As part of the way boards build their budgets for next year, they are focused on feedback from their communities that will help form their strategic plans, initiatives and in the case of OPP Detachment Boards, their Local Action Plans.
Boards across Ontario say they want community input. But when the room is angry, the survey is ignored, or the feedback is uncomfortable… many retreat.
This new series is about showing up anyway.
We’re launching a set of short, real-world, lesson-rooted posts that challenge boards to rethink how they engage. Each one will offer a relevant takeaway and a practical task boards can act on immediately.
Because public trust isn’t built through notice, it’s built through courage, clarity, and connection.
First up: Why minimum notice isn’t enough and what boards can do to invite real dialogue.
Boards are required to notify the public. But posting a meeting date on a website isn’t engagement, it’s a formality.
If your board is relying on municipal bulletins, static web pages, or a single media ad, you’re not inviting dialogue. You’re checking a box.
And when the room is empty, the issue isn’t apathy, it’s access.
Here’s a real-world task for boards:
Audit your last three public notices and ask yourself:
• Who saw them?
• Who didn’t?
• What would it take to reach the people you haven’t heard from?
Because if your community doesn’t know you’re listening, they won’t speak.
Stay tuned to this series for some thought-provoking questions boards can ask, tips to improve their engagement and tools that may help them get there!
Community Engagement IS Governance
