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The City of Pickering, in cooperation with over 50 community partners has developed a new Healthy Community initiative which recognizes that social, economic and environmental health are all integral components of ensuring a healthy community. This initiative has increased the community’s resilience and capacity to work together toward its own well being and is aligned with Council's recently adopted Vision Statement. Three program areas identified for focus are 1) Corporate Support, 2) Community Partnership, and 3) Monitoring and Feedback. Recently, this initiative has been nominated as a finalist by the Trillium Foundation’s Caring Communities Award, with five winners each to receive $20,000 to contribute to their efforts. Following is an overview of the programs and services that are now Healthy Community Initiatives:
City of Pickering Youth Programs FREE Youth Programs are provided to youth in Northern and Southern Pickering free of charge. The program content and structure varies depending upon the interests and needs of the youth attending the program. Typical activities include basketball, floor hockey, pool, cards, socializing, listening to music, table tennis and breakdancing. Click for details City of Pickering Youth Council was initiated in Fall 1996 and is comprised of youth aged 13-19 who play a proactive role in determining the needs of youth in Pickering. We are currently looking for interested youth to join our Youth Council. As part of the Youth Council, you can be involved in Promotions / Outreach, Program Development and Special Events. Call 905.420.4660, ext. 6100 Click for details In November 1996, Pickering City Council established the Safe Neighbourhood Task Force to examine the issue of safety in our community. The Council’s resolution brought together representatives from the police, social service agencies, schools, the Board of Education, community representatives and City staff. Recommendations have been created and this report presented to Council. The group believes the implementation of the recommendations will ensure Pickering is a safer place to live and will help make citizens feel more secure. Pickering Advisory Committee on Race Relations The City of Pickering Advisory Committee on Race Relations & Equity has been involved in the design and delivery of race relations programs and initiatives in the community for over thirteen years. The first municipality in the Durham Region to form a Race Relations Committee, the City of Pickering has instituted a comprehensive Race Relations Policy and has published a brochure entitled "Harassment Hurts Us All - Working Towards A Harassment Free Community". The Pickering Advisory Committee on Race Relations & Equity has worked closely over the years with many different groups and organizations to promote racial and ethnic harmony - a key objective detailed in its Race Relations Policy. The programming focus for the Committee during the last four years has been to work closely with community youth. Special forums have been conducted to bring attention to current issues affecting our youth today. Topics addressed include how cross-cultural issues affect our daily lives, how stereo-typing, cross-culturalism and bi-culturalism affect our community, and the importance of working together to break down the barriers that prevent us from participating fully and equally in our society. As we enter the new millennium, the committee is hard at work coordinating initiatives to educate our community about race relations and equity issues facing us in the 21st century. Help Safe Community Foundation The City of Pickering has identified the building of a healthy and safe community as a high priority and has been designated one of only 30 Safe Communities across Canada by the Canadian Safe Communities Foundation. On November 25th 1998, the Safe Communities of Pickering / Ajax (SCOPA) was formed and launched. The City of Pickering, together with 50 community partners, is working hard to make our city a safe place to live, work, play and visit. Some of the local community partners include; Dupont Canada Inc., Durham Regional Police Services, Pickering Fire Department, IAPA, Municipal Health and Safety, Ministry of Labour, Canadian Red Cross, Neighbourhood Task Force, and the Durham District and Catholic School Boards. SCOPA offers health and safety programs to the Pickering / Ajax community with a primary focus on small business, youth, seniors, and crime prevention. SCOPA also works with WS & IB to offer Pickering small businesses the Safe Communities Incentive Program (SCIP), which provides small businesses the tools to implement a health and safety program in their workplace. The SCIP program offers participating businesses a 75% rebate on any savings realized in the group claims cost. With the SCIP program, a small business owner can learn the tools to make the workplace safer while earning a rebate to reinvest in the business. SCOPA has also provided over 4000 community youth with the HEROES program. This program consists of a dynamic, multi-media presentation that teaches youth about smart life choices. SCOPA also offer the Falls Prevention Program to teach local older persons how to avoid falls. Falls are the number one cause of injury for older persons in the Pickering / Ajax area, and SCOPA hopes that this program will decrease the incident of injury. The Way Things Are represents a partnership between the Ajax / Pickering Social Development Council, the United Way, the City of Pickering, the Dunbarton-Fairport United Church, and the Ajax / Pickering Board of trade. The purpose of this initiative is to demonstrate to local small businesses the impact of government cutbacks on social service agencies, and how they can improve their communities by donating funds and volunteer services. The Community Page Project provides Healthy Community Initiative partners with the opportunity to highlight the programs and services they offer that contribute to Pickering’s well-being. Each week, a different partner is selected, and their business, group, or organization is promoted on the Community Page in the Ajax / Pickering News Advertiser.
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