Bay D'Espoir Community Capacity Building Forum Held

Listening to a Presentation in Progress

The forum began with a welcome from master of ceremonies Tracey Perry, Executive Director of the Coast of Bays Corporation, followed by greetings from various prominent members from the south coast. Gail Hoskins, Mayor of St. Alban's, kicked off the evening by welcoming everyone to the community.  Following Mayor Hoskins, Steward May of Belleoram spoke about the benefits of community capacity building forums and how he has had great experience as a result of the one held in his region. "After forums such as these," said Mr. May, "you not only see increases in the number of volunteers but they reinforce the belief and energy of those who already volunteer."

Churence Rogers, Mayor of Harbour Breton, shared how community capacity building has been a great experience for the Town of Harbour Breton. He said that the emphasis has been on all areas within the society. "The idea is to care for all the needs of the people not just the economic ones," he stated. He also went on to emphasize that "a community belongs to everyone not just the Council. Therefore, the strategic plan must include everyone . . . a positive attitude and patience are the keys to success." Mayor Rogers said a community that works together and sticks together will survive.

Chief Misel Joe of Conne River spoke of the struggles that the people of Conne River had to endure to bring the community to the point where it is now seen as a model community across Canada.  Chief Joe said the largest stepping stone was to involve everyone and to make the idea of creating a great community everybody's vision. "In the early 70's we had very little," said Chief Joe, "but once everyone bought into the vision that we are different and was willing to struggle to achieve this vision, we built a community we are very proud of . . . we are in the process of restoring a lost culture and the goal is to keep this culture alive beyond the next two thousand years." This kind of achievement cannot be bought, stated Chief Joe, it can only be accomplished through people that care.

MHA, Oliver Langdon spoke on the achievements of the south coast communities. He reminded the audience "it was not so long ago that we were very isolated and did not share the advantages of many larger areas but thanks to the visions of many of our ancestors today the people of the south coast region share a window of opportunity in the world with all other areas." He gave the example of the 16 young people who just spent a week in Ottawa with the RCMP because someone cared enough to offer their valuable time and investigate an idea.

It is the work of volunteers that provides a better and safer community. Organizations such as crime prevention and firefighters are essential Mr. Langdon said. "People who raise funds so that our young people can go everywhere and enjoy the life that all other young people across Canada enjoys, and volunteers that look after the sick and the seniors in our society, are prime examples of community living."

The keynote speaker for the evening was Mike Bruce, from the Newfoundland and Labrador Regional Headquarters of Human Resources Development Canada. Mr. Bruce addressed the elements in an area that must be considered if the community is to reach its potential. "It is like a full meal deal," he said. The key ingredients are motivation, enthusiasm, attitude, and leadership. "The main goal of our department is to improve the quality of life for all people that live in communities throughout our province," he added.

According to Mr. Bruce there are many definitions for community capacity building, however, it is all about partnership and using the resources available to deal with the opportunities and challenges that face communities. It is a long process and will require the co-operation of all parties concerned. It is not the responsibility of any one sector, he said, but the task is to be shared by all. He strongly urged all people to work in partnership with one another.

He stated that in order for a community to reach its full capacity there is an important role for businesses, government, volunteers and the general population. He also advised everyone that the communities must work together to build trust, respect for each other, and value the opinion of all. The doors of communication must remain open at all times, Mr. Bruce stated, with joint decisions being made for the good of the region.

He pointed out the biggest barriers to success are a lack of trust, trying to go it alone, turf protection, and personality clashes. He advised all to leave their personalities at the door and deal with the issues.

Mr. Bruce also pointed out that municipalities should never fear allocating funds to economic development. "It is not an expenditure, it is an investment," he said, " . . . and a planning process is invaluable in community building. It creates a network of information and shifts the focus to the future while building a strong partnership. It also reveals the strength and weaknesses and increases the flow of communication . . . Community capacity building is something that is ongoing and will always be changing . . . However with the right leaders and the proper attitude the goals can be achieved."

On Saturaday morning,  Heather Hillier from the Central Region Steering Committee of the Strategic Social Plan addressed the crowd on the importance of the volunteer in the social and economic development of society as we know it. Newfoundland communities are known worldwide for their caring and ability to cope in difficult times, said Ms. Hillieras was demonstrated on September 11, 2001 when thousands of people became stranded in our province. Not only were we able to take care of their basic needs without any major crisis but we did what Newfoundlanders do best . . . for a week we played host and tour guides to thousands of strangers without giving it a second thought. The biggest worry was what to do with all the food when everyone left."

There are approximately 138,000 volunteers in the province which form about 4,000 organizations. These people contribute to all aspects of society and take on every job possible.

Ms. Hillier said to maintain this valuable resource it is important to nurture and promote the spirit of volunteerism in our communities. "We can start by asking those around to help. Most people who do not volunteer say it is because they are not asked. We must always encourage new people to join our groups and especially make sure that the organizations are youth friendly. We need to promote our good qualities and our ability to make people feel comfortable. We must make sure that our volunteer groups receive the proper training and funding that is required to carry out their mandate," she said.

Arising from the discussions the groups concluded that in general most people volunteer because they see a need and because there is often self satisfaction from helping others. In order to maintain volunteers an organization needs to involve their members by keeping them informed and ensuring that they are given the skills they need. This can be done by accessing the various resources in the community and by availing of the various agents and organizations available at the provincial level. Most of all, organizations and society have an obligation to ensure that the volunteer is valued and appreciated. "It is up to us to keep our society in the good standing that we enjoy."

For more information about the Coast of Bays region, contact:
Tracey Perry, Executive Director
Coast of Bays Corporation
P.O. Box 310
St. Alban's, Newfoundland
A0H 1P0
Phone: 709-538-3552
Fax: 709-538-3627
E-mail: inquiries@coastofbays.nl.ca