Improving safety and well-being in Sioux Lookout requires a collaborative approach that involves many community partners working together towards systems change that will benefit all residents of Sioux Lookout.
This Plan was developed with the support and contribution of multiple agencies and organizations in the Sioux Lookout community, with direct input from Sioux Lookout’s residents.
Known as the “Hub of the North”, Sioux Lookout is a unique community, as in addition to being home to its approximately 5,700 residents, it connects 31 remote northern communities to healthcare, essential services and to the rest of Ontario.
As the rich history of the region began over 5,000 years ago with the Anishinaabe peoples, the community of Sioux Lookout today find themselves immersed in the continuing efforts of Reconciliation between Canada and the Indigenous Peoples. Inherent in this is the recognition of the effects that continue to this day from colonial policies like the Indian Act and the Residential Schools. The people who live in Sioux Lookout are diverse, vibrant and progressive and are committed to strengthening Sioux Lookout to be a better community for all.
Sioux Lookout’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan consists of strategies and supporting actions that fall within the four levels of intervention – social development, prevention, risk intervention, and incident response. A combination of research, a review of existing data and community reports, and input from system leaders and community stakeholders was used to identify where to focus collaborative efforts for the Sioux Lookout CSWB Plan. Through this process, six priority areas of focus were selected:
- Appropriate and affordable housing
- Mental wellness
- Substance misuse and addictions
- Crisis Services’ capacity for incident response and de-escalation
- Employee recruitment and retention
- Community cohesiveness and vibrancy
The CSWB Plan is meant to be a living document and should be updated as we move forward with our partners and stakeholders.
The Plan itself will be important for shared strategic planning between community partners of the Plan and informing the community at large of the way forward. In addition, it is acknowledged that targeted financial resource commitments from senior levels of government will need necessary to see the Plan’s goals to fruition.
Collectively, should the CSWB Plan be a successful living document, it will serve to assist in improving the coordination of services, collaboration, information sharing, advocacy and partnerships among local government, agencies, and organizations, and ultimately improving the quality of life for Sioux Lookout’s residents.