The Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan for Greater Miramichi seeks to engage key partners, organizations, and residents to co-design a shared vision and plan to address community safety issues facing the region. The CSWB Plan will be developed over the next 18 months through collaboration and community engagement. Once finalized, the Plan will seek to address the risk and protective factors underlying crime, vulnerability, and harm in the region.

The CSWB Plan will identify opportunities for municipalities, local organizations, and community members to take a leadership role in making the community safer and improving well-being for all. Moreover, the CSWB Plan will be solution-focused and encompass an intentional, balanced, and practical approach to community safety and well-being. This requires a collective approach to multiple complex issues, such as increasing social challenges, inadequate housing supply and homelessness, poverty, inequality, addictions, mental and physical health challenges, criminal activity, victimization, and other factors.

While community safety and well-being plans are future-oriented and aspirational, they also set concrete goals and seek to challenge the status quo and overcome barriers to more effective community-based solutions. An important aspect of the completed plan will be measuring results and adjusting our actions where necessary. Ongoing communication with the public about these efforts will serve to increase civic trust and begin to shift the focus to prevention.

The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to provide feedback to the project team through all phases of the CSWB Plan process. The Advisory Committee consists of members from key partner organizations and community groups. Representatives come from a broad cross-section of the communities within the region to provide a diversity of insights based on knowledge of key areas of the Plan and rooted in a diversity of demographic backgrounds and lived experiences. The Advisory Committee will serve as one method of engagement to obtain meaningful input and advice from the community to inform plan development.

The role of the Advisory Committee will be to:

· Bring vital community perspectives on areas such as crime prevention and reduction, community health and wellness, public safety and community policing, community vitality and prosperity, and Indigenous ways of knowing and doing;

· Provide solutions-based input to help inform the CSWB Plan's objectives and desired outcomes, results-based approaches and indicators, and to guide future implementation;

· Share relevant information and evidence such as surveys, reports, and data during the data collection process to inform the knowledge base for the project;

· Review and provide timely comments on the proposed engagement plan including materials and activities;

· Review and provide timely comments on referred documents on a broad range of topic areas that may be addressed within the CSWB Plan;

· Participate in specified engagement activities to provide guidance to the CSWB Plan process, including policy review and development;

· Assist in identifying and connecting the project team with key interest holders through personal or professional contact networks as requested;

· Assist in informing the community about the CSWB Plan planning process and encourage participation by diverse members of the community.

Developing the Greater Miramichi CSWB Plan will involve a comprehensive, multi-stage approach, including the following phases and activities over the coming year:

· Phase 1: Preparation and review of existing work (Dec 2025 – Feb 2026)

· Phase 2: Needs Assessment – Quantitative Data (March – July 2026)

· Phase 3: Needs Assessment – Community Engagement (August 2026 – January 2027)

· Phase 4: CSWB Plan Development and Reporting (February – May 2027)

CCFSC is a not-for-profit organization representing over 120 communities and approximately 50% of the national population. They bring together urban, rural, and Indigenous communities to foster community safety and well-being through training, research, and knowledge exchange. CCFSC serves as the consultant for this project, facilitating planning activities in collaboration with the Miramichi community. This includes facilitating advisory committee meetings, supporting data collection and assessment, identifying key themes, actions, and recommendations, as well as drafting the plan. Leveraging their experience and expertise in the CSWB planning process, they will tailor their approaches to suit the specific needs and nuances of Greater Miramichi, guided by community input. Furthermore, CCFSC brings a national perspective, allowing them to share insights and lessons learned from their work on CSWB planning in various municipalities across the country.

Most community safety and well-being plans attempt to address root causes and risk factors to prevent harm from occurring in the first place. Root causes refer to general family, community, and societal conditions that can result in some individuals being more likely to experience risk factors. They include things like poverty, lack of education, and unemployment. Risk factors are negative influences in the lives of individuals or communities which may increase the presence of harm, victimization, or fear of crime. They can occur at the individual, family/peer, community/school/organization, and/or societal levels.

Ideally, the community can expect the following impacts from CSWB plans:

· Enhanced safety: By identifying the root causes of safety challenges, the CSWB Plan will help to prevent issues before they escalate, resulting in a safer environment for all community members.

· Collaboration and partnership: The CSWB Plan will foster collaboration among different sectors. By working together, these sectors can pool their resources, expertise, and data to create a more coordinated and effective response to CSWB challenges.

· Data-driven decision-making: The CSWB Plan will rely on data and evidence to identify key challenges and allocate resources strategically and effectively. This approach ensures that actions are implemented where they are needed the most, maximizing their impact.

· Community engagement and empowerment: The Plan will actively involve community members and empower them to have a say in shaping their community safety and well-being, leading to more inclusive and effective solutions.

· Reduced strain on services: By addressing challenges upstream and increasing coordination, the CSWB Plan will reduce the strain on emergency services, hospitals, and social support systems.

· Long-term sustainability: The CSWB Plan will not only address immediate issues, but also create a framework for ongoing monitoring and adjustments to services as a result of evaluations. This will ensure that the community’s safety and well-being remain a priority and continue to improve over the long term.