Feasibility

EOED Kjipuktuk-Halifax is striving to obtain a level of inclusive community participation that will build community capacity and encourage North End residents to establish and strengthen their connections with neighbours, and with local businesses and organizations. The EOED pilot phase created a supportive and connected platform of spaces and people that assisted in bringing ideas to life during the March Program.

HIGHLIGHTS

FINDING OUT ABOUT THE MARCH PROGRAM

Discovering how participants learned about the March Program is critical in determining what mode of communications will be most beneficial moving forward. Of the 62 participants surveyed, 29% reported that they learned about the March Program from the EOED newspaper. Second to this was the 26% who reported that they learned about the program by “word of mouth”, mainly from a friend, family member, or co worker. 18% reported that they learned about the program from the EOED Facebook page.

The promotions and activities look super exciting and much needed during this time of social isolation to help us all feel connected and part of a community.

- Resident

The newspaper was beautiful, and it made the schedule and purpose of the project clear.

- Participant

REGISTRATION AND ATTENDANCE

Residents could register for any of the March Program sessions through our website, however, we did not collect data about the website’s ease of use or how people engaged with it outside of registering for the March Program. A total of 300 people registered for the sessions (65 of whom were on a wait list). Of the 300 participants, we recorded 122 as having attended (41%). Residents could also register for two different “At Home with Us Kits”, which were developed as a means to expand inclusivity and participation for those who may have wanted to take part but were unable to do so in person or online. In total, 28 participants registered for this take-home activity and we distributed 30+ additional kits through partnering community organizations. The 30 sessions that were delivered included four “Tea & Bannock” sessions that invited community members to drop-in for a cafe style conversation with Elders from the community. Three of these were held in-person at a local cafe and one was This program is different in that it is grassroots, and it empowers people to think of other ways they can start similar activities on a weekly basis.

- Participant

The March Program has provoked the community’s curiosity.

- Participant

I loved the window design and I appreciated the use of placemaking as a community building activity. - Participant

recorded live from the MNFC and streamed via the EOED Facebook page. During the Facebook live Tea & Bannock session, eight participants were viewing and actively commenting and asking questions. While the Tea and Bannock sessions did not require registration, a participant tracking sheet showed that 37 participants attended the three in-person sessions. Community members hosted the sessions for the March Program with the support of the EOED Project Team. In total, 26 hosts took part in the co-design and facilitation of one or more of the 33 sessions. To promote the program, we produced and distributed 3300 copies of the EOED Newspaper to households and organizations in the North End.

The bannock was good, the company was even better. Everybody wanted to talk, and everybody wanted to ask questions. Whoever came up with this... I think it’s one of the best things that ever happened at the Friendship Centre.

- Host

BUILDING PARTICIPATION

The EOED pilot highlighted the importance of having meaningful and trusting relationships already established within the community in order to gain initial interest and traction.

Two of the project team members had existing connections to the community and the MNFC has been a community hub for decades. As a result, the Project Designer was able to quickly draw on a list of community members who would potentially host a session to get things started. These established relationships also had a positive influence on community participation throughout the pilot. Hosts, as residents, felt comfortable participating in the pilot because they trusted that adequate support would be provided by the project team and MNFC. Over the course of the pilot, these relationships grew and provided a strong foundation to build upon moving forward.

After taking part in the EOED pilot, nearly all hosts stated that they would be willing to host another session, either the

same session or something new. Of the participants surveyed, 5% stated that they would be willing to host a session, and 31% offered ideas for future sessions.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, registration was required for the entire March Program and the first week was delivered entirely online after the announcement of a Covid-19 circuit breaker just days before the launch. This posed challenges related to attendance, and many sessions became full with wait lists, only to then have 50% of those registered show up to the session. This was a missed opportunity to participate for those on the waitlist and posed limitations on who could participate overall. • The EOED newspaper was the most effective medium for communicating the story and work of EOED and inviting participation of the broader community. Its production posed a steep learning curve for project staff and required a significant investment of time and resources - from the local team and Participatory City

Tutors. This and other communications requirements surfaced the need for dedicated human resources in this area, even in early stages of the work. • The development process for the newspaper provided sharp insight into how this work will be different if reconciliation is to be centered. We challenged ourselves to create a design that could be a welcoming invitation for the Indigenous community, but also everyone. The process involved on-going dialogue with

MNFC staff and the designer to get it right - and the importance of ensuring adequate time for planning visual design elements. • The importance of project staff who know and understand the community is paramount. These existing relationships contributed greatly to our success in engaging session hosts, securing a network of local venues, and promoting the EOED March

Program throughout the community. • Pre-registration posed a barrier to participation and inclusivity but it is uncertain to what degree. It’s likely that this posed limitations related to technological accessibility (comfort with technology and access to the internet), as well as the extra planning required when drop-in sessions are not an option. • The EOED pilot revealed the high degree of oneon-one support and connection required to build and grow participation culture. While the majority of hosts expressed excitement to host again, shifting participants into the role of host will require significantly more time and support.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

• Integrate newspapers as a primary communications tool to support ongoing and increased participation over time. In doing so, define realistic production cycles that mirror program delivery and can grow over time based on available resources. • Establish graphic design and communications expertise as a core resource within the project team to oversee the development/production of newspapers and other communications tools and materials. • Deepen research around how required pre-registration affects inclusive participation. Further experiment with drop-in style projects when they can be tested safely and closely consider how best to manage attendance during these sessions.