Chatham-Kent was showcased this week at a conference in Toronto of community health professionals from across Canada.
Participants said that Chatham-Kent’s Community Leaders’ Cabinet is a unique model that should be imitated in communities across all of Canada.
The Chatham-Kent Community Leaders’ Cabinet (CKCLC), a group made of up leaders from business, government and volunteer sectors, made the presentation on Wednesday at the Ontario Public Health Convention (TOPHC). The theme for the conference was “Knowledge to Action”, providing an opportunity to highlight how all sectors can work together in Chatham-Kent to improve quality of life. The group presented its work in championing CK Counts – an initiative that measures indicators of quality of life, and CK Recognizes – an initiative that celebrates the accomplishments of residents who enhance our quality of life.
The Chatham-Kent delegation included:
· Mayor Randy Hope – Municipality of Chatham-Kent
· Gary Switzer – CEO Erie St. Clair LHIN
· Dr. April Rietdyk, Director of Chatham-Kent Public Health
· Karen Kirkwood-Whyte – CEO Chatham-Kent United Way
· Karen Loney – Health Educator, Municipality of CK
The Chatham-Kent Community Leaders’ Cabinet says that, if quality of life is to be changed, it is critical to engage the community as part of the solution and to champion and recognize the great work that is already occurring. In Chatham-Kent, the cabinet has proven to be an innovative way to bring sectors together in building a community that deliberately plans, develops and champions a better quality of life for all.
