Strategic Services

Strategic Services | Government Relations | Community Partnership Fund |
Community Development Activities | Community Services Master Plan |
Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan | Multi-Use Facility, Requirements/Development Master Plan | Heritage, Arts, Culture Master Plan | Tourism Development Master Plan |
Public Transit | Community Strategic Plan | What is Community Strategic Planning |
| Links |

Strategic Services

Strategic Services, overseen by the Chief Administrative Officer, provides a range of strategic and corporate services for the benefit of Lakeshore residents. This area is responsible for key initiatives such as:

• Managing the Community Partnership Fund
• Managing the Community Strategic Plan process
• Implementation of Community Strategic Plan when complete
• Researching grant and program possibilities
• Managing summer student employment grant programs for the Town
• Provide support to ongoing business plans, strategies and studies
• Provide community development support for the benefit of communities within the Town of Lakeshore
• Coordinate and develop funding proposals/applications to federal and provincial governments for the Town
• Design and implement a government relations strategy
• Assist community organizations with grant applications
• Build and enhance relationships with surrounding municipalities and provincial, federal ministries and agencies
• Developing and implementing a public transportation program

Government Relations

The community benefits when all three levels of government – local, provincial, and federal – work together towards common aims. Strategic Services helps facilitate this process by maintaining good working relationships not only with local MPs and MPPs, but also with other government officials whose portfolios may affect Lakeshore.

Community Partnership Fund

Town Council, in an effort to promote municipal/community partnership projects within Lakeshore, demonstrates an ongoing commitment to partnership opportunities by launching of its Community Project Funding through the Community Partnership Fund.

There are potential funding opportunities of up to 50%, up to a maximum of $10,000 per Mainstream projects and up to 50% funding, up to a maximum of $2,500 per Festivals and Events projects for groups and organizations within Lakeshore. In 2006, 19 applications were approved with funding from Council at $88,610 leveraging over $296,296 in project funding.

• Community Partnership Guidelines and Application Form

Community Development Activities

Strategic Services encourages community capacity building and development activities by becoming involved with and maintaining relationships with many community groups. One tangible manifestation of this is through the Community Partnership Fund an annual grant that has been established by Council and administrered through Strategic Services.

Community Services Master Plan

The Town of Lakeshore, through the development of a comprehensive Community Services Master Plan, intends to implement a long term development and operating strategy for the “Quality of Life” issues, facilities and programs for our community.

Programs and facilities will be demand driven, planned for the long term needs of the community and community owned, allowing for public and private partnerships where possible, allowing the Town to provide such services in a sustainable matter.

The Community Services Master Plan will provide long term strategic directions, assign priorities and recommend the implementation of sustainable mechanisms for developing our community assets and delivering community service programs.

Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan

• Parks and recreation
• Environmental facilities
• Trails and Pathways
• Waterfront facilities and public/private facility development plans
• Education facilities
• Health and wellness programs
• Private/public sector – recreation, leisure and cultural facility/programs

Multi-Use Facility, Requirements/Development Master Plan

Heritage, Arts, Culture Master Plan

Heritage facilities sites and programs
Arts and culture facilities and programs

Tourism Development Master Plan

The Community Services Master Plan will be linked to the vision and mission statements provided within a separate Community Strategic Plan currently under development. In addition, links will apply to a new official plan and a new Economic Development Strategy.

Public Transit

Recent surveys from the Strategic Planning process and public inquiries have identified strong interest in developing a public transit service within Lakeshore and potential access for a Lakeshore VIA Rail Station.

Community Strategic Plan

A Community Strategic Plan develops the vision and mission statement, identifies the community’s strengths and weaknesses, incorporates an environmental scan, sets priorities and develops the strategies and action plans to guide the community to its desired future.
Community Strategic Plan

Planning for a Sustainable Community

A sustainable community is a place that provides physical and emotional well-being where people want to work, live and participate in environments that are socially, economically and culturally healthy. It empowers itself to achieve a common vision of the future. A sustainable community responds effectively to change through community-based decision making, economic self-reliance and environmental sustainability.

Recent pressures at the community, regional, national and global levels have resulted in private and public sectors, and all levels of government being more involved in planning for sustainability and strategic planning. As a result, both the Federal and Provincial government have been supportive of community sustainable development initiatives.

The challenge before all communities today:

How does a community meet residents’ basic needs, protect the environment, keep the economy vibrant and resilient and maintain a just and caring society?”

Strategic Services will be working with other departments to develop Lakeshore as a sustainable community

Community Strategic Plan

A Community Strategic Plan focuses on the external community and is prepared by the community. The plan indicates that the Town of Lakeshore takes responsibility for its future, develops strategic alliances internally and externally, demonstrates a shared sense of purpose and higher level of community consciousness and awareness to address the challenges faced by communities today.

What is Community Strategic Planning

Community Strategic Planning is a holistic process of change management. It involves broad based community participation and commitment in establishing a shared sense of purpose, vision, priorities, essential community needs, and directions for the future, associated action and contingency plans.

Why Develop a Community Strategic Plan?

The development of a Community Strategic Plan is the result of a conscience process that involves the community in the following ways: researching, thinking, visualizing, interacting, conceptualizing, evaluating, problem solving, strategizing, decision making, and consensus building. This interactive process usually results in building community commitment and brings the community together, resulting in the following:

Sustainable, diversified development

Increased investment, assessment and revitalization

Wise use of community resources

Quality, affordable, accessible services

Improved return on investment generating the best value for money spent

Shared responsibility through partnerships and strategic alliances; Local support, cooperation, communication, and commitment

Rejuvenated and focused citizen interest, enthusiasm and optimism

Links

• The Ontario Trillium Foundation
• Munisource
• Top Provincial News
• Federal News
• Provincial Ministries
• Federal Ministries