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Social, environmental, political, economic, and physical factors combine to support the development and maintenance of healthy resilient communities. Community resiliency is the ongoing ability of a community to work together, to identify their strengths and challenges, to mobilize their assets, and to work collectively to achieve their vision.

Community agencies and educational institutions working together contribute to healthy resilient community.  This Conference encourages participants to explore a wide range of issues related to research, curriculum design, and assessment of impact upon community partners, institutional support, community connections and partnerships, student development, and faculty or community partner motivation and development, with the goal of providing participants with perspectives of how we can facilitate healthy resilient communities. The conference focus will be to share research,  successes, and ideas for collaboration through multiple methods. We encourage joint academic/community submissions.

We welcome your proposal, which should be submitted by e-mail to Victoria Calvert, Program Co-Chair, at VCalvert@mtroyal.ca. Your proposal or abstract should include:

1. Presenter information (names, titles, organization or institution, e-mail addresses, phone number)
2. Selected format of presentation (oral presentation, poster, storytelling circle, workshop, consultation or other)
3. Proposal or abstract (not to exceed 300 words)

Deadline for submission of proposals: February 28, 2014

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM ET

Join Speakers:

Marc Maracle (Executive Director, Gignul Non-profit Housing Corporation)
Maynard Sontag (General Manager, Silver Sage Housing Corporation)

In a discussion on Aboriginal housing issues and solutions….

Non-profit Aboriginal housing providers across Canada are both managing older social housing stock and developing new affordable housing in an effort to redress the housing gaps between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal people, and to ensure culturally appropriate housing options remain available. You will hear from two Aboriginal housing providers, one from Regina and the other in Ottawa, who will share the challenges they face as their social housing stock ages, and as to how and with what approaches they have developed new affordable housing properties for the Aboriginal community.

More information and to register.

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM ET

Join Speakers:

Donelda Laing (Community Social Development Manager, City of Grande Prairie)
Rob Gartner (Chief Operating Officer, Habitat for Humanity Regina)

In a discussion on Affordable Homeownership...

Affordable homeownership is being pushed out of reach for many Canadians in communities where resource development is driving a ‘boom’ economy. While economic growth brings prosperity, job creation and a rise in population to a region, increased demand for housing can cause property values to rise, leading to higher housing costs.

We’ll hear how two boom communities – Regina and Grande Prairie – are responding with initiatives that make homeownership more affordable and attainable.

More information and to register.

5:30 pm to 7:00 pm

MaRS, Auditorium
101 College Street
Toronto, ON

Around the world, societies are faced with complex challenges that require systems change. How do we develop solutions to address these challenges? Increasingly, labs – or dedicated experimental spaces – are helping to organize social innovation by bringing together multiple stakeholders to develop, test and scale new solutions. For 10 years, Joeri van den Steenhoven was CEO of Knowledgeland, one of the leading change labs in the Netherlands and Europe, where he helped to build capacity for this type of solutions seeking.

In April 2013, Joeri was named the first Director of the MaRS Solutions Lab. This new lab will tackle some of Canada’s toughest problems, including chronic disease, youth unemployment and unsustainable food systems. During this Global Leadership event, Joeri will share his perspective on systems change and why it is necessary, and discuss the strategy for the MaRS Solutions Lab and how it will work to bring about the change required.

Register now

9:00am - 11:30am

Please join us at one of six regional community roundtables to have your say in contributing to a vibrant Social Enterprise Sector in Ontario.

Pillar Nonprofit Network, with the support of Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment (MEDTE) will be hosting regional roundtables to gather information from social enterprise practitioners, intermediaries, investors and anyone else who is interested in both the nonprofit and for profit side of social business. This information will be used to report on pressing issues for the sector, including identifying  administrative and regulatory  burdens that may be preventing social enterprises from starting up and scaling up. The following points are the objectives of this process:

1. To better understand the social enterprise sector and its priorities and have a coordinated approach
2. To canvass the sector and  agree upon the issues that should be raised
3. To identify priorities that meet the Open for Business (OFB) Roundtable criteria and set stage for official OFB Roundtable process*  
4. To share knowledge, share solutions and have transparent exchanges

*The top priorities will be put forward to government in a formal OFB process. OFB roundtable criteria include zero cost to government, no new legislation and feasible within 60 days.

We’d love you to join us **with your laptop, tablet or smartphone** and be a part of this conversation to make our province a leader in social enterprise development. It is a great opportunity to engage and have your say.

Register Now

9:00am - 11:30am

Please join us at one of six regional community roundtables to have your say in contributing to a vibrant Social Enterprise Sector in Ontario.

Pillar Nonprofit Network, with the support of Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment (MEDTE) will be hosting regional roundtables to gather information from social enterprise practitioners, intermediaries, investors and anyone else who is interested in both the nonprofit and for profit side of social business. This information will be used to report on pressing issues for the sector, including identifying  administrative and regulatory  burdens that may be preventing social enterprises from starting up and scaling up. The following points are the objectives of this process:

1. To better understand the social enterprise sector and its priorities and have a coordinated approach
2. To canvass the sector and  agree upon the issues that should be raised
3. To identify priorities that meet the Open for Business (OFB) Roundtable criteria and set stage for official OFB Roundtable process*  
4. To share knowledge, share solutions and have transparent exchanges

*The top priorities will be put forward to government in a formal OFB process. OFB roundtable criteria include zero cost to government, no new legislation and feasible within 60 days.

We’d love you to join us **with your laptop, tablet or smartphone** and be a part of this conversation to make our province a leader in social enterprise development. It is a great opportunity to engage and have your say.

Register Now