Doing Business Differently
Promote the values and implement the strategies that foster economic prosperity in Niagara.
- Niagara's performance can be improved by changing the way Niagara Region does business. Continuous improvement has now been embedded in much of the organization within its programs and services
Focused Projects
-
Niagara Week is Every Week
- Hiring government relations role enabling consistent advocacy support
- Collaboration with local area municipalities on submission to federal review of the St. Lawrence Seaway
- Annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario delegations to further Niagara's interests at provincial level
- Established relationships with new provincial government, premier and cabinet at 2018 AMO Conference
- Develop coordinated Niagara government relations plan with local partners
Objective
Niagara Week is Every Week focuses on fostering strong relationships between the Region and its senior government partners. Through the addition of a government and stakeholder relations consultant, engagement at the provincial and federal levels continues with the full participation of Niagara's local area municipalities in order to advance Niagara's economic prosperity.
Impact and Outcomes
Recommendations and Next Steps
The Region will continue to seek new opportunities to develop local strategies of having provincial cabinet visit Niagara businesses and community partners, bringing Queen's Park to Niagara.
-
Long-term care homes alternative service delivery
- Site selection for two campuses has been completed
- Successful Ministry of Health and Long-term Care application for additional beds to optimize resident home area size
- Preliminary master development site plan activities initiated
Objective
To redevelop long-term care homes in an efficient and effective manner factoring in capital and operating efficiency, and client and community service needs.
Impact and Outcomes
Given the aging population in Niagara, there is significant pressure on the availability of long-term care beds. The underlying premise of the Long-term Care Campus is to create hubs of service for seniors, their families and the broader family in the redevelopment location.
As a result of the work of this task force the following impacts have been achieved:
Recommendations and Next Steps
Continued progress on the redevelopment of two long-term care homes in St. Catharines and Fort Erie are ongoing as the homes will each be redeveloped as part of a community hub.
Next steps will include a master development site plan with activities for both sites. Senior Services will continue to explore optimal redevelopment opportunities to support a strategic long range redevelopment plan for all long-term care homes and seniors services in Niagara.
-
Social housing alternative service delivery
- Property management
- Service manager roles
- Financial sustainability
- Housing portfolio mix
- Wait list reduction
- Market development strategies
- Transferring the housing programs division of Niagara Regional Housing to Community Services
- Niagara Regional Housing should develop a formal portfolio plan based on current client / demographic needs
- Implement wait list measures such as asset testing, review local priorities and implement an alternative technology system to manage the waitlist
- Consider market development strategies such as engaging non-profit sector, stable levy funding, directed surplus funding, incentive programs, secondary unit options and assess the viability of public-private partnership models
Objective
To reduce the affordable housing challenge in Niagara, the project was to prepare a study that identifies investment opportunities, asset management strategies and organizational change initiatives to improve the governance and delivery of social housing in Niagara.
Impact and Outcomes
Development of recommendations for the following themes:
Recommendations and Next Steps
Council has requested a 90 day report on the ability, impact, risks and challenges of implementing the consultant's recommendations to be delivered in July 2018. Consultant's recommendations include:
© Niagara Region - 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON, L2V 4T7 - Phone: 905-980-6000, Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215
