Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 21, 2007

CORAL HARBOUR - Coral Harbour is one of 26 sites across Canada to be involved in a project aimed at improving community services for children and families.

Communities Achieving Responsive Services coordinator Carol Gott addresses a meeting in Coral Harbour as daycare manager Geraldine Emiktowt and interpreter Ikkummak Ivvaluajuk, right, help the proceedings along earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Jane Wilson

There are two communities in each province and territory involved with the project, with Iqaluit joining Coral Harbour in Nunavut.

Project specialists Jane Wilson and Carol Gott were in Coral earlier this month to introduce the Communities Achieving Responsive Services (CARS) project.

Wilson said CARS is a development process that evolves from what people see as being needed by children and families in their community.

She said the program is about communities building partnerships with governments at all levels, service providers, organizations and parents, who are the main service users.

"It's all about building partnerships and developing a community vision and action plan," said Wilson.

"The project lasts for three years so we can work through the entire process.

"Both Carol (Gott) and I come from very small rural communities and we've both developed multi-faceted programs in our communities, but it took time.

"You have to prove yourself in rural communities before they embrace you."

CARS is funded by the Lawson Foundation, a private foundation with a national interest in early-childhood development.

The program is an opportunity for individuals to build the skills and capacity needed to bring a community together to create and work towards a common vision.

In short, CARS helps people identify what they want their community to look like.

It then helps the resources already in place to work together to improve services by achieving the community's goals.

Wilson said CARS is a training project and there will be people trained in each of the 26 sites to help facilitate community development.

She and Gott will come to Coral periodically as mentors, if there are issues people need help with.

"Being from a small rural community, I know they tend to be quite close and don't always trust people from away," said Wilson.

"That's why we try so hard to get local people to work with their community because they know the issues and the people involved.

"We know the process we've gone through in our community, but we don't know the issues in Coral Harbour and the nuances of that community."

Wilson and Gott met with about 15 community representatives at Coral's hamlet office and about 20 residents at the community centre.

Wilson said there were issues raised and questions asked at both meetings.

"We don't go in and pick an issue, rather, we give the community the tools and ability to call local meetings and decide what they want to work on.

"We had a few names put forward of people who may be interested in doing the training, so we're hoping to return to Coral during the first week of December to see how that's coming along."

CARS training is done mostly by teleconference, with material sent out electronically.

Wilson said the whole idea behind having 26 communities involved is so they can network together and mentor each other.

"The teleconferences will have question, answer and discussion time following the training modules so they can learn from each other.

"Any community can benefit from school, health and child-care programs pooling their staff and resources to accomplish more.

"The first step is to get parents involved and speaking out for they want in Coral."

Wilson said the needs of all children across Canada are very similar.

She said kids need love, clothing and food to grow up healthy and happy.

"If we can help create that type of environment for the children of Coral Harbour, the parents win, the children win and Coral wins.

"We need to hear parents say this is my dream for my children in Coral.

"This is what I want my kids to be able to see, have or do."

Wilson said CARS is totally assets-based.

She said Coral has definite assets and it would be a huge success for the hamlet if they can be built upon during the next three years.

"We're community people, not government people.

"Our small rural communities built a full range of community services through participation and partnership.

"We want Coral to achieve that same success."