By Adonis Huggins

Adonis is a Community Journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

The Regent Park Executive Directors Network, commonly referred as the ED Network, is a network consisting of senior decision-makers of organizations serving the Regent Park neighbourhood. Generally, the network meets monthly to share information, advocate on issues and coordinate delivery service to the Regent Park area. The ED network is also an opportunity to invite guests and hear from speakers that can help better inform the network of the issues they are concerned about.

On Monday February 13, 2023, the Executive Directors Network held their first meeting of the year. The meeting was facilitated by Greg Gary, the chair of the network representing Kiwanis K-Club and Leah Katerberg, co-chair representing Young Street Mission. The guest speakers for the meeting were City of Toronto staff members, Richard Kirwan, the Community Development Officer for the Downtown East and Daniella Castello, the City’s Community Development Worker serving the SDP and the Regent Park Neighbourhood.

Richard began the presentation with a brief review of the various City investments dedicated to Regent Park.

After the presentation, Greg Gary invited Richard and Daniella to provide more information to ED members on the SDP. Daniella gave a little background and structure on the SDP for members. Following this information, Greg Gary opened the meeting for questions and comments.

Several agency representatives indicated their interest in better understanding the SDP and seeing an organizational structure of the SDP as well as knowing who the working group chairs are and their contacts. Related to Richard request for staff support for the SDP, Adonis Huggins, the Executive Director of Focus Media Arts Centre, reminded the network that resident co-chairs from the SDP had made similar requests to the ED network before. Adonis also identified two areas of support priorities that he would like to see ED network to be involved in – namely supporting the SDP in strategic planning (which was an ask from the SDP itself) and conflict mediation, an area that the SDP seems to be struggling with. Here Adonis reminded members that the ED Network was very successful in leading a conflict mediation between RPNA and TCHC related to community benefits. Related to the request for staff support, Adonis also reminded agencies that it is not necessarily just resourcing staff to help the SDP, but also how their mission and objectives as agencies could be achieved through involvement in the SDP.

A final discussion was related to comments Richard made about Regent Park vs the SDP. According to Richard, the City sees the SDP as all of Regent Park, while the SDP members see the SDP pertaining to only the members and structures connected to the SDP network itself. Richard acknowledges that the City’s view defers from the SDP view.(40 mins).

After thanking Richard and Daniella for their presentation, the ED Network commenced their work on reviewing their annual priorities. The four major priorities the ED Network identified for 2023 are supporting the SDP and Community Engagement, Network Coordination, Advocacy and Service Coordination. Members divided into two separate break-off groups to work on Network Coordination and Advocacy. Recommended action items from those involved in Network Coordination are 1) more work in committees and possibility meeting less as a whole group 2) more information sharing through communications platforms namely Hello Neighbour App and Regent Park TV 3) coordinating events for residents on particular services offered by agency members and 4) identifying a staff resource to support the ED network.

Action from the Advocacy group was to 1) revisit the terms of reference 2) identify the key issues the ED network is concerned about and exploring how they can find legitimacy among stakeholders related to the issues 3) as well as doing more work in committees.

The meeting concluded with a brief discussion on the SDP and Greg Gary relating some of his personal experiences and challenges that he has had as the agency co-chair representing the ED Network on the SDP.

Next meeting the group will review the terms of reference and how it aligns with the four priority areas.