Our Community Engagement Vision

Centre Wellington is a community where open dialogue, respectful participation, and inclusive engagement help inform local decisions and strengthen the connection between community and local government.

Community Engagement is most meaningful when there is a genuine opportunity for the community to influence changes. The Township will engage when input can inform or shape outcomes and when participation adds value to both the community and the decision-making process.

Engagement must always be authentic, purposeful, and respectful of the community's time and the Township's responsibilities. Not every decision requires engagement - some may be administrative, time-sensitive, or already determined by legislation, policy, or safety needs.

Our Three Goals for Community Engagement

Goal One: Equitable, Inclusive and Barrier-Free Engagement

  • Guiding Principle - Equitable Participation

    We will actively seek out and include those affected by a project or decision, and design engagements to include those who are often marginalized or missing to ensure diverse people, perspectives and ideas are welcomed and considered in fair and responsive outcomes

  • Guiding Principle - Accessible

    We will share clear, timely information so everyone knows when, where, why and how to get involved. We will engage early and often, offering different ways for people to participate in whatever way works best for them.

Goal Two: Build Trust and Relationships with the Community

  • Guiding Principle - Transparent

    We will make commitments and clearly communicate how community input will be used. We will openly share information about the issue, the decision-making process and how decisions will be made.

  • Guiding Principle - Accountable

    We will follow through on our commitments and decisions by clearly explaining how and why they were made, and by reporting back to the community to demonstrate transparency and accountability.

  • Guiding Principle - Relational

    We will put people first, create connections, strengthen relationships, build community, acknowledge challenges and tensions, and encourage open and positive dialogue.

Goal Three: Continuous Improvement

  • Guiding Principle - Evaluate

    We will evaluate, learn and adapt our practice over time to improve engagement processes, strengthen trust and ensure we meet our community’s evolving needs. We will strengthen what works well and make improvements where needed.

  • Guiding Principle - Resource Commitment

    We will ensure that adequate resources, including dedicated staff time, sufficient budget, and necessary training/tools are allocated to community engagement, to sustainably meet our commitments to quality engagement.