 |
 |
|
 |
| |
Summary of Regional Round Table Activities (cont)
At its first meeting, the members did some preliminary visioning. Representatives listed issues that affect their particular community that they felt they might have in common. They are in no particular order:
- All weather roads
- Health
- Youth Initiatives
- Housing
- Development of Transfer Station
- Telecommunications (phone, Internet)
- Logging
- Commercial fishing
- Seniors/Elders
- Tourism
- Sewer/Water Services
- Training
- Water Bottling
- Vandalism
- Lighthouse School
- Norther Forum
- Northern Manitoba Round Table
- Hydro Development
- Mining
- Community Economic Development Officers
Until all communities could be in attendance, members were reluctant to do a formal visioning process. They chose to wait until War Lake First Nation and Thicket Portage were able to join the RRT. The second meeting was used to develop an organizational structure including decision-making processes, guiding principals, financial processes and meeting structures. The Wabowden Community Development Corporation offered to house the financial resources and the services of their Economic Development Officer as a resource to the RRT.
In preliminary discussions, it was revealed that the most common and pressing concerns for these communities were related to health care. Great distances separate communities in the north of Manitoba. Transportation links are often either very expensive or substandard. Therefore, there is little opportunity for community members and service providers to meet. In light of this, the Ceo of the Burntwood Regional Health Authority, Kearen McClelland was invited to the second meeting of the Bayline RRT. After an open and frank discussion, some concerns were very quickly resolved.
With this intial meeting between the Bayline RRT and the Burntwood RHA as an indicator, Bayline RRT members thought that a facilitated dialogue between service providers and community members could be very productive. Therefore the Bayline RRT decided to coordinate a day long Health Forum. The purpose of this forum was to bring community members and service providers together for a facilitated discussion on common issues related to the health care process and delivery. The Bayine communities brought 15 community members to Thompson to meet with representatives of the two RHA's and Manitoba Health.
As most communities in the RRT fall under the jurisdiction of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, members were anxious to use the RRT as a forum to discuss their Northern Affairs Community Funding Agreements. This along with a computer training session formed the basis of the third meeting of the Bayline RRT.
Based on the experience of Northern Vision and Southwest Regional Round Tables, the Bayline RRT was offered access to the youth training program at its inception. Since its establishment in December, 2001, the Bayline RRT has developed a web site at http://baylinerrt.cimnet.ca and has accessed the CAP Youth Initiative with three young people serving as community based interns in Wabowden, Thicket Portage and Pikwitonei. These three communities have each in turn developed web sites that are linked to the Bayline RRT web site.
Members of the Bayline RRT and the youth interns have undergone training in CIMNet tools so they they will be able to edit, and modify the web site. Another training session was organized by one of the interns in January,2002 with the individual members of the Bayline RRT to introduce them to computers and email.
Financial support for administration of the Bayline RRT was received from the Community Collaboration Project. In addition, support in the form of railway tickets ws provided by VIA Rail. A grant from Health Canada was used to support the health forum and a grant from Community Connections established youthe interns in three of the Bayline communities. Unlike other communities in the province, Bayline Communities are not incorporated and are governed through such agreements with Aboriginal and Northern Affairs. Thus funds for discretionary activities such as RRT meetings are limited. The Bayline RRT is actively seeking other resources.
In reference to other forms of support, Representatives of the CCP Management Committee have attended all meetings. Bob Bushey of Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs and Craig Hanley and Gary Ceppetelli of Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs all based in Thompson have attended all meetings.
A Regional Round Table typically progresses through three stages: formation, development, and continuance. Formation refers to the intial start up and first few meetings; development refers to the visioning and priority setting activities, and continuance refers to the ongoing meetings and activities of the established.
While in some aspects, the Bayline RRT have moved quite quickly, i.e. establishing a web site, hosting a health forum, it could still be said to be in the formation staged. Now that all communities have indicated there interest and willingness to participate, the Bayline RRT will undertake a visioning and planning session. This has been scheduled for June 2002.
Source of Summary
THE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION PROJECT
A Review of Year III
Submitted to:
Community Collaboration Project Management Committee
c/o Pat Hope, Program Consultant
Population and Public Health Branch
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Region
420-391 York Avenue
Winnipeg, MB (204) 983-6574
Email: Pat_Hope@hc.sc.gc.ca
Submitted by:
Rural Development Institute
Brandon University
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel: (204) 571-8513, Fax: (204) 725-0364
Email: annis@brandonu.ca
Robert C. Annis, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Prepared by:
Joy Dornian, M.A.
Consultant
May 29, 2002
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|