 8% LABOUR 1%

CAREER STAGE

SENIOR LEADER - 59% EMERGING LEADER - 41%

GENDER

REGION

FEMALE - 60% MALE - 40%

TORONTO - 64% OTHER - 17% PEEL - 7% YORK - 5% HAMILTON - 4% HALTON - 2% DURHAM - 1%

VISIBLE MINORITY

28%


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Taking it to the Region:

New technologies and old fashioned elbow grease made it possible for more people to participate in the day then ever before.

Agenda Highlights

The Summit built in opportunities for learning, discussing, and developing tangible actions. Highlights include: The Civic Marketplace powered by RBC Over 35 organizations doing innovative work across the region showcased their efforts in the CivicAction marketplace. Delegates were able to learn more about these organizations and identify opportunities to take action right away and collaborate.

CivicAction hosted satellite conversations at Rexdale Community Hub and the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus with over

145 people.

Delegates

that were unable to travel joined the day on their computer via an interactive Tweeps used the livestream. #bettercitybootcamp hashtag, & made it a Canada-Wide

trending topic.

I wish and I will activities Delegates were invited to share their aspirations for the region by finishing the statement, “I wish…”. Similarly, delegates committed to taking action to make these aspirations a reality by finishing the statement, “I will…”. Pull Up Your Socks Art Installation More than a few eyebrows were raised when delegates were asked to bring socks to the Better City Bootcamp. But artists Parimal Gosai and Christina Ott wasted no time in creating a visual expression of our aspirations for a better region. With delegates’ “wishes” for the region tucked in their socks, the completed installation reminds delegates to dream big and commit to act. Mustafa the Poet Mustafa Ahmed is a spoken word artist, actor and emcee based in Regent Park. Mustafa closed the day with a striking poem that beautifully captured our collective wish for a better region “Yes those in the sea of risk, their constant efforts made for the absence of fear. Still, every part of their body fills with sweat, sweat that has seen more emotion than tears. Because for hours, days, years, they have fought for the moment they can say “We Are Here””. Pan Am Engagement Pachi, the official mascot of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games joined us to get delegates excited about the upcoming sporting event. Delegates were also treated to a demonstration by Canada’s Pan Am Fencing team. We’ll be rooting for them this summer! For more, please see the Summit Agenda and Videos.


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T U O WORKND ACTIONS ISSUES A

st te their be u b ri t n o c o e ed t of our issu s were ask e h t c a a g e le n e o d ns Summit the key t discussio f u o o k e a m re o b s o ail ell thinking t pages det g in w e area as w o u ll s fo is h e c h a T e . s in areas d challenge n a s elegates. ie d it y n b u d rt e o t p ra p o s gene as the idea

Issues and Themes: The Growing Need for Mental Health Support in the Workplace Housing Affordability, Matching Senior Health Care to Housing Options Childhood Health, the Importance of the “First 1000 Days” Public Space: For the Health of Our People and Communities Infrastructure Needs of Tomorrow, Better Prepare Our Communities for Increases in Density and Weather Intensity.

MENTAL HEALTH, THE GROWING NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN THE WORKPLACE Mental health issues touch us all. 30% of Ontarians will experience a mental health and/or substance abuse challenge at some point in their lifetime, but only one-third will get help. We are increasingly experiencing mental health issues in our workplaces. Workplace culture is changing, with many people experiencing greater levels of stress and greater pressures on their time. While employers can be an effective first line of defense, many employers lack awareness of mental health issues and the capacity to address them. According to the Canadian Mental

Snapshot Statistics: On any given week,

500,000 Canadians will miss

approximately

work for mental health reasons.

Only 9% of employed Canadians strongly

agree that they would be comfortable disclosing mental health issues to their employer.

Health Association, less than 30% of employees believe their managers are knowledgeable in mental health matters. What’s more – stigma is preventing people from asking for their help they need. Only 9% of employed Canadians strongly agree that they would be comfortable disclosing mental health issues to their employer. Through the Mental Health Commission of Canada has introduced the first ever National Standard for Psychological Health & Safety in the Workplace, many workplaces are far behind in identifying and eliminating mental health risks and promoting positive practices and structures in their workplaces. Greater awareness of these issues and better training for managers is needed.

productivity. If current conditions prevail, this cost is expected to reach $290.9 billion by 2041. At the level of the employer, there are substantial financial costs associated with mental illness – accounting for more than 30% of disability claims and 70% of disability costs in Canada. The good news is that these costs can be reduced; mental health training for managers is associated with 20% reductions in mental health disability-related costs. Collectively, public, private, and community sector actors must come together to address the tremendous challenges and opportunities that the workplace presents as a location for tackling mental health issues.

Inaction on this issue comes with tremendous personal and societal costs. The total Canadian economic burden of mental illness is $51 billion annually. Inaction on this issue comes with tremendous personal and societal costs. The total Canadian economic burden of mental illness is $51 billion annually, with $20 billion resulting from workplace losses attributable to disability claims, absenteeism and lost


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Potential Actions

Summit delegates generated a range of ideas to enhance mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Leadership • Ask cross-sectoral leaders to speak openly about their own mental health journey • Create a peer ambassador program for those who have experienced mental health issues to break down the stigma of mental illness and help colleagues to access resources • Develop a cap and trade credit system for Employee Assistance Programs to allow larger businesses to transfer unused services to small and medium sized companies Training • Require mental health training for managers • Target training on the language, awareness, communication skills, and empathy • Offer lived experiences and success stories in training modules

Create a peer ambassador program for those who have experienced mental health issues to break down the stigma of mental illness and help colleagues to access resources • • • •

Teach employers simple steps for start a conversation about mental health Educate people to recognize when they aren’t ‘feeling themselves’ Infuse mental health awareness within the education system Provide more training to medical professionals in the area of mental health

Recognition • Recognize employers who make mental health a priority by implementing activities to support employee well-being • Create an accreditation program or standard for healthy workplaces • Use Chambers of Commerce to identify and publicize organizations that have successful programs as beacons of success • Create a public annual report on workplace mental health metrics and achievements • Link investment indicators to a corporation’s mental health and wellness programs Workplace Resources • Create a toolkit to support employers to


• • • • •

•

promote mental health Provide on-site counseling or pop up mental health clinics Have peer counselors and social support groups in the workplace Ensure program supports are offered in multiple languages Have spaces for relaxation and fun in the office Provide an open platform for people to access mental health in the workplace rather than mandate it Increase the number of ways for individuals to access help (e.g. using technology)

Corporate Culture and HR Practices • Use proactive hiring practices • Orient new employees to understand the company’s culture and prevent the stigma of mental health in the workplace • Abandon traditional performance reviews and have real conversations about satisfaction in the workplace • Allow staff to take time every week for exercise and community engagement (e.g. fitness memberships or mental wellness days) • Hold managers accountable for their employees’ wellness • Implement corporate protocols for mental wellness • Increase coverage and benefits for employee counseling • Enhance flexibility for employees to

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• • • •

• • •

work from home Provide help for those with mental health issues reentering the workplace Implement a job protection plan for those affected by mental illness Embed walk and talk meetings in corporate culture Encourage acceptance, compassion, open conversations, and role modeling Ask people how they are feeling Create a campaign to restrict after hours emails and calls Have an annual “coming out” day for people affected by mental health issues and kick off the first year with a group of senior leaders

Community Resources • Develop connections with community sector organization to access resources and build trust • Create a not for profit organization like the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council for those with mental health issues

Establish the business case and return on investment for taking action Research • Engage employees in anonymous surveys to gauge mental health and allow for more tailored services with easier access that reflects workplace need • Create a centre of excellence for workplace mental health • Undertake a risk assessment for jobs that have high incidence of mental health challenges • Compare resources spent on physical as compared to

• •

mental health Establish the business case and return on investment for taking action Acknowledge and address the social determinants of health that are most related to mental health

Knowledge and Awareness • Increase general knowledge and understanding of mental health issues • Use the right language to describe the problem – terms like “health”, “diversity”, and “inclusion” • Create a campaign to show the relationship between mental health and the workplace and show employees how to access resources • Publicize the size of waiting list for mental health care in the region • Create a forum for sharing employer best practices • Use a human lens in telling the story of the real costs of mental health issues • Twin best in class organizations with those who are less experienced to share best practices • Recognize the trickle down effects of mental illness wellbeing on families Policy, Legislation, Funding: A Role for Government • Require or incentize organizations to have a mental health and well-being strategy • Expand AODA to include mental health issues • Create a taxable benefit for wellness prevention and health problems • Cover more mental health related claims under OHIP • Restructure EI to support people who need time off that is not covered by a disability plan


“I wish” and “I will” statements

Summit delegates committed to taking action on this issue.

I wish that we could have a real conversation about mental health. I wish that when people think of mental health, they think of recovery. I will push the envelope to help my organization to build mental health supports in the workplace. I will get to know my local BIA to see how I might be able to help them and their business with mental health resources.

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Housing Affordability, Matching Senior Health Care to Housing Options We are witnessing a silver tsunami. In 1971, seniors accounted for 8% of Ontario’s population. Today, they represent 15%. By 2040, the GTHA will be home to 1.2 million seniors over age 75. Some of us will be part of this statistic; others of us will have parents, friends, and loved ones who fall into this cohort. In other words, we are all impacted by this issue. At some point, most seniors will require additional assistance with their day-to-day needs, and with many seniors living on fixed incomes and more seniors carrying debt into retirement, housing affordability is a big issue.

Snapshot Statistics: In 2011,

26%

Senior-assisted living space in the GTHA is on the rise but still only covers about 5% of the population over 75. Many seniors end up in acute care beds as they wait for other care options. Supports for low-income seniors exist, but seniors face an average wait time of 5.5 years for subsidized housing. We see this translated in the country’s bottom line. Despite accounting for just 15% of the Canadian population, those over 65 account for more than 31% of healthcare costs.

It is essential that seniors are viewed as a critical resource in designing the services to meet their own and others’ needs.

of Toronto’s

population was 55 or older.

In 30 years, this will reach 36%. 14.8% of all hospital

acute care beds in Ontario

occupied by people who could be discharged if are

there was an appropriate discharge destination available.

Older residents of the GTHA struggle with fragmented service delivery and difficulty navigating a complex system that spans public, private, and community service providers. By improving service integration and helping seniors and their families to better prepare for and make informed choices, we can reduce the costs associated with the acute care services that often become the default for seniors who are unable to find appropriate housing and care in their communities.


There is a need for new and enhanced designs for housing and age-friendly communities. In these environments, seniors need to be empowered to make the decisions that affect their quality of life. It is essential that seniors are viewed as a critical resource in designing the services to meet their own and others’ needs. The engagement of another resource, our young people, may be a critical factor in supporting seniors to live with dignity as they bring new ideas and approaches. Supporting seniors requires coordinated policies and approaches from all levels of government. We must ensure that existing approaches are not unduly limiting innovation in terms of new forms of housing and service delivery. We also need to spark new approaches to funding and financing for affordable housing targeted at seniors. This will require the involvement of public, private, and community sector players. By developing innovative and affordable community-based solutions, the region can reduce the personal and collective costs of caring for our aging population and leverage our senior members for other community needs.

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Potential Actions

Summit delegates generated a range of ideas - from long-term policy changes to personal commitments - to improve quality of life for seniors by enhancing their access to affordable housing that meets a range of needs. Community Hubs and Centralized Service Delivery • Ensure that services are person-centred • Create a one-stop shop to coordinate and promote all locally-delivered services and supports: housing, health, and social services near transit • Promote the provision of varying levels of care within seniors’ developments to offer a broader range of housing and services in close proximity • Create support centres for seniors similar to ‘welcome centres’ for new Canadians • Create community co-op day care for seniors • Create “Senior Watch” programs, based on “Neighbourhood Watch” programs • Translate the social contract that exists in certain groups (e.g. faith communities) into a cross-generational social contract System Navigation and Programming • Identify coordinators that can serve as system navigators and connectors across public and private services • Help people preparing to age to identify their options

Create service “match makers” using technology-based solutions to match seniors to available housing and services •

•

• •

•

Provide information and assistance to seniors and their families on different housing options such as cohousing, homeshare, village to village, life lease, granny flats Ensure family doctors have access to regularly updated information on services available to seniors Create a central registry or database that allows seniors to access available housing Create service “match makers” using technology-based solutions to match seniors to available housing and services (e.g. Uber for homecare) Enhance preventative services

Housing Models and Community Design • Create “microcommunities” where seniors can support seniors through non-traditional housing arrangements (e.g. shared housing and services, coownership) • Create micro-villages for seniors located between houses in subdivisions • Design or upgrade affordable housing for accessibility • Ensure quality by assigning a


• •

• •

• •

gold-star rating to affordable housing projects Build affordable housing in neighbourhoods where seniors already live Foster mixed land uses that allow long-term care facilities to be located near employment areas and residential areas to facilitate connections for families Strive for community design that integrates the needs of seniors Create a collaboration space to allow for the development of new options to encourage independent and intergenerational living arrangements Consider repurposing underused community assets into housing Support mixed-generation housing

Financing and Incentives • Create financing and funding models to incent innovative seniors housing models • Develop a housing corporation to provide funding for innovative housing models • Expand the range of financial products for co-housing • Create a pricing scale for affordable housing tied to volunteer hours • Increase the quantity of accessible secondary suites by providing funding for

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• • •

accessible retrofits Source funding for rentgeared-to-income housing Enhance private-sector involvement Create matching opportunities between sectors to build affordable housing

Awareness • Encourage better representation of seniors in the media through the creation of a seniors speakers’ bureau • Identify the social, economic, community, family and financial benefits of affordable housing for seniors • Focus on promoting positive approaches – “Yes, In my backyard!” • Undertake a census of seniors’ needs • Share information between hospitals and community agencies to facilitate an understanding of the service gaps Engaging Young People • Challenge students to come up with solutions to aid seniors • Give academic credit and volunteer credit to students volunteering to help seniors • Creating space for seniors in student housing • Share knowledge and experiences between generations • Create a senior/child buddy system Seniors In Charge • Create a Seniors Residence Council that define its own needs • Promote user-driven program design for key home supports • Allow seniors to support seniors by creating a database of seniors who want to help others • Provide services in more than

• • •

•

one language Broaden the criteria for accessing existing services so more seniors can be covered Facilitate social networks for seniors that can help to provide services Subsidize a “life service” voucher system that allows older adults to self-select support services from a variety of providers Ask seniors to trade skills (e.g. tutoring) for financial supplements that allow them to live independently

Policy, Legislation, Funding: A Role for Government • Ensure that public policy takes an integrated, crossfunctional, cross-sectoral approach to seniors’s issues • Elevate affordable housing for seniors as a priority issue for all three levels of government • Advocate for better integration of services for seniors between all levels of government • Call for a provincial seniors’ care/housing strategy that recognizes non-traditional forms of housing • Ensure that existing regulations don’t prevent innovative housing models from working • Amend tax laws to tip the balance in favour of seniors staying in their own homes • Legislate a portion of accessible, affordable units for seniors in new builds • Expedite planning to fasttrack affordable housing development • Simplify funding to be managed by one level of government • Ensure that municipal housing departments work closer with public health units to meet seniors where they are • Implement inclusionary zoning




I wish for affordable housing options at all income levels.

I wish seniors in my neighbourhood had a means of accessing social interaction while maintain financial stability.

I will work with government and community groups to create seniors’ centres in schools. I will partner with community organizations to deliver a workshop about seniors housing in Brampton

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CHILDHOOD HEALTH, THE IMPORTANCE OF “THE FIRST 1000 DAYS” Research shows that the first thousand days – between conception and a child’s second birthday – have a critical impact on childhood development and their adult life. There are many factors that influence healthy development at this stage of life including environmental stresses, physical activity, nurturing and education, and nutrition. While becoming a parent can be one of the most wonderful moments in a lifetime, it can also be one of the most stressful. These stresses are all the more acute for parents in vulnerable circumstances – such as those living with low incomes or experiencing language barriers. There are 371,000 children under age 12 live below the low-income threshold in Ontario. The impact of income is clear. By age three,

Snapshot Statistics: By age 3, children in high

their high-income counterparts are exposed to 30 million more words, affecting later academic performance. Solutions in this area must meet the needs of our most vulnerable and question a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Conversations at the Summit revealed a need to the lift the veil on this issue and enable further discussion of the real challenges of parenting across the region. We must make it easier for parents to find and access existing services and resources in their community.

All sectors have a role in providing the supports parents and their children need.

Research shows that children exposed to environmental stressors before they are born still benefit from early interventions, which underscores the need for programs that support atrisk children as early in life as possible. Greater awareness of the critical importance of this period would help to underscore the importance of establishing the healthy patterns that will last for the child’s lifetime. Proper activity, socialization, and nutrition can have a life-changing impact on a child’s future health, cognitive ability, and physical development. It is in all our interests to make information and resources accessible to expectant and new parents to help them on their journey.

All sectors have a role in providing the supports parents and their children need. In particular, retaining female talent through proactive policies was seen as a business imperative for the private sector.

income households are exposed to

30 million

more words than their lowincome counterparts. Torontonians pay the

highest amount for infant daycare in Canada at $1,676 a month.


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Potential Actions

Summit delegates generated a range of ideas to enhance mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Baby Starter Information for Parents • Create a baby starter kit including resources and information for new parents • Offer pre-natal and post-natal home visits from “parent mentors” to educate new parents about available services and support • Offer 1000 tips to new parents via SMS and videos • Invite EAP programs to send educational materials to expecting parents Nutrition • Unite communities around healthy eating through cooking classes • Expand human breast milk banks • Create a “Baby food guide” similar to Canada food guide • Distribute local food markets

with access to healthy baby food options across the region Technology and Channels • Offer different channels (e.g. app, kiosk, phone, pamphlets, community spaces) for accessing a network of service providers • Teach parents healthy cooking skills through TV shows or in grocery stores • Make every possible location a child goes a centre for awareness (e.g. schools, Dr. Offices, Toys R Us, public transit) System Navigation and Services • Create a screening tool that will direct parents to existing resources for a healthier childhood


Offer pre-natal and post-natal home visits from “parent mentors” to educate new parents about available services and support •

•

Ask coordinators at existing health care centres to provide support in accessing a variety of services Offer early years support prenatally

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Neighbourhood Design • Provide more green space in lower income areas • Build childcare centres near public transport • Require new condos and office towers in high density environments to include space for community day cares and early learning centres • • • • • •

Community/Networks Host social events for caregivers and children Draw high school volunteers into community programs for new families Involve seniors and other family members in supporting new families Offer community-based mentoring programs between new and experienced moms Create a community-run hub to refer caregivers to supports Using public assets during evenings and weekend as child care centres

Financial • Ensure adequate funding to Healthy Babies and Healthy Children programs

• • •

Offer free / low cost services to new parents Offer tax breaks that make a real difference for child-care choice Re-invent and re-invest the Canada Child Tax Benefit into child-care

At the Hospital and In the Workplace • Encourage more hospitals to achieve the baby-friendly designation • Have “Take your baby to work” days and offer flexible work hours Awareness • Conduct a Regional Awareness Campaign re First 1000 days linked to the release of new online resources • Introduce education about pre-natal care into high schools • Undertake culturally focused campaigns for diverse communities



I wish there was better access to physical activities for children. I wish that no children lived in poverty. I will explore how our centre can support a program that supports the first 1,000 days.

I will bring a volunteer group to help new mothers in our community.

@CivicActionGTA | #bettercitybootcamp |

www.civicaction.ca

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PUBLIC SPACE, FOR THE HEALTH OF

OUR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES Snapshot Statistics: 20 hectares of greenspace per 1,000 residents

is an optimum standard for public space. As of 2011, the amount of public greenspace within the Toronto Region Conservation Authority

8.4 hectares per 1,000 residents. area was

A study of coordinated packages of services offered to single parents in Hamilton, including recreation programs for their children, resulted in

$300,000 savings in social assistance payments. The recreation programs

paid for themselves in

As the GTHA densifies and living and office space shrinks, public spaces will play an increasingly important role in people’s lives. Today, 42% of all Toronto residents live in apartments. As backyards give way to balconies, opportunities for physical activity decline. For adults, regular physical activity, combined with other factors, can help avoid 90% of type 2 diabetes cases and improve mental health outcomes. Physical health, higher grades and better self-esteem are positive outcomes of childhood physical activity. Unfortunately, just 15% of adults get enough physical activity, while only 5% of Canadian youth are getting the activity they need. These statistics are even worse for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are more likely than their high income peers to be overweight or obese. The result: diabetes is expected to cost Ontario nearly $5.5 billion in 2014. In some areas of the region, our public space is coming under threat. For example, between 2008 and 2014, the Toronto District School Board has sold 66 sites declared surplus. Many

Summit delegates noted that there is inequality in terms of access to greenspace across the region –some neighbourhoods are rich with space, while others are deficient. In many areas of the region, we have lots of public space, but much of that space is underutilized. Many delegates saw the need to broaden the spectrum of stakeholders engaged in decision making about our public space. Some advocated for community ownership and decision making to ensure that our public spaces are designed to meet the diverse needs of our communities. It was emphasized that in many jurisdictions red tape and bureaucracy prevent communities from using and animating public spaces. While these changes could improve quality of life across the region, they also present an economic imperative. Quality public spaces and amenities play an important role in attracting and retaining the workforce that drives our regional economy. Consequently, delegates saw an important role for public private partnerships in supporting and sustaining our public spaces.

reduced use of professional and probationary services as well as mental health benefits for moms. @CivicActionGTA | #bettercitybootcamp | www.civicaction.ca

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Potential Actions

Summit delegates generated a range of ideas to enhance our access to vibrant public spaces across the region.

Community Governance • Create a Chief Neighbourhood Officer or Park Improvement Areas with an explicit mandate to foster community engagement and investment • Authorize local teams to act on recommendations to move towards multi-use spaces • Localize policy and decisionmaking • Expand the constituency of decision makers on the use of school lands Community Engagement • Engage the community in the design, operation, and maintenance of public space • Acknowledge investments of volunteer time into public space • Host activities to animate public spaces such as “Science Rendezvous”, “Nature Rendezvous”, Park Meet-Ups • Hire a Park ranger to catalyze effective use of public space • Create a community hub that shares knowledge on parks across the region

•

Create a “Train the Trainer” to train youth urban park rangers

Fix Underperforming Spaces • Support community-led popup park activations • Intensify underused public spaces through art, sport, and performance • Simplifying access to public spaces by allowing for permitfree zones/times • Inventory underutilized, nontraditional, temporary, and hidden spaces • Enhance use of public spaces during off-hours • Create shared agreements between school boards and cities for community use of schools • Clean up under-utilized or unsafe public spaces • Animate the region’s unique assets, such as Toronto’s ravine system, as destinations New Designs and Services • Design public spaces as bridges and connectors • Build new spaces such as green roofs, ball hockey lanes, “Highline-style”


•

• • • • • •

parks, skating rinks, Farmers Markets Encourage enhanced use of existing public space by installing bike traffic lights, physical activity stations Incorporate green space into infrastructure Ensure that public space is connected to public transit Build seniors centres in schools Create 24-7 childcare in public facilities Incorporate subsidized housing into public facilities Strive to make our experiences on public transit more humane

Investment and Land Ownership • Undertake crowd funding to finance or subsidize public space • Allow the TDSB to levee education development charges • Use the Community Bonds model to raise money for

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•

• • • • •

public spaces Continue to build public spaces that highlight the role of both public and private investment Offer more funding for cultural programs in public spaces Distribute funding to parks based on neighbourhood need Use lease hold strategies Share or parcel land to share with stakeholders for temporary use Use community ownership to retain these lands for flexible community use in perpetuity

Create a Chief Neighbourhood Officer with an explicit mandate to foster community engagement and investment

Communications • Piggyback on local events • Start a “Humans of…” style campaign to tell stories about public space • Share information about events in public space • Share full cost accounting of public spaces from the perspective of the individual taxpayer • Publish a quarterly public space engagement report for city councillors Idea Generation and Action • Stop working in silos • Hire a public think tank to enhance our understanding of public space • Create a public space

•

best practices archive Publish a Report to Neighbourhoods on the health of our public space

Policy, Legislation, Funding: A Role for Government • Implement policy changes for the use and development of space • Legislate a higher percentage of green spaces • Allow a parks levy to support the development of parks on private properties • Require new developments to include onsite green and public space • Relieve permitting restrictions on the use of public spaces • Increase City-organized programming to catalyze citizen engagement • Reinstate the long-form census in Toronto to ensure more responsive policy • Create public and private partnership requirements • Create government bonds to finance community spaces • Collapse Build Toronto and the Toronto Lands Corporation • Offer City challenge grants for innovative ideas • Base procurement decisions on community benefits not just price A Role for the Private Sector • Allow the private sector to fund public space through sponsorship • Develop a cost-sharing framework to make condo amenities accessible to the public and build a network of these spaces • Work with private developers to renew public spaces




I wish there were more greenspaces in the downtown core to each lunch, take breaks and get a breath of fresh air. I wish that this city used a child’s lens to consider public space and development. I will embed a walk and talk practice with each of my team members so our meetings are active and outside in a public space. I will convene partners in York Region to find ways to make better use of our public spaces, especially our schools.

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INFRASTRUCTURE, BETTER PREPARE OUR COMMUNITIES FOR INCREASES IN DENSITY AND WEATHER INTENSITY After years of underinvestment, our region’s infrastructure is beginning to show its age. At the same time, as extreme weather events increase in frequency and the population density of our region rises, pressure is mounting on the infrastructure that keeps our region running. If we don’t act, we will face the perfect storm. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people come to the GTHA each year. As these people arrive, they contribute to increasing density in the region - putting increased pressure on transportation, water, waste, and other infrastructure systems. Meanwhile, extreme weather is introducing pressures of its own with $3.2 billion in extreme weather related insurance claims filed in 2013. Quality infrastructure

Snapshot Statistics:

can help mitigate the impacts of extreme weather. However in Hamilton alone, the state of good repair backlog is at $3.3 billion.

This issue requires creative thinking around infrastructure priorities, community support, planning for the future, and supporting decisionmaking with data. With the majority of municipalities’ capital budgets going to state of good repair costs, cities must use revenue sources alongside better infrastructure management to close funding gaps. Given that residents are likely to increasingly bear the costs of these efforts,

delegates saw a need to engage residents in the solution-building process. The solutions to better protect us from future weather events and enjoying enough urban green space are connected. This issue requires creative thinking around infrastructure priorities, community support, planning for the future, and supporting decision-making with data. Many delegates noted that we are awash with data, but that it is not effectively shared between stakeholders. Though some solutions to our infrastructure woes are well known, delegates identified a need to build the political will to implement some of these solutions as well as to engage untraditional stakeholders in developing new solutions.

Between 2012 and 2031, the population of the GTHA is projected to grow to

million.

9.6

Storms that used to occur

are now occurring every 6 years.

every 40 years


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Potential Actions


Summit delegates generated a range of ideas to ensure the long term resilience and sustainability of our region’s infrastructure in the face of increased density and weather uncertainty.

Public Private Partnerships • Create partnerships between municipalities and insurance companies to relieve an insurance company of its liabilities in exchange for investing in infrastructure in advance • Consider the potential of public private partnerships Investment • Develop strategies to focus on unlocking new investment pools • Create infrastructure bonds to realize returns on infrastructure • Explore how to mobilize private capital for infrastructure investment Communications and Awareness • Create neighborhood resiliency action plans • Create a website with information on preparedness for extreme weather


• • •

- overlay information with real experience and future predictions Encourage individuals to manage their demand for certain infrastructures Support public education and knowledge mobilization Socialize emergency preparedness through school curricula

Policy, Legislation, Funding: A Role for Government • Amend governing legislation to allow for the use of new revenue tools by municipalities to finance infrastructure investment • Require or encourage resilient technologies such as grey water systems, green roofs, and district energy systems • Use the fire prevention model of inspections and regulations for infrastructure • Invest carbon cap and trade proceeds into climate change mitigation • Create a regional planning standard for infrastructure


I will continue to pursue the idea of an impact index to assess infrastructure decisions. I will advocate for investment in infrastructure and the jobs it will bring to the GTHA. I wish that driving on major arteries of the region wasn’t such a nightmare I wish for better transit connectivity in the GTHA

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Next S steps Since Better City Bootcamp, CivicAction has begun to chart our course of action on these regional issues. We have started to convene smaller cross-sector groups through workshops and roundtables to share what we heard from Summit participants and to begin to further develop some of the exciting and impactful ideas that delegates generated. Based on these conversations, CivicAction will identify new actions targeting our issue areas with a first new action this fall. As we begin to set our regional agenda, we encourage you to stay engaged in the conversation by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on social media, and connecting with us at www.civicaction.ca. We also encourage you to take up the actions that you may have committed to at Summit or which are now capturing your imagination. Together, we can make this region the best it can be.


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THANK YOU

Thank you to our Summit Event Partners

CivicAction’s work is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors.

SUMMIT SPONSORS

Presenting Partners

Friends of Toronto Hospital NICU’s Summit Champion

Summit Builders

AR

IC

E

SER

O

P OL

D

RONTO TO

V ICES

B

Summit Friends

Summit Supporters

Media Partners

Presenting Research Partner

’s work is made possible by the generous support of our core funding partners.

Farbe/colour: PANTONE 288 CV

CORE FUNDING SPONSORS City Champions

City Builders

City Friends To ro n t o


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IN-KIND SPONSORS

CivicAction would like to extend a special thanks to the following people and organizations for their contributions to the Summit. Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario City of Hamilton, Office of the City Manager Climate Change Adaption Project Canada Community Assets For Everyone (C.A.F.E)

Martin Prosperity Institute McMaster University Jeff Melanson, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Marie Moliner, Canadian Heritage – Ontario Region Christina Ott, Crow

Counsel PR

Park People

Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development

Rotman School of Management

Parimal Gosai, Public Displays of Affection

St. Michael’s Hospital

Hamilton Health Sciences

Sun Life Financial TD Economics


Civic Actions

In addition to our formal initiatives, CivicAction’s DiverseCity Fellows and Emerging Leaders launch projects to address key issues in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Region. A handful of these projects are described below. For more information on the Emerging Leaders Network and other city-building initiatives CivicAction has incubated, please visit www.elnonline.ca.

The Pan Am Path is a multi-use path that connects Toronto’s trails and will create an active-living legacy for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games. It will connect over 80km of trails across Toronto and bring together residents, local organizations, artists and businesses to create truly vibrant public spaces that are reflections of those communities along the route.

In order for the Toronto Region to flourish, it is essential to attract and retain top talent; yet many of our region’s top leaders and innovators leave to pursue opportunities elsewhere, often never to return. Toronto Homecoming, an exclusive networking event, connects Canadians working abroad (and those with ties to Canada) with professional opportunities in the Toronto Region. Over the first five years, nearly 400 people have attended a Toronto Homecoming event – almost a third of which are currently living in the Toronto Region and many have found jobs with or through our corporate partners or through connections made at the event.

Project Neutral is committed to enabling a Toronto neighbourhood to become the first urban carbon neutral community in Canada. Project Neutral provides households with tools to accurately measure their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. 80% of participating households are showing reductions of 5 tonnes per household after two years. In 2013, Project Neutral won the Tides Top 10 Award, which recognizes groundbreaking initiatives that are leading the pack in social innovation.

ALERT (Affordable & Low-income Environmental Renewal in Toronto) is an initiative to encourage energy efficiency measures in Toronto’s aging residential high-rises. ALERT captures the value from wasted energy in order to reinvest those savings into revitalizing vulnerable communities.

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www.civicaction.ca #bettercitybootcamp @CivicActionGTA 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1800, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1T6 1-(416)-309-4480