Our Recent Success Stories

Reduced Fare Bus Pass for Low Income People with Disabilities

In 2006, in collaboration with “People with DisABILITIES: A Community Coalition”, and with leadership from the Canadian Mental Health Association Ottawa Chapter, we were part of an initiative to create a pilot project to provide a reduced fare bus pass for people with disabilities living on low incomes. The program was used by over 3,500 people per month. The SPC played a key role in an evaluation of the pilot project, which demonstrated that the reduced fare bus pass had significantly reduced isolation and improved quality of life particularly for people with psychiatric and developmental disabilities. The evaluation resulted in the reduced fare bus pass becoming a permanent program of OC Transpo.

Buy Local Food Campaign

Just Food Ottawa, a sponsored project of the SPC, has had a major success through its leadership on a Buy Local Food campaign. Over 20,000 copies of the 2006 Buy Local Map were distributed, resulting in an increase in local farm gate sales. Visit the website at www.spcottawa.on.ca/ofsc for

• an electronic copy of the 2007 map
• information on the Ottawa Culinary Tourism Initiative

Funding for the Buy Local Map and for the expanded Buy Local Campaign has been generously provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, with additional support from the City of Ottawa.

Ethnic Minority Business Training and Mentoring

The Ottawa CED Network, a sponsored project of the Social Planning Council, undertook a second year of our innovative project to support ethnic minority entrepreneurs establishing small businesses. Participants received training on core business elements and were linked with mentors who were established ethnic minority business owners. The second “class” of entrepreneurs graduated from the project in March, but continue to meet in an “Entrepreneurship Café” held at the SPC. Two new businesses have already been opened by this year’s graduates, and more are in development.

Funding for the Ethnic Minority Business project was provided by the City of Ottawa.

Improved Access to Fresh Food for Low Income and City Residents

Just Food Ottawa continued with four projects to respond to the pressing need for low income residents to have more access to fresh produce. Find our more about

• Gardening and preserving workshops
• The “Plant A Row – Donate A Row” project, in which backyard gardeners are encouraged to plant an extra row of vegetables to be donated to the Food Bank
• Students for Farming, a gleaning and educational project
• The Ottawa Community Garden Network

Funding for Just Food Ottawa and the Community Garden Network has been provided by the City of Ottawa. An in-kind contribution from Bernardin is also gratefully acknowledged.

Continuing High demand and use of our research

In 2006 alone, we answered over 81,031 requests for our research, reports or for customized information requests. Our research was used for program planning, policy development and improving quality of life.

Engaging the Community in Electoral Reform

The Social Planning Network of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Social Planning Network of Ontario, was commissioned by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform to host a special consultation. This event was designed to reach people from a variety of communities whose voices are often not heard on major public policy issues: Aboriginal residents, low income people, single parents, immigrants, youth and people with disabilities. The consultation was a great success, and the results helped inform the recommendation made by the Citizen’s Assembly, which will go to a referendum in October 2007. For a copy of the report on the overall consultation and the special consultations by the SPNO visit www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca.

Celebrating the Public Good

On October 12, 2006 the Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPC) held its second Annual “Defender of the Public Good Ottawa” Awards Dinner to celebrate the achievements of four wonderful nominees and to name one of them Defender of the Public Good Ottawa 2006. The 2006 Defender of the Public Good Ottawa Award was presented to Dick Stewart. For more information on the 2006 nominees, the 2006 event and the upcoming 2007 event click here.

280 Metcalfe Street, Suite 501, Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1R7 Tel.: 613-236-9300 Fax: 613-236-7060
office@spcottawa.on.ca