Last week the Squamish Community Foundation (SCF) hosted the first of two Community Conversations as part of the 2023 Vital Signs research project. Over 50 community members gathered at Brennan Park to share their perspectives on the most pressing issues affecting our community, from housing and affordability to diversity, environment, and reconciliation, among others.
Vital Signs is a research initiative that uses local knowledge and data to measure the vitality of our community, to create conversations, and to encourage collective action. The resulting Vital Signs Report is a powerful knowledge tool used by many agencies (non-profits, organizations, businesses, realtors, local government, etc.), to provide localized information on issues important to Squamish citizens, to support grant and funding applications with pertinent data, and to empower individuals towards action.
The SCF was pleased to see such a diverse group of Squamish residents involved in this first Community Conversation event, including those from local small businesses, non-profits, retirees, the Squamish Nation, and 3 newly elected members of our local government council..
Led by Michelle LeBlanc, Vital Signs Coordinator, along with the Vital Signs Steering Committee and SCF Board Members, the night began with an introduction into the research project followed by round-table discussions to spark ideas, brainstorming, and debates. Individuals were able to shift tables and share their perspectives on issues most important to them.
Not only did these conversations prove beneficial for community members to listen to and learn from different perspectives, the event was essential in aiding the Vital Signs team in extracting themes that will guide the next stage of research.
In January 2023, the SCF will be releasing a Community Survey to collect localized data, which will be available on-line and in print. A second Community Conversation will then be hosted in February. Following the research stage, the Vital Signs report will be published in May 2023, providing an important update from the last report.
Community members can stay in-the-loop on project updates by following the SCF on Facebook, and subscribing to their newsletter at www.squamishfoundation.com. You may also contact Michelle LeBlanc directly at: mleblanc@squamishfoundation.com.
The SCF would like to express their gratitude to the community members who showed up with an open mind and valuable insight at the event last week, as well as those who expressed interest in this project but were unable to attend. A big ‘thank you’ to the Vital Signs Steering Committee and volunteers including: Karen Clarke, Carol Coffey, Heather Hall, Suzie Soman, Mona Sidhu, Andrea Dunne, Christine Baker, Adrian Blachut, Kyle Horvath, Christina Musselwhite, Alex Cairns, and Pam Duynstee for all of their dedication to this project so far.
Pamela Duynstee is the project manager for Squamish Community Foundation
