Official Community Plan

C

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COURTENAY TODAY

Social infrastructure is made up of foundational services and networks that support local quality of life. They are provided in response to the basic needs of communities and to provide more equity, stability, and social well-being. Social infrastructure will be unique to the needs of each community and will change over time. In Courtenay, social infrastructure needs and issues are diverse. Depending on the barriers to social and economic participation, some residents may require a number of supports for varying durations. Common needs include: mental health and addictions services; sufficient food; child care that supports parental, particularly women’s, full participation in the workforce; and supports to reduce the childhood vulnerability (as measured by the Early Development instrument scale). Poverty and lack of affordable housing are at the heart of a number of these complex social challenges, including real and perceived sense of community safety, which unfortunately remain a significant concern in Courtenay today. For people who identify with equity-priority groups (such as women, seniors, youth, Black, First Nations, Inuit, Metis, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIAP and people with physical and/or developmental disabilities) barriers to social and economic participation are often higher due to systemic practices and processes that do not consider or provide for the needs and experiences of all people. Immigrant newcomers’ experiences indicate that affordable housing , public transportation, access to employment, and initiatives to foster community connections are needed to accelerate the process of making Courtenay home.

Social infrastructure responses include providing services as well as nurturing the conditions for citizens to connect with and support each other. Services may take the form of meeting basic needs (safety, food, shelter, child care and health care), enriching quality of life (recreation, lifelong learning, diverse experiences, and having fun), or supporting community safety such as through restorative justice principles as practiced by the Community Justice Centre, to which the City of Courtenay appoints an elected official. 1 The delivery of social infrastructure relies on the coordination and partnerships of various government agencies and jurisdictions, community organizations, businesses, and volunteers.

1 Restorative Justice is defined by the Comox Valley Community Justice Centre as "a way of addressing conflict and crime that enables the person who caused the harm, people who were affected by the harm, and the community to create a meaningful solution. In contrast to the traditional justice system in Canada which seeks to establish a punishment for each act of wrongdoing assuming that will contribute to victim and societal satisfaction, Restorative Justice focuses on repairing damage and restoring relationships. Restorative Justice is not a specific model, instead it is a set of principles that can be flexibly applied to a variety of situations of conflict, crime, abuse, etc. Definition from www.communityjusticecentre.ca.

PART C Thematic Policies