Social Development Strategy

The City of Prince George is seeking new and creative ways to support and address social needs, while coordinating efforts within the community and with other levels of government to deal with issues of common interest.

Chris Bone, the City’s Social Policy Facilitator, works with the public, private, academic, and non profit sectors as well as other civic departments to address social issues facing the city. In carrying out this function she will:

Provide support, advice and information to a wide range of community organizations.
Contribute leadership and facilitation in bringing together key people around a specific problem or issue.
Make recommendations to senior administration and City Council regarding civic policy as it relates to a range of social issues and areas of concern.

Chris can be reached at 250-614-7882. Email: cbone@city.pg.bc.ca

Quality of life is dynamically linked with the sustainability of our economy, our physical environment and the health of our community. Building on the 2002 City of Prince George Social Plan, efforts over the coming months will identify social development priorities in eight areas including: Housing, Public Safety, Health and Wellness, Heritage, Arts/Culture, Learning, Recreation, and Civic Participation.

The City of Prince George is engaged in the development of an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). A community sustainability plan is about integrating social, economic, environmental and land use priorities into a single long-term vision. In creating sustainable communities, we create balance to optimize successful outcomes in each of the priority areas. No single element is advanced unreasonably at the expense of others.
To learn more about the Social Development component of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan view the Social Development Strategy Sub-Committee presentation to City Council – Committee of the Whole meeting (February 25, 2008).

Housing

Prince George Sustainable Housing Committee Update: The Prince George Sustainable Housing Committee has met three times since its inaugural meeting on January 14, 2008. Comprised of more than thirty members representing diverse interests along the housing continuum from homelessness to market housing, the committee is focused on balancing the need for long range planning and the complex nature of affordable housing solutions with a desire for short term action to improve the current housing situation in Prince George.

Sustainable Housing Committee’s Terms of Reference and Vision Statement. If you would like to be involved with the work of this “collaborative”, contact Chris Bone at 614-7882.

Seniors Housing Project Update: Following the October 2007 Seniors Dialogue (View the Seniors in Communities Dialogue – Final Report) session, the City of Prince George submitted an application to the Union of BC Municipalities seeking funding under the UBCM Seniors Housing and Support Initiative to create a Seniors Housing Strategy for Prince George. Associated activities include: completion of a comprehensive research project to identify the needs and preferences, as well as gaps and assets, for seniors housing; hosting of workshops to report on findings and to engage stakeholders in dialogue regarding the full range and cost of housing options; as well of as the identification of financial incentives for developers and landlords to provide affordable and appropriate seniors housing.

New! A survey to determine seniors housing needs and preferences is now available at a number of locations. You may also use the attached PDF form, then fax us your completed survey. To do this, please click here, to download your Seniors Housing Survey. Fax your completed form to Chris Bone, Social Policy Facilitator, at (250)561-7718 or call (250)614-7882. Completed Surveys can also be dropped off at the Service Centre at City Hall or mailed to 1100 Patricia Boulevard. Prince George, BC. V2L 3V9. PLEASE NOTE: COMPLETION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO AUGUST 31, 2008.

2007 Seniors Dialogue: In October of 2007, the City of Prince George joined with the Prince George Council of Seniors to host a Union of BC Municipalities funded Seniors Dialogue. The day long session featured the presentation of results from an informal survey of seniors to determine issues, guest speakers, and interactive participant sessions. Not surprisingly, housing emerged as a priority theme in the Seniors’ in Communities Dialogue – Final Report. Following the dialogue session, the City of Prince George submitted an application to the Union of BC Municipalities seeking funding under the UBCM Seniors Housing and Support Initiative to create a Seniors Housing Strategy. A steering committee, consisting of representation from UNBC, BC Housing, the Prince George Council of Seniors, Prince George Elizabeth Fry Housing Society, and the Prince George Home Builders Association, will guide this project which is scheduled to being early in 2008. View the Seniors’ in Communities Dialogue – Final Report.

2007 Prince George Affordable Housing Forum: The City of Prince George, along with co-hosts Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and BC Housing invited community members and housing industry professionals to meet, discuss and explore new approaches to developing affordable housing by creating community capacity, building affordable housing partnerships and exploring current programs and services.

Public Safety

City Council has supported the development of a comprehensive Public Safety Strategy that includes measures to:

address the immediate objective of protecting the public through the efforts of the police, courts, and corrections;
direct resources to reduce the availability and attractiveness of opportunities for criminal activity through initiatives such as Block Watch and Rural Crime Watch, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), and Citizens on Patrol (COPS) and;
prevent crime through social development strategies (particularly in the areas of early childhood development, youth intervention programs, education, housing, etc.). Since January 2009, the City of Prince George has been hosting Communities That Care: a strategic planning model that helps communities promote the positive development of children and youth and prevent adolescent problem behaviors- including alcohol and other drug use, delinquency, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school and violence. For further information on Communities That Care.

Health and Wellness

Seniors Health Dialogue – April 2008: Building on the success of the first Seniors in

Communities Dialogue session (October 2007), the City of Prince George once again joined with the Prince George Council of Seniors to host a second dialogue session – this one focused on the topic of health. Other key partners included Northern Health and the BC Network for Aging Research. The session, attended by more than 80 seniors, was structured in a way that enabled information exchange and discussion about health issues facing seniors, an overview of what is being done to address these issues and consideration of what more could be accomplished in a collaborative manner. Please click here to access the final report summarizing group discussions and recommendations.

The Prince George Active Communities Project: The Prince George Active Communities Strategic Plan has been developed to address the ActNow BC goals to increase physical activity and healthy eating by 20% by 2010. A committee representing School District 57, the YMCA, Northern Health and the City of Prince George developed project objectives with indicators to address the Active Communities Initiative. Visions and goals were developed for each of the indicators:

Plans and Policies
Opportunities and Participation
Supportive Environments
Communication, Education, Community Identity and Involvement
Accessibility

Click here to view the Prince George Active Communities Project Strategic Plan

Heritage

A community maintains a more interesting environment by retaining symbols of its past. For a community the size and age of Prince George, the management of significant heritage resources is a legitimate and desirable function that is becoming increasingly important. Heritage resources are significant for a number of reasons. Each community’s heritage is distinctive, and therefore can help instill a sense of community identity and resident pride. Heritage conservation has many potential cultural, social and economic benefits. It promotes a sense of stability and continuity for residents, an understanding of where we have been and how we got to where we are today. As such, key resources should be preserved for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations. The conservation of heritage is also important economically; it can increase property values and provide opportunities for business, property owners and tourism. It provides aesthetic enrichment as well as educational opportunities.

In 2006, a process facilitated by Donald Luxton and Associates resulted in the development of a Heritage Strategic Plan for the City of Prince George. Through consultation, a vision was developed to guide the conservation of Prince George’s historic resources in order to preserve, protect and promote the City’s unique heritage resources.

A Vision for a Heritage Program for Prince George

The City of Prince George will work with the entire community to establish a heritage conservation program that will strive to protect, through a balance of incentives and regulations, significant examples of our heritage. This program will recognize the public benefits of preserving tangible links to our historical development, and raise awareness of the value of heritage to our community.

The main goals of the Heritage Program will be:

Promoting Community Heritage Partnerships
Achieving Better Heritage Conservation
Improving Heritage Awareness and Communication
Click here to view the City of Prince George Heritage Strategic Plan (March 2006)

Arts/Culture

Click here for the City of Prince George Arts Policy
Click here for the Public Art Policy
Click here for the Public Art Policy – Procedural Guidelines
Click here for A Cultural Plan for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (2006)
Click here for "Towards a Cultural Plan" (Bill Barkley Consulting, 2004)

Interested in the City of Prince George Cultural/Arts Grant Program?

Learning - New!

Lifelong learning is vital to the social well-being of Prince George residents, and therefore to the sustainability of our community. The learning strategy will consider how learning opportunities for all ages in numerous contexts: at work, at home and through leisure activities can best be provided.

If you would like to contribute information and or provide feedback to guide the development of a learning strategy, please fill out the feedback form and email to cbone.

Recreation

If you would like to contribute information and/or provide feedback to guide the development of a recreation strategy that may include several components like: sports, parks, arts and crafts, fitness, festivals/events and social opportunities, please fill out the feedback form and email to cbone.

Civic Participation - New!

The more involved people are in their communities, the more likely they are to value those communities. When people volunteer, participate in community groups, join a business group, take the time to vote, get to know their neighbors, or support a community cause, they help contribute toward a well-functioning and healthy community. The Civic Participation strategy will track important indicators of community engagement such as volunteerism, charitable donations, and voter turnout.

Participate in Shaping the Social Development Plan

Our initial research assisted in the naming of eight key thematic areas connected with quality of life. These themes will guide the creation of the Social Development Plan which will identify strategic directions and priority actions for the City and its departments. Over the coming months, we will engage in a variety of consultation processes in order to gather feedback necessary to shape the priorities for this plan. If you feel like putting your thoughts in writing fill out the feedback form and email to cbone@city.pg.bc.ca

City of Prince George Social Grants

Interested in the City of Prince George Social Grants Program?