This month marks one year of learning, building, and dialogue with the Kitchener 2051 Community Working Group (CWG). Have you heard of them?

The Kitchener 2051 CWG is a community-led, staff-supported group made up of community volunteers intended to represent a dynamic mix of voices, perspectives, and experiences from across all wards of the city. This group builds on the success of previous CWG’s that were assembled for the Cycling and Trails Master Plan in 2019 and visioning for Downtown Kitchener in 2022 – 2023. Drawing from past experiences and the goals of the Kitchener 2051 process – to “go big”, be meaningful, intentional, and prioritize equity-seeking groups – City Staff developed an application process that sought interest from residents who self-identified with certain characteristics or life experiences such as those living with a disability or those belonging to a racialized group. Nearly 150 applications were submitted to the City from a wide range of community members. The application allowed community members to voluntarily indicate which areas of lived expertise they felt could contribute to the project along with questions about their interest in joining the CWG and confirmation that they could commit to actively participating in monthly meetings during the entire 18 months of the project.

The applications were anonymized and provided to a selection committee made up of several community members from the City’s Equity and Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, and former members of other City committees and Planning staff. Community members outnumbered Planning staff. The selection process identified the City’s socio-demographics and set targets to prioritize equity-deserving communities and lived experiences. The selection committee reviewed the applications, including the applicants’ interest in participating and ultimately recommended a composition of the Kitchener2051 CWG of committed and passionate residents of all ages with diverse lived experiences and intersectional identifies that are typically absent in planning processes.

• 32% identify as 2SLGBTQIA+
• 36% immigrated to Canada, with 21% of those arriving in the last 5 years
• 26% identified as living with a disability
• 24% are post-secondary students
• 56% of members belong to a racialized group
• 47% are renters, or non-ownership living arrangements (ie. living with family)
• 3 members are under 18, and 8 are under the age of 30
• At least 2 members from each ward

Since coming together, the CWG and Kitchener 2051 Project Team have met regularly to share key project information, solicit feedback on core elements of the planning and engagement process, and to gather ideas and insights related to broader opportunities presented by the process. Together, we have:

• Established a set of values to guide our work
• Explored the purpose and limits of an Official Plan, and how it relates to other policy documents and City processes
• Workshopped the Phase 3 Big Ideas and Emerging Directions
• Designed event approaches and engagement materials like the Community Conversation Kits and Approaches to Growth event
• Discussed where and how we grow, including policies for housing choices, commercial/service uses in neighbourhoods, and local food production; and
• a field trip to the Schneider Creek Naturalization Project to see how the cities ecological restoration policies are working in practice to restore streams while making more housing possible without making flood hazards worse.

We are grateful for the time and insights this group has given to the Kitchener 2051 project and look forward to our work together to the end of the year.