The Social Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) advises Council on matters relating to social planning and the social needs, social well-being and social development of the community.
The Social Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) advises Council on matters relating to social planning and the social needs, social well-being and social development of the community. How we plan our cities and neighbourhoods affects the health and well-being of individuals and community in the following ways:
Our ability to get around
Where and in what type of housing we live
What food we have access to
Access to income
How much and what kind of green space we can play and rest in
How safe, connected and included we feel in our neighbourhoods
Engagement and sense of belonging
Meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of every second month at 6:00 pm in the Blaney Room, City Hall, 11995 Haney Place.
All regular meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in appearing at a meeting as a delegation please email the Committee Clerk. Please include in your email your presentation topic and the date you would like to appear.
Agendas are available prior to meetings. Minutes are available upon approval.
The Social Policy Advisory Committee is uniquely designed to provide a variety of perspectives and a broad based approach to community planning. The Committee will be made up of the following members:
Voting Members:
One Council liaison (or alternate)
One School District No. 42 (or alternate)
One Fraser Health representative (or alternate)
One Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Community Network representative (or alternate)
One Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Seniors Network representative (or alternate)
Four Members at Large appointed by Council, with the goal of representation from youth, senior, and business communities and interest and/or expertise in social policy matters
Standing Invitation Members (non-voting):
Ridge Meadows RCMP representative
Two additional members nominated by Fraser Health, representing different streams of the organization
Opioid overdose response - social policy engagement workshop
Dr. Ingrid Tyler, Medical Health Officer, made a presentation at the January 30, 2018 Social Policy Engagement Workshop. A synopsis of the questions and answers following the presentations can be found in the Workshop notes.
ICM Team Presentation to Social Policy Advisory Committee
Catharine Hume, Co-Executive Director of Rain City Housing, made a presentation at the May 3, 2017 Social Policy Advisory Committee meeting. Ms. Hume provided information on the Integrated Case Management (ICM) Team for Maple Ridge.
Cooperative Efforts
The Social Policy Advisory Committee focuses on improving the social well-being of the community by building community capacity through social services network development, community solutions initiatives, community building initiatives and by encouraging socially sustainable practices for current and future citizens. By creating an opportunity for dialogue between council and local service providers, agencies and other levels of government a collaborative approach to meeting the needs of the community is strengthened. Information is shared, needs or gaps in services are identified and resources and action plans are developed through collaboration.
Maple Ridge Youth Strategy & Youth Development Wheel
As one of the fastest growing municipalities in the region, the City has a high proportion of youth who face a challenging and ever-changing world. To help support the positive physical, social and psychological development of our youth (12-18 years) and emerging adults (19-24), the City, with support from community partners, has developed a Youth Strategy & Youth Development Wheel.
This highly collaborative process involved over 1,000 local youth, emerging adults, parents/caregivers, and service providers through a series of surveys, interviews, workshops, focus groups, and Youth and Adult working groups. This input, along with best practice research and principles for youth development, was used to develop a number of recommendations to enhance support for youth and emerging adults, improve working partnerships between youth, caregivers and service providers, and create pathways to ensure that youth are seen as partners in their own future.
These recommendations have been organized into four major theme areas:
Making Maple Ridge a place where youth can thrive is a shared responsibility of our whole community. Developing the Youth Strategy is the first step of many on this journey – this community-owned plan will require continued communication, collaboration and action by many partners. The City's role in implementing the recommendations will include a range of leading initiatives, partnering with other organizations, and advocating to influence decisions and policy at more senior levels of government. City staff will work closely with partners and other agencies to develop a framework to implement the Strategy over several years. Together, we can create an even stronger network to support, engage, and empower the younger members of our society.
For questions or more information regarding the Youth Strategy or Youth Development Wheel, please email Youth Services.
