About the Aylmer-Elgin-St. Thomas CSWB Plan

The County of Elgin, the City of St. Thomas and the Town of Aylmer chose to take a collaborative approach to CSWB planning, developing a joint plan for the entire area. Through the guidance of a Coordinating Committee and input from an Advisory Committee of local community organizations, a plan has been formalized that recognizes the important leadership role that municipalities play in identifying local priority risks in the community and addressing these risks through evidence-based programs and strategies, focusing on social development, prevention and risk intervention.

The initial CSWB Plan is a three (3) year plan. There are many elements that contribute to community safety and well-being and therefore it was important to identify areas of focus to ensure that the Plan is achievable. The Advisory Committee used local data and feedback from community engagement to identify five (5) areas of focus of the Plan:

1. Education and Skills Development
2. Housing Security
3. Mental Health and Well-Being
4. Public Safety
5. Substance Use and Addiction

In order to implement strategies and actions within these focus areas, a structure was developed that leverages existing planning tables in Aylmer-Elgin-St. Thomas. An Action Table has been identified for each priority area and the work of each table will be connected through the establishment of an Integration Table. The Integration Table will consist of the Chairs of each Action Table, the Mayor of the City of St. Thomas, the Warden of Elgin County, the Local Member of Provincial Parliament, and the CAOs of Elgin County and St. Thomas. The Integration Table will ensure a coordinated and collaborative approach across the five (5) priority areas.