Community Development Framework

St James Town Toronto

RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT AND

COMMUNITY DEVE LOPMENT
Anish Alex
Community Capacity Builder

Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

"Community development is a structured intervention that gives

communities greater control over the conditions that affect their
lives. This does not solve all the problems faced by a local
community, but it does build up confidence to tackle such problems
as effectively as any local action can. Community development
works at the level of local groups and communities rather than with
individuals or families. The range of local groups and organizations
representing communities at local level constitutes the community
sector. Community development is a skilled process and part of its
approach is the belief that communities cannot be helped unless
they themselves agree to this process. Community development has
to look both ways: not only at how the community is working at the
grass roots, but also at how responsive key institutions are to the
needs of local communities". - A Statement from the Community Development
Foundation (UK)

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Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY

DEVELO PMENT
Social change requires community participation beyond programs and services. Using
multiple tools and working with other community actors, YSM will take an active role to bring
transformative change in St. James Town community. This transformation will take place when
the residents of St. James Town come together and take a collective action to generate solutions
for their common problems. YSM will play a lead role in building capacity among its
stakeholders in the community to establish a community led social infrastructure (Community
Development Society of St. James Town) which further control and manage the assets and
resources in the community. This type of a collective action often evolves economic, social,
environmental and cultural wellbeing of the people living in St. James Town. This initiative is
the first step of YSM towards its journey of community led social activation and poverty
reduction strategy. There is a scope of action research in this initiative. The results will
significantly help YSM for its further strategic community initiatives as well as its macro
practices.
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Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

Community/Residents
The neighbourhood of North St. James Town in Toronto is the community mentioned in
this document, lies in the northeast corner of the downtown Toronto area. The term Residents
used in this document refers to the residents living in the neighbourhood covers the area bounded
by Sherbourne Street to the west, Bloor Street to the north, Parliament Street to the east, and
Wellesley Street East to the south. It is the largest high-rise community in Canada. It consists of
19 high-rise buildings (14 to 32 stories). These massive residential towers were built in the
1960s. Approximately 17,800 people live in the neighbourhoods, making it Canadas most
densely populated community and one of the most thickly populated neighbourhood anywhere in
North America. More than fifty five percentage of the community members are at the age
between 24 54 and living with their family.
Development
The term development often carries the assumption of size, expansion or growth. In this
document, development means the self-reliance capacity of the community or an increasing
respect for reducing outside dependencies. The term development also depicts the process of
building social infrastructure, such as developing Self-Governed Groups, creating residence
councils or constituting Community Based Organization (CBO).
YSMs activation initiatives involves the operation for community action that specifically focus
on resident engagement, community ownership and action. Community engagement,
participatory initiatives, advocacy/resident councils and community owned social infrastructure
are the key pillars to the long term transformation of the community. Long term and short term
treatments are necessary for a sustainable change in the community. The short term initiatives
includes different levels of community engagement. Long term initiatives can be planned based
on the learning from short term initiatives.
Community engagement builds social capital, social ties, problem solutions, and support which
are associated with a better community cohesion and well-being. Creating alliances and
partnerships with existing organizations builds trust and mechanisms for joint action.
Levels of engagement

Anish Alex, CCB SJT

Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

YSM will engage community and all possible partners to bring sustainable change in St. James
Town and promote resident led initiatives. Which will reflects in various degrees of participation
from a stakeholders point of view. YSM adjusted the engagement levels for this initiative.
Potential Engagement Methods
Community Engagement Level 1: YSM would consider the following methods to engage
community as well as the key stakeholders at St. James Town in the initial level.
YSM will build a formal partnership with other organizations working in St. James Town and
develop a joint initiative (Community Development Roundtable) where all the partner
organizations can bring their ideas and resources for SJT Community Development. YSM will
take a lead role in this initiative and make sure that all its partners understood what is
Community Development and its principles.
1.1 Capacity Building for stakeholders involves various trainings and workshops which
focuses on the process of initiative which are going to carryout in the next levels.
1.2 Nominal Group Workshops (NGT) to take consents, priorities and ideas from community
members, partner organization and other stakeholders. Different NGT will be organized
in association with various community partners. The process needs to be carefully
planned and facilitated to ensure it moves into action planning.
1.3 Social Media Engagements are a growing and significant channel for connecting people
and key stakeholders. Online responses and discussions can be directed at all SJT
community and key partners.
1.4 A hotline is a widely advertised phone number that people can call to access pre-recorded
messages, leave comments on selected topics, or talk directly to a person who can answer
their questions about an issue or an engagement activity, based on their interest and need.
1.5 Meet and Greet people in the building lobby, common areas and coffee shops
Community Engagement Level 2: YSM would consider the following methods to engage
community as well as the key stakeholders at St. James Town in the secondary level.
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Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

2.1 Discussion Groups - participants selected either randomly, building based or specific
population basis, to priorities the views and opinions gathers in level 1.
2.2 Participatory Evaluation- The affected population group emerged from the community
consultation (level 1) will be called for a participatory evaluation meeting. The group
would discuss the problems and suggest new ideas/solutions.
Community Engagement Level 3: YSM would consider the following methods to engage
community as well as the key stakeholders at St. James Town in the next level.
3.1 Capacity Building: Building capacity to the specific community representatives and
partner organizations to logically connect the priorities, problems, solutions, advocacy
and social action. YSM will use Logic Model Process in order to collaboratively plan the
further initiatives. (This is important for the partner organizations to understand the
further process)
Community Engagement Level 4: YSM would consider the following methods to engage
community as well as the key stakeholders at St. James Town in the next level.
4.1 Leadership Development and Platform creation: YSM along with its community
development partners will create a venue for community leaders to present their various
concerns in front of appropriate bodies.
4.2 The community representatives will be part of further planning and work with the CD
round table
4.3 YSM will take initiative along with other partners to develop resident councils in each
building.
A community resource and infrastructure assessment would be beneficial to move further.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
A. Self-Governed Groups and Community Economic Development
Self-governed Groups and local economic development are the concepts at a community
level, and seeks to combine the social, economic and political aspects of community
development and empowerment. Based on the outcome and community responses of various
engagement initiatives, YSM may take initiative to facilitate self-help groups in St. James Town.
Anish Alex, CCB SJT

Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

The nature and type of groups will be based on the need of the community and demand of
specific populations.
E.g. 1: Community raised that there is no specific programs and services for fathers in the
community; YSM may take initiative to organize fathers in the community and create a Dads
Club so that fathers in the community can address their issues in a micro level.
E.g. 2: Community raised that professionals in the community needs more support; YSM may
create a professionals network and work along with other employment services and employers
in the community to make sure that the skills and knowledge in the community are well utilized
for the benefits of the community as whole.
Self-Governed Local Employment Initiatives
YSM may create a unique partnership with external agencies (Social Enterprise Toronto, Social
Economy Centre) to initiate local Self-Governed Employment Initiatives in St. James Town. This
kind of members run enterprises that employ business methods and practices will create
employment and training opportunities for low income individuals in the community. This
initiative would be a professional approach with a clear business embedded vision.
E.g. 1: Community raised the concern that there is no proper channel in the current employment
program to help an individual with a proper/potential business background/skills. YSM may
create a pool of similar talents/skills those who can take an entrepreneurial initiative. And
facilitate their group, connect them to appropriate external agency and mentor them.
B. Opportunity Grand for Community Projects
In order to create a community impact on YSMs community led initiatives, YSM could provide
direct funding to the community led initiatives. This exploration small grants are intended to
support local community to undertake initiatives that will increase social interaction, reduce
isolation and engagement in projects that will benefit St. James Town community. This funding
should be given under different areas like Socio-economic projects to foster temporary
employment and training opportunities for socially disadvantaged groups (unemployed
immigrants, physically/mentally challenged), creative projects to showcase community talents or
boost up the creative skills etc

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Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

Apart from the opportunity grand, YSM can support groups to prepare Grand proposals for
external funding and develop necessary capacity to implement project.
C. Development of Resident Councils
YSM and its partners develop connections with people in different buildings and motivate them
to create a council to effectively participate in the process. Residents councils may have the
opportunity to apply for opportunity grand as a council. Resident councils needs to be engaged in
a productive way so that the council can contribute to the process significantly. People should be
engaged, respected and feel genuineness in all initiatives.
D. Creation of a Community Based Organization
Creation of a Community Based Organization (CBO) with a legal entity is the end result of this
entire initiative. In order develop CBO, YSM and its partner agencies needs to take initiative to
develop building councils in each building at SJT. CBO will consist of representatives from
each building councils and other community groups. Eventually CBO will take over the
community development initiatives in St. James Town and work as a sustainable self-governed
community based organization. SJT CBO will be a model of community self-governance.
YSM will advocate for CBO and support them externally.
Macro Practice
YSM will be able to conduct an action research along with the community engagement
initiatives in St. James Town. Each level of engagements will be close to John Friedmanns
Planning as Social Learning approach. This efforts would possibly create an idea for future
planning and develop significant data which can be referred for a policy framework and also
present in various platforms. YSM can also take up the learnings to a government level.
Sustainability
Yonge Street Mission focuses on the development of a sustainable resident led neighbourhood
association with the capacity to reflect the interest of the residents and work effectively with
external service providers in the community to effectively manage the resources. This
community led initiative will work as a social transformation point in the community and
develop partnership with agencies to deliver services in the community based on the community
Anish Alex, CCB SJT

Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

demand. This community placed initiative can do practical assistance to other organization in
their community research, community outreach, campaign, local hiring, project implementation,
planning and so on. As a result direct funding for community initiatives can be directed to CBO,
and this organization will built community assets and create capacity building opportunities in
the neighbourhood.
CBO can conduct this entire process periodically with the support of external agencies
Limitation and Challenges
Community development initiatives need massive community network, in order to develop that
connections a partnership initiative would be more viable at this level. Building partnership is a
challenge especially finding organizations to work for resident led initiatives.

Theory of Change
It is a road map which provide an idea where we are now and where we want to go. This theory
of change is based on the conceptual understanding about how and why this capacity building
model community development strategy will work in SJT.
Passive

En

Level 2Engagement Level 1Engagement

Resident Engagements Stages

Nominal Group
Workshops.
Social Media
Engagements
Hotline
Direct one-to-one

Discussion Groups.

Participatory
Evaluation

Participation

Empowerment

Leadership

Residents drop
some ideas, share
some thoughts or
issues, critique
some programs,
may ask some
questions. Resident
doubtful about the
process

Residents drop
specific ideas, share
their thoughts
around this ideas or
issues, may ask
some questions
about the process

Capacity Building

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Residents actively
participate in
discussions,
formulate ideas,
raise problems and
suggest solutions

Residents actively

The affected group

Identify some

gagemen
t Level 3

Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

Group formation

participating to
solve the identified
issues/ formulate
ideas, and suggest
solutions

take some
initiatives. YSM
build capacity and
support those
groups

leadership based on
issues, some capacity
building initiatives

Individuals take
initiatives for their
economic growth.

Engagement Level 4

Social Enterprise.

Each building
organize councils
and write projects
for grand

Opportunity Grand.

Building councils
discuss the
identified issues

Resident Councils.

Building Council
select their
representatives

Capacity building.

Community Based
Organization

All the partner

agencies along
with YSM
advocate for CBO.
The community
funds currently
getting by service
providers will go
to CBO

Building Councils
select/elect
representatives for
CBO.
CBO will manage
the opportunity
grants
CBO will hire
community people
and run community
projects

Leaders will take

initiatives for Small
projects and speak for
the community.
Intentional Capacity
Building initiatives

Community
representatives will
run the CBO.
Developed Capacity
and community led
organization.

Conclusion
This initiatives aim to have an impact on the social, economic and health outcomes which
the SJT residents can achieve. Precisely this movement focuses on more economic
opportunity, new initiatives on social development, an improved participation in making
decisions affecting to the community, and an improved healthy lives. Besides this
initiative also intended to gather information relevant to the existing programs and
services and identify key advocacy areas.
References/Resources
1. Asset-Based Community Development retrieved from
2.
3.
4.
5.

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html
Building Strong Neighborhoods retrieved from http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com
Census Canada (2011) Neighbourhood Demographic Estimates, North St. James Town
Community Engagement strategies retrieved from http://tamarackcommunity.ca
Community Development Handbook: A Tool to Build Community (1999) Flo Frank and

Anne Smith retrieved from http://ccednet-rcdec.ca/en/node/4319

6. Community Toolbox retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu
7. California Neighborhood Research retrieved from http://www.calnr.com
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Yonge Street Mission Community Development Initiatives

8. Planning as social learning (1981) by John Friedmann

9. Yonge Street Mission Strategic Plan Presentation 2015-2010
10. Yonge Street Mission community consultation document
11. St. James Town Community Assessment (2008): Yonge Street Mission and World Vision
12. St. James Town Community Assessment (2010): Centre for Community Learning and
Development
13. Theory of Change: A Practical Tool For Action, Results and Learning (2004) Anne E.
Casey Foundation
14. The economy and resilience of newcomers in Canada retrieved from
http://newcomerwomen.org/pdf/EARN%20Report.pdf
15. Toronto Strong Neighborhood Strategy-2020: City of Toronto (2014)
16. Vertical Poverty: A research study done by United way retrieved from
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/document.doc?id=89

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