Portage la Prairie city councillor Colin Doyle, who chairs the Public Safety committee, says work is well underway on a community safety and well-being plan. The city has been collaborating with the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities for nearly two years, with funding support from the province. Building a foundation for safety The plan is designed to address root causes of social issues while building partnerships among government, emergency services, social service providers, and community members. Doyle says the goal is to shift away from reacting only to crises. “We need proactive rather than reactive measures for sure,” Doyle notes. He explains that the city gathered feedback through a lengthy survey process, which guided further engagement with groups and individuals across the community. That feedback has shaped the direction of the plan and emphasized the importance of community ownership. “When someone feels a purpose, they take ownership of that, and with ownership comes more of a sense of pride in your community,” Doyle says. Preventing people from falling through the cracks The broader vision is to establish a framework that keeps people from slipping through unnoticed. Doyle adds that while critical incidents will always need attention, the foundation of this plan is to meet people where they are and prevent issues before they escalate. “This plan is a blueprint to catch people from falling through the cracks and helping them at a preventative level as opposed to a reactive level,” Doyle says. Timeline and next steps The project is now in stage three of development. Doyle says the plan is expected to be wrapped up by the end of the year, with a full presentation in the early new year. Monthly or bi-monthly meetings continue over Microsoft Teams or Zoom as participants fine-tune the details. “We will present it to everyone who’s involved for the managing tweaks, and then we’ll present it to the city,” Doyle adds. Importance of community feedback The process has taken time, Doyle admits, but he stresses that community engagement was essential. Collecting and analyzing local data made sure the plan would reflect real needs rather than top-down ideas. “It’s easy for a group of individuals to sit in a room and come up with a plan when it really doesn’t apply to a lot of the people in the room,” Doyle continues. “That’s why the community feedback was so important,” he says. Looking ahead While Doyle is eager to see the plan completed, he says he understands why the two-year timeline was necessary. He is hopeful the final product will make a difference in the city’s approach to safety and well-being. “I’m excited to finally see it roll out,” Doyle adds.