Whitchurch-Stouffville launches new community engagement tool 'Come Together'

The new online platform allows residents, business owners and visitors to share their ideas with council, municipal staff and other members of the community

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 28, 2019
Simon Martin

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville has launched a community engagement website called Come Together Whitchurch-Stouffville.

It's a new community engagement tool that allows residents, business owners and visitors to share their ideas with council, municipal staff and other members of the community.

The new online platform, cometogetherws.ca, was launched in the middle of September and has already been used for public consultations.

“Come Together has already proved to be a valuable asset,” corporate communications officer Glenn Jackson said. “It creates a unified space for citizens to offer their opinions, take surveys and ask questions. That is something we have focused on improving the past few months and we are very pleased with reception so far.”

“Better citizen engagement leads to better, more sustainable decision-making,” Mayor Iain Lovatt said. “We are always striving for innovative ways to help the community become more involved and Come Together does just that -- brings the community together.”

The new platform -- developed by industry leaders, Bang The Table -- was made to keep residents informed and engaged while on-the-go according to Jackson.

“Come Together provides a place to access latest updates about ongoing local projects and public meetings, provide staff with insights that will have an impact on decision-making and create opportunities for residents to interact with each other,” he said.

The platform incorporates numerous ways the public can engage with the town -- including open discussions or one-on-ones with staff.

“It provides various types of collaborative consultation, including the use of polls, surveys, online forums, idea-sharing mechanisms, Q-and-A postings, image sharing and more,” Jackson said. “It helps community members provide constructive feedback and share positive ideas, solutions and opportunities.”

The new platform strengthens the town’s customer service and engagement, an area that council identified in their new strategic plan as a top priority.

“Online engagement drives inclusive, transparent and measurable community input,” Lovatt said. “We want to empower our residents to be active participants in shaping projects and initiatives that will impact the future of Whitchurch-Stouffville."

Residents, businesses owners and visitors can register, and participate in the discussions, by visiting cometogetherws.ca.