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Community Resilience Summit

Children's feet in rubber boots

Thriving communities with strong local economies don’t happen by accident. They happen when community members come together to share ideas and collaborate on solutions. Community leaders, municipal partners, charitable organizations and the business community play a big part in a community’s success.

On November 9th and 16th, Toward Common Ground and our community partners will host the first Community Resilience Summit.

Community Resilience Summit - Day 1

November 9, 2021, 8:30AM-12:00PM will be an opportunity to learn about:

Resilience - what it is and isn’t and how it plays a protective role during difficult times
How adversity can be prevented and addressed and resilience can be built through economic and social policy, programs and interventions and community action

Keynote Speaker

	Dr. Michael Ungar Keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Ungar will show that resilience is much more than our personal capacity to overcome adversity. It is instead a reflection of how well individuals, families, employers and communities work together to create opportunities for people to navigate their way to the resources they need for well-being.

Dr. Michael Ungar

Keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Ungar will show that resilience is much more than our personal capacity to overcome adversity.

It is instead a reflection of how well individuals, families, employers and communities work together to create opportunities for people to navigate their way to the resources they need for well-being.

Dr. Ungar is the founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University. His ground-breaking work as a family therapist and resilience researcher is recognized around the world, with much of that work focused on the resilience of marginalized children and families, and adult populations experiencing mental health challenges at home and in the workplace. Dr. Ungar has provided consultation and training to Fortune 500 companies like Unilever and Cigna, NGOs such as Save The Children and the Red Cross, and educational institutions and government agencies on five continents. He is routinely called upon by thought leaders such as the Boston Consulting Group and Canvas8. His work emphasizes how to use the theory of resilience to increase both individual and institutional agility during crises, with numerous organizations having adopted his concept of resilience as a negotiated process that enhances wellbeing and social responsibility.

Dr. Ungar is the author of 18 books for lay and professional audiences, and over 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. These include Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success, a book for adults experiencing stress at work and at home, and I Still Love You: Nine Things Trouble Teens Need from their Parents. His blog, Nurturing Resilience, can be read on Psychology Today’s website.

Panel Speakers

	Dr. Christopher Mushquash HBSc., M.A., Ph.D., C.Psych.
Dr. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. Dr. Mushquash is Ojibway and a member of Pays Plat First Nation.

Dr. Christopher Mushquash

HBSc., M.A., Ph.D., C.Psych.

Dr. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Mushquash is a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. Dr. Mushquash is Ojibway and a member of Pays Plat First Nation.

	Sara Sayyed Senior Policy Advisor on Anti-Racism, Equity and Indigenous Initiatives at the City of Guelph
Sara is the Senior Policy Advisor on Anti Racism, Equity and Indigenous Initiatives with the City of Guelph. Previously, as the Community Services Director at the Muslim Society of Guelph she conducted outreach sessions and seminars for the Centre, and worked with various community partners on how equity and accommodation measures can be adopted within organizations and workplaces. Sara holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from University of Guelph. Combining her knowledge across sectors, Sara is passionate about education and social justice advocacy, and giving back to her community.

Sara Sayyed

Senior Policy Advisor on Anti-Racism,

Equity and Indigenous Initiatives

at the City of Guelph

Sara is the Senior Policy Advisor on Anti Racism, Equity and Indigenous Initiatives with the City of Guelph. Previously, as the Community Services Director at the Muslim Society of Guelph she conducted outreach sessions and seminars for the Centre, and worked with various community partners on how equity and accommodation measures can be adopted within organizations and workplaces. Sara holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from University of Guelph. Combining her knowledge across sectors, Sara is passionate about education and social justice advocacy, and giving back to her community.

	Dr. Randall Waechter BBA, Ph.D.
Dr. Waechter is a policy advisor and social entrepreneur who builds innovative and collaborative programs of change to improve health and well-being across populations. In accordance with a Health in All Policies approach, he draws on numerous fields to inform his innovations: Psychology, Political Science, Sociology and Social Work, Economics, Public Health, and Business. He is fanatical about assessment and outcomes measurement, and believes strongly in the importance of failing fast and using lessons learned to revise and re-assess interventions. This includes the importance of assessing ROI of social innovations. He is also fanatical about prevention and its ability to provide maximum ROI while having the greatest impact on health and well-being. To this end, he has pioneered community-based programs to prevent adverse childhood experiences and build resilience by enhancing social-emotional connection between caregivers and young children. He has also advised for UNICEF and the World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization on these topics. He obtained a PhD in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Neuroscience from York University and degrees in Psychology and Business from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is currently Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, Assistant Dean in the School of Graduate Studies, and Associate Director of Research at St. George's University. His latest work, The Economics of Diseases and Cures by Nova Science Publishers, explores the process of cures discovery and the ROI of research into discovering new treatments for diseases.

Dr. Randall Waechter

BBA, Ph.D.

Dr. Waechter is a policy advisor and social entrepreneur who builds innovative and collaborative programs of change to improve health and well-being across populations. In accordance with a Health in All Policies approach, he draws on numerous fields to inform his innovations: Psychology, Political Science, Sociology and Social Work, Economics, Public Health, and Business. He is fanatical about assessment and outcomes measurement, and believes strongly in the importance of failing fast and using lessons learned to revise and re-assess interventions. This includes the importance of assessing ROI of social innovations. He is also fanatical about prevention and its ability to provide maximum ROI while having the greatest impact on health and well-being. To this end, he has pioneered community-based programs to prevent adverse childhood experiences and build resilience by enhancing social-emotional connection between caregivers and young children. He has also advised for UNICEF and the World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization on these topics. He obtained a PhD in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Neuroscience from York University and degrees in Psychology and Business from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is currently Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, Assistant Dean in the School of Graduate Studies, and Associate Director of Research at St. George's University. His latest work, The Economics of Diseases and Cures by Nova Science Publishers, explores the process of cures discovery and the ROI of research into discovering new treatments for diseases.

Community Resilience Summit Day 2

November 16, 2021, 8:30AM-12:00PM will be a chance to roll up your sleeves and learn about:

What community leaders are currently doing to build a resilient community
The role you play in nurturing resilience to build a strong community

Local Stories about Building Resilience

Day 2 will feature stories from local community leaders about what building resilience looks like when we embed it into business models, upstream prevention, and/or communities in Guelph and Wellington County. Participants will have an opportunity to attend 3 sessions.

Break-out 1 - Overview of Learning Sessions

The Co-operators Social Impact Framework

Learn how Co-operators, an insurance and financial services co-operative, uses its Social Impact Framework to influence positive youth mental health on post-secondary campuses across Canada. The session will highlight how the concept of community resilience unifies the focus areas within which Co-operators concentrates its community investments and will include an example of a multi-faceted partnership with Enactus Canada that has as one of its objectives the aim of increasing the mental health resiliency of youth aged 18-25.

Presenter: Jess Fisher

In her role as Senior Partnerships & Social Impact Advisor, Jess oversees partnerships that aim to improve youth mental health and increase Canadians’ climate resilience. She is also responsible for establishing a framework to measure the impacts of The Co-operators sustainability and citizenship initiatives.

Prior to joining The Co-operators, Jess held positions in relationship and project management at the World Wildlife Fund and Green Economy Canada, a network of hubs supporting local businesses to set and achieve sustainability targets. Jess also worked as an Analyst in consulting where she conducted research and calculated greenhouse gas inventories to advise corporate clients in the hospitality, insurance, retail and building sectors on how to integrate sustainability practices.

In 2016 Jess taught “Sustainable Operations”, a graduate level course in the Green Management program at Conestoga College.

Jess is a graduate of the University of Waterloo’s Masters of Applied Environmental Studies program.

Guelph Black Heritage Society- Supporting a Movement

Learn from President Denise Francis and Executive Director Kween from the Guelph Black Heritage Society on the movement of the Black community from grassroots to the protests in 2020. Take a look at the trends of momentum and allyship as Black communities continue to passionately drive change despite the ups and downs of support.

Presenter: Denise Francis

Denise currently serves as the President / Treasurer of the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS). Denise is a founding GBHS board member and has also served as Secretary, Chair of the Programming Committee and on the Building Committee.

Denise was raised in Guelph and graduated from the University of Guelph. A long-term employee of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board she is currently the Safety Specialist in the Human Resource Services Department.

A proud Jamaican-Canadian, with a passion for history and education, Denise is looking forward to the end of the Covid-19 crisis so she can continue her travels to learn more about Black history in Canada and abroad.

Presenter: Kween

Thadinadonnih (Guelph) born and raised, University of Guelph Alumni, Valedictorian from the Randolph Academy for Performing Arts, Kween is a Black settler living out her passions. She is a dancer, teacher, actor, choreographer, director, producer, advocate, curator, marketing/social media guru, TedX International Speaker and co-contributing Author to 100 Women of Inspiration and The Stage Light Flickers.

Kween is the CEO and owner of The Kween Company and Co-owns The Heels Academy. Kween is the leader of Solidarity March in Support of BLM in 2020 and the Executive Director and Social Justice Initiatives Coordinator for Guelph Black Heritage Society. Kween is also host and community producer on Rogerstv Channel 20 with “Diverse and Converse”, a BIPOC panel discussion.

Kween held a Residency with Guelph Dance in 2020/2021, currently holds the title Woman of the Year 2020, nominee for RBC Women of Influence 2021, and nominee for Women of Inspiration 2021.

Groceries from the Seed

Groceries from The SEED is The SEED’s latest social enterprise, and Canada’s first pay-what-you-choose online grocery store. With powerful community support, this innovative model launched in April, 2021 and is already having a positive impact on local food security.

The SEED’s goal is for everyone to have enough healthy food. We believe Groceries from The SEED can be a hopeful and sustainable part of the long-term solution.

Join Maddie to discuss our story and impact so far… plus, learn how to engage! It takes a community to feed a community.

Presenter: Madeline (Maddie) Barber

Madeline (Maddie) Barber has been the Community Resources Coordinator for The SEED project at the Guelph Community Health Centre since 2017. She currently leads The SEED’s communications and outreach, youth and volunteer programs, and community fundraising efforts.

With an academic background in Community Economic Development and many years’ experience in various parts of the food industry, Maddie remains most interested in economic and social innovation- especially within local food systems.

A Story from Older Adults about Hope, Purpose and Belonging

Learn from the lived experiences of older adults - how they continually experience hope, purpose and belonging throughout the COVID 19 pandemic. Older adults will share how partnering with leaders of the Waterloo Wellington Older Adult Strategy, local and provincial leaders, provided them with a voice during very challenging and isolating times.

Group Presentation

The session will be presented by Jane McKinnon Wilson, Helen Edwards, Kay Ayres, and Joanne Weiler

Break-out 2 - Overview of Learning Sessions

Using Business as a Force for Good

If you know what a B Corporation is, then you know the title of this session has been taken directly from their playbook. This session will highlight how becoming a B Corporation unknowingly saved our business and set us up for future growth post-pandemic. You will learn the importance of why people and community matter most, while providing you with some key takeaways to implement in your profession and help show that using business as a force for good is good for business.

Presenter: Court Desautels

Court Desautels is the President & CEO of the Neighbourhood Group of Companies, a Certified B Corporation that operates 4 restaurant brands called The Wooly Pub, Borealis Grille & Bar, Miijidaa Cafe + Bistro and Park Eatery. Court is an innovative leader who combines great food and service with environmental and social initiatives dedicated to helping guests, workers and surrounding communities.

Nothing About Us Without Us – How Inclusion Builds Resilience for an Organization and Individuals

At this session members of the Peer Advisory Committee (PAC) will share how the PAC supports the resilience of the community and individual PAC members, including how the PAC builds Resilience through Community Advocacy, through membership and for its individual members.

Presenters: Members of Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy's Peer Advisory Committee

Presenters represent the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy’s Peer Advisory Committee – a group of People With Lived Experience (PWLE) of substance use who currently work as Peer Workers within health and social service organizations in Guelph, providing Harm Reduction and Treatment Servicers.

Taking Action on Permanent Supportive Housing: Kindle's experience & how we can all play a role in ending homelessness

Kindle Communities is a Guelph based not non-profit working with community groups and members to ensure they have the right spaces when and where they are needed most. Driven by our mission, we are an experienced landlord and property manager that cares about building sustainable and community driven spaces. When the Mayors Task Force presented an opportunity for proponents to construct Permanent Supportive Housing Project that would help ensure everyone in our community has a safe and affordable place to call home, this proved a natural fit for our organization. This presentation will explore Kindle’s journey over the past 15 months developing Permanent Supportive Housing – how we built our team, our unique private/public partnership and business model and the importance of communication and advocacy.

Presenter: Leisha Burley

Leisha Burley is the Project Manager for Kindle Communities. She is a passionate and experienced leader in housing and homelessness. With over 15 years of leadership experience in the non-profit sector, her work focuses on building movements, shifting systems, and engaging community partners.

Presenter: Sheila Markle

Sheila Markle became CEO of Kindle Communities Inc. in April 2016. She is the Executive Director of Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County and has more than 25 years of experience in the child welfare sector and is an avid advocate for children, youth, and families.

Presenter: Dominica McPherson

Dominica McPherson is the Director of the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination. In this role, she involves key players from a wide range of sectors in working collaboratively to take local action and advocate for system and policy change to address the root causes of poverty. With over a decade of experience in community development and strategic advocacy, Dominica values work that is community driven, evidence-informed, and centers the voices of those most impacted.

Welcoming Streets Initiative - A Story about Partnerships and Inclusion

At this session you will learn about the Welcoming Streets Initiative, how multi-sectoral partnerships were essential in its development, and how the program has created opportunities for community building and inclusion for equity deserving individuals.

Presenter: Meg Dunning

Meg Dunning is the Membership & Community Manager for the Downtown Guelph Business Association. In this role, she represents and advocates on behalf of 500 business/property owners and collaborates with community partners to work towards a thriving, safe and welcoming Downtown. She is the program developer for Welcoming Streets Initiative and has over a decade of experience working in the Social Service and Business sectors.

Presenter: Jan Klotz

Jan Klotz is the Client Care Manager at the Guelph Community Health Centre. She is an experienced leader in developing programs that support individuals with complex issues, that face barriers in accessing health care. With almost 20 years of experience in the addictions and health sector, her work focuses on harm reduction approaches that ensure health care and supports are accessible to equity deserving individuals. She is a strong advocate for building communities that are healthy and inclusive for everyone.

Break-out 3 - Overview of Learning Sessions

The Grove: An example of how capacity building and working together can impact young people and build resilience in our community.

The Grove Hub Fergus is a consortium of organizations working together to provide the right services to the right youth in a timely and efficient matter. Modeled after Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, this network of over thirty community organizations has come together to provide local, direct access to employment, primary care, training, education, mental health and substance use services for youth. This session will address the how and why this model is working and making a positive impact in our community for the youth we serve.

Presenter: Cyndy Moffat Forsyth

Cyndy Moffat Forsyth is the inaugural Director for the Integrated Youth Services Network. She is responsible for bringing the vision to fruition by working collaboratively with the communities of Wellington County and Guelph.

Prior to joining this project Cyndy was the Homewood Research Institute’s first chief development officer. She was responsible for working with the Institute’s board and staff leadership to develop donor relationships and build community and philanthropic support for the Institute.

Before joining HRI, Cyndy served for almost a decade with the Huntington Society of Canada as the vice-president of development and marketing. Her work there included building a strong donor-centred organizational culture, establishing performance metrics and accountability processes, and expanding participation in Huntington-related clinical trials.

Previously, Cyndy held a number of positions in Kitchener and Guelph, starting her career at the University of Guelph including academic counselor, admissions counselor and general manager of the Conference Office. An active community volunteer, Cyndy was Chair of the board of directors for YMCA-YWCA of Guelph and is currently a member of the board of directors and chair of the Asset Development Committee for the Guelph Community Foundation.

Indigenous Health in Indigenous Hands

At this session, Rachel Radyk will explain what Indigenous health in Indigenous hands means. She will share an overview of the Southwest Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) and then talk about traditional healing as an essential part of integrated, wholistic health care.

Presenter: Rachel Radyk

Rachel Radyk is a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island and joined the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) team in February 2021. Rachel is a Registered Nurse and obtained her degree from Ontario Tech University and RPN diploma from Conestoga College. She holds a BA in communications from Carleton University. Rachel has been working as a Registered Practical Nurse since 2018. She has experience working in both the hospital and community settings. Rachel has a passion for Indigenous health and working within Indigenous communities. On Rachel’s spare time she presents webinars on various health topics to provide health teaching and health promotion to Indigenous populations.

Bereavement: It touches us all

Most of us are either uncomfortable or unprepared to address the subject of death. In this breakout session Jim Estill will speak to bereavement, how it affects us in the workplace and how we can adapt and grow in response to loss. When dealing with some of our most difficult moments we may learn that resilience is a skill to be cultivated.

Presenter: Jim Estill

Jim Estill, President & CEO, Danby Appliances

Danby Appliances is a niche manufacturer of specialty appliances, which manufactures and distributes over 2,000,000 appliances per year.

Jim is a Canadian technology entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist. He started his first computer distribution business from the trunk of his car while in university and grew that business to $2 Billion in sales.

Jim was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 for Ontario and has received both the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario.

Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition Values: Organizational Inclusion and Transformation

In this session the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition (GNSC) will discuss their process and actions in becoming a values-based and values-driven organization and how that has created opportunities for more voices and perspectives to evolve and strengthen their work. The GNSC currently works alongside 15 Neighbourhood Groups, 11 Service Organization Partners, dozens of community collaborators, and thousands of volunteers.

Presenters: GNSC Values Team representatives

Representatives from the GNSC Values Team will present this session.

Taking Action

Taking action to build a resilient community will take all of us. We need to do things tomorrow and we need to do things relentlessly across time to spark, nurture, support and lead transformational as well as incremental change. Here are some ideas about ways you can contribute to building a resilient community.

Learn

Read:

Looking Beyond Self-Help to Understand Resilience: An Interview with Michael Ungar

Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success

Secondary Effects of the Pandemic: The Vital Focus series examines the impacts of measures to control COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in our community.

A United Vision: Guelph's Community Plan: The Plan lays the foundation for a strong, welcoming and prosperous future for Guelph based on the voices of over 15,000 Guelph residents.

Guelph Black Heritage Society - Top 100 resources

Watch:

3 minutes: Prevent ACEs Now explains early childhood adversity and gives simple actions to support families and help make a better future for all children possible in their community.

4 minutes: We can prevent ACEs tells one person's story as an example of how a resilient community can make a difference.

5 minutes: Dr. Ungar on Building Community Resilience: Building Community Resilience with Dr. Michael Ungar
1 min 40 seconds: A short video to learn more about Louis Riel Day
7 minutes: Louis Riel Day - Images from Past Flag Raising Events

Listen:

18 minutes: Michael Ungar speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay on the Sunday Magazine about his research on the nature of resilience during the pandemic, and how it plays out differently depending on your community and generation.

Raise Awareness

Join the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Campaign to:
- support a welcoming community where everyone can access the housing they need free of discrimination
- encourage others to show their support for safe and affordable housing that meets community needs
- help to build the community support necessary to give elected officials the courage to do the right thing.
Guelph Black Heritage Society - #changestartsnow
- #ChangeStartsNow provides educational programming on Black history and culture as well as relevant resources on diversity, discrimination and anti-racism.

Volunteer

Volunteer or give your time to a cause that matters to you and is part of building a resilient community. Below are links to more information about volunteering to support one or more of the initiatives that were highlighted at Day 2 of the Community Resilience Summit:

Groceries from the Seed
Guelph Black Heritage Society
Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition
The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs
For more volunteer opportunities in Guelph & Wellington County

Donate

Donate to causes that build community resilience. Below are links to make it easy for you to donate to initiatives that were highlighted at Day 2 of the Community Resilience Summit:

Take Action

There a countless ways that you can take action to build a resilient community. Here are just a few ideas:

Use the lens of resilience to inform where you work, live, learn and play
Be a voice, champion, supporter of causes that matter
Create opportunities for people to connect and build community

Organize a neighbourhood gathering
Get to know your kids’ friends
Join or start a neighbourhood group

Explore decent work

Meeting links will be sent in a separate email to all registered participants. We recommend anyone attending Day 2 also attends Day 1 or watches the recorded webinar. The recording of Day 1 will be available for registered participants between November 10 and 20, 2021.