Strong, sustainable, together!

The City is placing a strong focus on implementation as part of this new strategic plan. The Draft 2023-2026 Strategic Plan will be presented to Council on May 8. In order to develop the final strategic plan, staff is looking for feedback from Council, staff, and the community. Comments can be sent to strategicplan2023@waterloo.ca, entered on this project page's comments section, or mailed to the project team by Monday, May 29. The draft plan will be revised and finalized for presentation to Council on June 26th. Details regarding the launch of the plan, a reporting framework, and implementation will be included as part of that report.

Implementation will be ongoing with continuing conversations with Council, staff, and our community. We want to continue to build connections between the City and our community and within the community itself. One way we hope to do this is through our new initiative, announced by Mayor McCabe in her State of the City address: Community Conversations. This will be an opportunity for us to bring together members of our community to talk about how we move forward with the new strategic plan. These conversations will be themed and focused on different components of our strategic plan and will allow us to bring together people from across our community and from all sectors.

The strategic plan is vital as part of development of our three year budget and three year business plans. We want to explore how to implement the strategic plan through these initiatives with our community. It is with your help that we will know if we are responding in a real way to all of the feedback we heard over the last several months.

We are currently working out the details regarding our Community Conversations and we look forward to providing additional information in the weeks to come.

Our Strategic Plan project team will host a free community skate and opportunity to chat about the strategic plan at RIM Park on Saturday, April 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Lions Rink.

Join us for a chance to talk about your vision for Waterloo! This family-friendly event (we'd love to hear from our younger residents) will include free skating, hot beverages (while supplies last) and a chance to talk with staff about the Waterloo we'd all like to live in! All are welcome. No registration required.

Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: 2 to 4 p.m.
Location: Lions Arena, RIM Park, 2001 University Ave E, Waterloo, ON, N2K 4K4

We would love the chance to talk with you in person, to learn more about what you’d like us to focus on, and what values should help guide our decision-making. We have several in-person and virtual options available for you to join us to discuss your vision for Waterloo:

In person:

Tuesday, January 31, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Albert McCormick Community Centre, Community Room

Tuesday, January 31, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
RIM Park, Room 207

Thursday, February 23, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
WMRC Community Pavilion, Meeting Hall

Virtual:

Wednesday, February 8, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 8, 7:00 to 8 p.m.

Pre-registration is encouraged for in-person sessions, and required for the virtual sessions. Please email strategicplan2023@waterloo.ca or call 519-747-6064 to pre-register. The City of Waterloo will pay back the cost of public transportation fare for anyone who attends and travels on GRT or ION, please let us know when you register if you will be using transit.

We look forward to some great community discussion!

The City of Waterloo has started working on the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan to identify the top priorities for the next term of Council. We need to hear from residents about their vision for Waterloo, as the strategic plan will guide the City in decisions on major investments, infrastructure and services.

“I’m excited to work with Council, staff and the community to put together the roadmap that will guide the next four years,” said City of Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe. “I’ve been asking “What’s next, Waterloo?” and through the strategic plan process, we’ll take the ideas we’ve been discussing, and together we’ll set goals and actions to move us toward a better future for all.”

The City is working with Deloitte LLP on the strategic plan process. Deloitte has been conducting a telephone Municipal Services Satisfaction Survey on behalf of the City. The feedback from residents in all seven wards will help us to better understand satisfaction levels with current City services and priorities. The next stage of the strategic plan involves public consultation with residents, and working with Council and City staff on community priorities for the next four years.

There will be several opportunities over the coming months for City of Waterloo residents to get involved and share their input and ideas for the strategic plan. A project page on Engage Waterloo has information about the strategic plan process, and an initial online consultation survey. City staff will open dialogues with a variety of community partner groups, and will hold community session roundtables early in the new year. Residents can subscribe to the project page on Engage Waterloo to receive project updates and details on additional feedback opportunities as they become available.

“We know a lot of great ideas and thoughts about the future of our community were shared during the election,” said Sandy Little, executive officer to the CAO and City of Waterloo staff project lead. “We want to capture those thoughts and more as part of this plan for a strong, sustainable future. We need to hear from all members of our community, from a wide variety of backgrounds, to help us understand the values that should guide staff recommendations and Council decision-making.”

The strategic plan will guide the City of Waterloo’s priorities and decisions over the next four years. Residents are invited to complete our initial consultation survey to help City staff understand the values that matter most for a future that is strong, sustainable, together.