Canadian Rural Partnership
Community Decision-Making Toolkit

Good Ideas

Rural communities are historically resourceful by nature. The Good Ideas listed below showcase innovative decision-making approaches submitted by towns and communities from across Canada.

• Community Dialogue Toolkit: Upper Stewiacke, Nova Scotia
• Graphic Recorder: North Dumfries Township, Ontario
• Keyholders: Georgian Bay Area, Ontario
• Meet and Greet Networking Event: Upper Stewiacke, Nova Scotia
• Online Tackle Box: The Coastal Communities Network, Nova Scotia
• Partnership Model: Nelson, British Columbia
• Rural Communities Learning From Each Other: Trepassey, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Rural Leadership Development: North Dumfries Township, Ontario

Community Dialogue Toolkit: Upper Stewiacke, Nova Scotia

Upper Stewiacke used The Rural Secretariat's "Community Dialogue Toolkit" to help their community identify issues and opportunities.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/dialogue/tool/index_e.phtml

Graphic Recorder: North Dumfries Township, Ontario

North Dumfries Township hired a "Graphic Recorder" to highlight decisions made during its community vision development meetings. This relatively new and very effective technique resulted in a report used for presentations to the municipal council and other groups.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/decision/north/north_dumfries_e.phtml

Keyholders: Georgian Bay Area, Ontario

Recently, UNESCO designated the Georgian Bay Area of Ontario as a unique biosphere region. As a result, the board identified a number of groups that needed to be involved in dealing with the implications of this classification. They decided to call these groups, "Keyholders" rather than stakeholders since keyholders open doors, while stakeholders keep things in place.

Meet and Greet Networking Event: Upper Stewiacke, Nova Scotia

Upper Stewiacke began its decision-making process by holding a "Meet and Greet Networking Event". Involving 73 local businesses, artisans, non-profit organizations and hundreds of citizens, it was a great kick-start to their process.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/decision/upper/upper_stewiacke_e.phtml

Online Tackle Box: The Coastal Communities Network, Nova Scotia

The Coastal Communities Network in Nova Scotia maintains an online " Tackle Box" containing good resources for community decision-making.

Partnership Model: Nelson, British Columbia

The City of Nelson implemented a "Partnership Model" to leverage their economic development funds and draw on different strengths, perspectives, and skill sets of key players. All partners developed a Protocol Agreement to ensure that everyone understood the parameters and expectations.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/decision/nelson/appd_e.pdf

Rural Communities Learning From Each Other: Trepassey, Newfoundland and Labrador

The Town of Trepassey held a session for neighbouring communities entitled, "Rural Communities Learning from Each Other". In conjunction with this event, they conducted research on activities in other communities across Canada including the city of Winkler, Manitoba.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/decision/trepassey/trepassey_e.phtml

Rural Leadership Development: North Dumfries Township, Ontario

The Social Planning Council in North Dumfries Township conducted a 10-week Rural Leadership Development course. Entitled "10 Steps for Community Action", this program was targeted towards youth and seniors between the ages of 14 and 73.

For More Information:

http://www.rural.gc.ca/decision/north/north_dumfries_e.phtml

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