FAQs

Community well-being is the combination of social, economic, environmental, cultural, and political conditions identified by individuals and their communities as essential for everyone to thrive and fulfill their potential.

Community safety is about helping communities to be and feel safe.  It is important that people feel safe where they grow, live, work, and spend leisure time. 

The Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for Huron is a Plan developed by the nine (9) lower-tier municipalities and community partners, that establishes a roadmap for how partners can collaborate across different sectors to make our communities safer, more inclusive, more resilient, and places where all residents thrive.

The Community Safety and Well-being Plan for Huron identifies four (4) priority areas to address in our community based on community input and information obtained through community organizations.   The Plan addresses the root causes of crime and complex social issues by focusing holistically on social development, prevention, and risk prevention. 

The Plan applies a social determinants of health lens that recognizes that the social, economic, and environmental conditions affect health, safety, and well-being.   

By addressing the four (4) priority areas in our communities (mental health and addictions, housing stability and homelessness, domestic and family violence, and community safety and security), the Plan’s goals is to prevent crime and enhance safety and community well-being by addressing issues before they arise, or incidents occur.  

Development of the Plan involved participation from all nine lower-tier municipalities in Huron County: Township of Ashfield-Col­borne-Wawanosh; Municipality of Bluewater; Municipality of Central Huron; Town of Goderich; Township of Howick; Municipality of Huron East; Municipality of Morris-Turnberry; Township of North Huron; and, Municipality of South Huron.   In addition, many other organizations contributed to the development of this Plan by participating on working groups and committees, providing input through surveys and interviews, and by working on-the-ground to address safety and well-being in Huron every day.

The Plan was developed through four phases:
  1. Establishing a Working Group of representatives from the nine member lower-tier municipalities. This Working Group established an organizing structure, gathered community resources, and developed a residential survey with the Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention.
  2. Subcommittees were struck and tasked with taking a deep dive into specific risk areas of focus. These Subcommittees/risk areas included:
    1. Education
    2. Seniors/Adults with Disabilities
    3. Poverty and Housing
    4. Crime
    5. Medical and Physical Health
    6. Children and Youth
    7. Mental Health
    8. Addictions
  3. An Advisory Committee was then formed with cross-sector representation to identify and reduce risk factors that can contribute to individuals engaging in or becoming victims of crime. The Advisory Committee identified that the Plan should focus its actions in the areas of prevention and social development, while ensuring greater coordination, collaboration, and resource sharing.
  4. Public consultations and stakeholder interviews were then held to help identify local risks. In total, more than 1,500 survey responses, consultations, and discussions were analyzed to identify perceptions and feelings of community safety and well-being in Huron.

The Oversight Committee is reflective of the greater Huron community and includes multi-sectoral representation.  It consists of several members including:

  • An appointee from each lower-tier municipality
  • A representative from the education sector
  • A representative from the health/mental health sector
  • A representative from the community/social services sector
  • A representative from the children/youth services sector
  • A representative from an entity that provides custodial services to children/youth
  • A representative from the Huron County OPP

For more information, see the “Committee” page.

The municipalities have formed a Working Group which consists of one administrative member from each of the nine (9) lower-tier municipalities:  the Township of Ashfield-Col­borne-Wawanosh; Municipality of Bluewater; Municipality of Central Huron; Town of Goderich; Township of Howick; Municipality of Huron East; Municipality of Morris-Turnberry; Township of North Huron; and, Municipality of South Huron.   The Working Group has established and maintained the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan for Huron website, and actions the recommendations received from the Oversight Committee regarding implementation of the Plan, at the municipal level.  

The Community Safety and Well-being Plan for Huron covers all nine (9) lower-tier municipalities within Huron County:  Township of Ashfield-Col­borne-Wawanosh; Municipality of Bluewater; Municipality of Central Huron; Town of Goderich; Township of Howick; Municipality of Huron East; Municipality of Morris-Turnberry; Township of North Huron; and, Municipality of South Huron.

After establishing the Oversight Committee in 2023 and undertaking a Priority Area mapping task to identify all the organizations and community groups involved with each Priority Area, we are now in our first year of implementing the Plan.

In 2024, Community Safety and Well-Being for Huron will be focusing on educating our communities on the four (4) Priority Areas:  Mental Health and Addictions, Housing Stability and Homelessness, Domestic and Family Violence, and Community Safety and Security, through organized quarterly campaigns. 

There are many ways that people can get involved to help improve safety in their own communities:

  • Learn more about Domestic and Family Violence, how to spot the signs of abuse, and how/where to find help, by taking the FREE 1-hour online course “Neighbours, Friends, and Families”. https://www.neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca/
  • Join the movement to create a safer community by registering your personal or business security camera with CAMSafe https://camsafe.ca/ .    If a crime Is committed near one of your cameras, someone may contact you to request to view the footage.   It is voluntary and you do not have to provide the footage if requested.
  • Learn more about mental health and stigma with the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/addressing-stigma
  • Join LEEP, the Lived Experience Expert Panel, which is a virtual panel of adults 18+ in Huron and Perth counties who have lived experience with one or more of these systems:
    • Social assistance (Ontario Works, ODSP)
    • Courts (family, civil, criminal, youth custody)
    • Child welfare (Children’s Aid, foster care, group homes)
    • Education (school systems, including residential schools)
    • Healthcare (mental health, addictions, disability)
    • Other systems that regulate peoples’ lives (Immigration, the Indian Act)

And/or who have experienced discrimination based on ability, age, body size, culture, ethnicity, family status, gender, language, race, religion, sex, social class, socioeconomic status etc.

Huron Perth Public Health relies on LEEP expertise to inform health equity work. Answers to the anonymous LEEP surveys (sent by email) help shape solutions in our communities.

If you are interested in joining LEEP or would you like more information, email [email protected] or complete this online form to send your contact information. A LEEP staff person will call you.