The Belleville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Centre for Healthy Communities (CFHC) at Loyalist College, has launched a province-wide research study to help identify unique initiatives taking place to support community safety across Ontario’s small and mid-sized cities.
Over the past year, the Belleville Chamber has worked closely with other chambers of commerce across Ontario to address the growing community safety challenges faced by businesses, organizations, and residents typically identified with the growing mental health & addictions crisis. The project will help identify both funded and unfunded initiatives currently being undertaken to address these challenges and will provide data to support advocacy and policy recommendations through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce at Queen’s Park.
“This study represents an important step toward understanding the work, actions and initiatives our members, community partners and individuals are shouldering as they adapt to evolving safety challenges,” said Jill Raycroft, CEO of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. “We know these issues are not unique to Belleville, and we are proud to collaborate with Loyalist College and chambers across Ontario to ensure our collective voice is heard. We stepped in with other chambers following the state of emergency declaration here in 2024 and look forward to sharing this work with the Mayor’s Task Force.”
“The goal of the Mayor’s Task Force is to bring together key community partners to address the immediate challenges and underlying causes of addiction, mental health and homelessness,” stated Mayor Neil Ellis. “The leadership and resources of the Chamber of Commerce will be vital in developing an action plan that best supports our community, and the insights gathered from this study will be instrumental in achieving our objectives. I commend the Chamber for their initiative and look forward to collaborating closely with them on these crucial issues.”
This research initiative is being led by Loyalist College’s Centre for Healthy Communities, in collaboration with chambers of commerce representing several Ontario municipalities. The findings will inform future advocacy efforts to support community resilience, safety, and well-being.
The Chamber invites local businesses, organizations, associations, and individuals to participate in this research by completing a short online survey conducted by Loyalist College’s Centre for Healthy Communities. Participation is voluntary, and responses will remain strictly confidential.
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/r/0VhuZrN12r
The survey will remain open until October 31.
