Community Safety and Well-being Plan

Background

In the summer of 2023 the City of Brandon approached the Province in hopes of funding to create a high-level steering committee of local stakeholders to move initiatives forward for the community. The province then invited the City of Brandon to participate in a pilot project being funded by the Department of Justice in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities (CCFSC), to develop a local Community Safety & Well-Being (CSWB) Plan. There are other communities in MB also doing CSWB Plans under this pilot.

The CSWB plan is to look at current practices for incident response and risk-mitigation of safety issues in the community, along with long term, preventative, systemic actionable items to address root causes of safety and well-being issues, using a data driven and systematic approach. The goal of these plans is to bring together system leaders, organizations, and community members to co-create a vision and an actionable plan to improve safety, sense of safety, and well-being in the community.

Community surveying, intentional engagement, data collection and analysis are essential in this process. This is a plan that is created BY community FOR community!

To learn more about Community Safety Wellbeing Planning including the steps required, please refer to the guide: Practitioner Guide on Crime Prevention and Community Safety & Well-Being Planning (579.57 KB)

You can also visit the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities Website at Canadian Centre for Safer Communities (ccfsc-cccs.ca)

Our estimated timeline is as follows:

Steering Committee and Local Project Team

Purpose of the CSWB Steering Committee

A crucial component of the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) planning process is establishing a Steering Committee. A CSWB plan Steering Committee is a diverse group of individuals or representatives from various sectors, assembled to provide strategic guidance and direction throughout the plan’s development. This committee is responsible for overseeing the planning process, ensuring inclusivity, engaging with community members, making informed decisions, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders, all with the overarching goal of representing and addressing the unique needs and concerns of the community in a holistic and effective manner. Having a multi-sectoral Steering Committee for Community Safety and Well-Being planning is paramount to ensure that the resulting plan is truly rooted in the community and reflects a broad range of experiences and perspectives. This diversity of voices ensures that the plan is not developed in isolation but rather as a collective effort that draws from the insights of each sector. The Steering Committee meets once a month with the Local Project Team and the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities.

The Brandon CSWB Plan Steering Committee consists of the following members:

1. Will Goodon, Minister of Housing, Manitoba Metis Federation
2. Greg Hebert, Acting Deputy Chief of Police 
3. Susan Gillshammer, Assistant Superintendent, Brandon School Division 
4. Gail Cullen, Executive Director Brandon Friendship Centre 
5. Arlene Stewart, Director of Children & Family Services Western 
6. Ferlin Asham, Area Director, Probation with Darcelle Fouasse, Area Director, Probation (alternate)
7. Connor Ketchen, General Manager, Brandon Chamber of Commerce 
8. Enver Nadoo, CEO Westman Immigrant Services  
9. Gerald Cathcart, Director of Economic Development 
10. Mayor Jeff Fawcett 
11. Glenda Short (Community Care Programs), Prairie Mountain Health 
12. Nellie Kopitz, Regional Manager of Indigenous Health, Prairie Mountain Health 
13. Minister Glen Simard with Ray Berthelette, Executive Assistant to Minister Glen Simard
14. Rushana Newman, Executive Direction BNRC 

The Steering Committee is supported by a CSWB Local Project Team that consists of: 

1. Shannon Saltarelli, Community Housing & Wellness Coordinator, City of Brandon 
2. Michelle Funk, Mediator and Restorative Justice Facilitator, Westman Mediation Services 
3. Janis Irvine, Coordinator, Community Mobilization Westman  
4. Hannah Stollery, Community Outreach Manager, Westman Immigrant Services 
5. Annalee Flett, Peer Supporter, Huddle Brandon 
6. Amanda-Rose Bourget, Systemic & Relational Psychotherapist (Student)
7. Lorissa Norquay, Community Addictions Worker & Cultural Prevention Education Consultant – Prairie Mountain Health Addictions Services

The Local Project Team meets bi-weekly with the Province and the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities. 

Contact Information:

Email: cswbplan@brandon.ca