Community Engagement Framework and Policy update

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Consultation has concluded

Help us make Guelph the most engaged community in Canada

We want diverse voices to participate regularly in local government decisions. To do this we know we must get better at:

  • Creating safer spaces for more diverse voices
  • Reducing barriers to participation
  • Meeting people where they are

And we need to get better at using community wisdom to shape decisions for both short-term projects and the ones that affect future generations.

What is the Community Engagement Framework and Policy?

The Policy and Framework are documents that guide City staff on its approach to engaging the community on decisions that affect you. These documents influence how City staff think about, design, and deliver community engagement, and ultimately, how your voice is reflected in City decisions, policies, systems, programs, and services

First approved in 2013, the current Community Engagement Policy and Community Engagement Framework (last revised in 2015) are due for an update.

How you can get involved

If you need any information material or process in an alternate accessible format please contact the project manager.

On June 6, the findings from the review of the City’s Community Engagement Framework, Policy and practices will be shared with Council, along with draft components of a modernized Framework for Council’s approval.

The review found that the community’s vision for community engagement was very much in line with the aspiration of the original 2013 framework (revised in 2015), but that there was work to be done in closing the gap between where we are today, and that vision. Details from the review are outlined in the staff report for the June 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.

The staff report to Council is also available on guelph.ca/agenda. The staff report begins on page 104 of the council agenda. Appended to the staff report are several attachments that represent this body of work:

Help us make Guelph the most engaged community in Canada

We want diverse voices to participate regularly in local government decisions. To do this we know we must get better at:

  • Creating safer spaces for more diverse voices
  • Reducing barriers to participation
  • Meeting people where they are

And we need to get better at using community wisdom to shape decisions for both short-term projects and the ones that affect future generations.

What is the Community Engagement Framework and Policy?

The Policy and Framework are documents that guide City staff on its approach to engaging the community on decisions that affect you. These documents influence how City staff think about, design, and deliver community engagement, and ultimately, how your voice is reflected in City decisions, policies, systems, programs, and services

First approved in 2013, the current Community Engagement Policy and Community Engagement Framework (last revised in 2015) are due for an update.

How you can get involved

If you need any information material or process in an alternate accessible format please contact the project manager.

On June 6, the findings from the review of the City’s Community Engagement Framework, Policy and practices will be shared with Council, along with draft components of a modernized Framework for Council’s approval.

The review found that the community’s vision for community engagement was very much in line with the aspiration of the original 2013 framework (revised in 2015), but that there was work to be done in closing the gap between where we are today, and that vision. Details from the review are outlined in the staff report for the June 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.

The staff report to Council is also available on guelph.ca/agenda. The staff report begins on page 104 of the council agenda. Appended to the staff report are several attachments that represent this body of work:

Your stories

Tell us about a time when you participated in engagement and felt heard by the City of Guelph. 

Or tell us about when you didn't feel heard. How can we, in our role to hear your voices, increase positive experiences and feelings?   

Do you have an example you can share from another organization that we could learn from? 

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
  • Share Development in the City on Facebook Share Development in the City on Twitter Share Development in the City on Linkedin Email Development in the City link

    Development in the City

    by prk, over 1 year ago
    The city's form and functioning is rapidly changing with all of the intensification projects underway. There are many government initiatives taking place that are undermining community conversations on specific development sites. The province's Bill 109/23 are mandating less public say on development, (e.g., tight review timelines), in a move they call streamlining 'red tape', (i.e., getting rid of public consultation that is labelled now by Minister Clark as BANANA - a term beyond NIMBY).


    In addition to the Province's direction, the City is also working to 'streamline' development activity to pre-zoning development sites to the maximum permissive levels of activity... Continue reading