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EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER
Region of Waterloo Ambassadors pg. 4 Service First Call Centre anniversary pg. 6
Staff at 150 Frederick gathered in Council Chambers over the lunch hour on February 21 to cheer on Canada’s men’s hockey team in the semi-final game.
Stacey Ferris, Corporate Communications, and family visit the ‘SHIPWRECK!’ exhibit at the Waterloo Region Museum in January.
“It’s time for the talk.” Shown here (right to left) are Dr. Liana Nolan, Commissioner/Medical Officer of Health; Sue Johanson, North America’s most famous “sexpert”; and Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Associate Medical Officer of Health. The Sex Dialogues, sponsored by Region of Waterloo Public Health, is a series of lectures, panel discussions, films and guest speakers and part of THEMUSEUM’s Science of Sexuality, an evocative, informed, creative, conversation-starting exhibition about one of the most ubiquitous, most under-discussed aspects of our life and culture. The Science of Sexuality runs until April 27th. For details on the exhibition and The Sex Dialogues, visit THEMUSEUM.ca.
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On March 1st, the Region of Waterloo’s Home Child Care program hosted its 26th Annual Caregiver Conference at 150 Frederick St. The conference, geared towards caregiving professionals, included workshops on a number of topics including compassion fatigue, autism and consumer product safety. Pictured here, caregivers participate in a workshop on compassion fatigue.
Mark your calendars! Sunnyside Auxiliary Garage Sale Heritage Hall, Sunnyside Campus Saturday, April 5, 2014 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon Walk & Roll Sunnyside Campus Saturday, June 7, 2014 A 3.4 km walk and 1 km wheelchair roll, live entertainment, lunch provided, event t-shirts for the first 250 registrants and lots more. A fun, family fundraiser in support of Seniors’ Services. Sunnyside Foundation Golf Tournament Rebel Creek Monday, September 8, 2014 12 noon shotgun start Book early with bschmidt@regionofwaterloo.ca, last year sold out. Sunnyside Foundation Bazaar Sunnyside Campus Saturday, November 1, 2014 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Open daily to April 30, 2014 at the Waterloo Region Museum SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure brings real shipwreck treasures and the technology used to recover them right to Waterloo Region Museum! Find out what it’s like to be a shipwreck explorer, the captain of a sinking ship or a pirate on the run with handson activities including a robotic arm to pick up treasure and a hurricane simulator to challenge the storm. Discover more than 500 priceless artifacts recovered from famous shipwrecks including real gold and silver treasure recovered from thousands of feet deep. For more information, visit www.waterlooregionmuseum.com or call 519-748-1914.
Airport Master Plan Public Information Session Tues. April 15, 2014 4 to 8 p.m.
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Ron Gaudet Ron is the Manager of Economic Development, a newly created position within Planning, Housing and Community Services. He is a proud husband and father of two daughters. Most of his career has been in the economic development field where he has held positions at the Greater Moncton Economic Development Corporation in Moncton, New Brunswick and the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation, in Windsor, Ontario, as well as at two universities.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge and most rewarding part of your job?
I really enjoy skiing. We live in a country that has four seasons so I try to enjoy them all.
Economic development always comes with challenges – every region wants a great quality of life with a vibrant economy and lots of job opportunities for its citizens. Sometimes the building blocks take longer than anticipated and the outside forces of a global economy make it difficult to consider economic development a perfect science. The most rewarding part of my job is working with a team of professionals who are really committed to this region. It is also rewarding to take the right steps to doing regional economic development in a thoughtful and purposeful way, and in the true spirit of Regional collaboration.
What is your favourite meal?
What personal skills are essential to the work you do? It is essential to be a team player, listen more than I speak, have thick skin, and be an insistent voice for calculated positive change.
I try to increase and evolve my knowledge and appreciation of a variety of foods but I still really enjoy a good steak cooked medium, accompanied by veggies. For dessert, chocolate lava cake! And it’s great to wash it all down with a bold(ish) red wine!
If you could travel to one place, where would you go? The world is a big place. I have been fortunate in my career to experience a lot of it. But for now and because we have a daughter living there – it is hands down England.
What is one thing you’d like to do when you retire? Don’t really see that happening. Probably my retirement and funeral will be on the same day?
What do you do to relax after a long day? I love to ride my bike (pedal) and
Complementary public use wheelchairs Do you work out of 150 Frederick, 150 Main, or 99 Regina? If you do, you will be happy to know that the Region now provides complementary wheelchairs for use by members of the public who require the assistance of a wheelchair when visiting one of the main administrative buildings. Any member of the public who requests the use of a wheelchair is eligible to use one while they are accessing Region services. There is no cost to using these wheelchairs. To request a wheelchair for a customer, you can contact the Citizen Service Associate (CSA) in your building. If you want to learn how to operate the wheelchairs yourself, please contact a CSA. If you have any questions about the complementary public use wheelchairs, please contact Deb Bergey, Manager of Citizen Service, at 519-575-4097.
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Thank-you very much to all Regional employees who demonstrated interest in or applied to the Ambassador Program. We had an overwhelmingly positive response!
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Introducing the Region of Waterloo Ambassadors
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Ambassadors were chosen based on their application, as well as organizational representation (geographic, positional, and departmental). Please join us in congratulating them. Dept. Ambassador Finance Michelle Palmer-Novakovic HR
Brian MacDowell
PH&CS Lisa Herrewynen, Shannon McBride, Kevin O’Hara, Rebecca Wager CR
Christopher Gibson, Starlene Hancock, Agueda Livera, Mic Michenfelder, Terri Plummer
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Julie Hill, Sarah Kozinski, Trisha Miller, Bernadette Moussa, Sandy Wang
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Kevin Fox, Paula Giles, Debbie Jones, Denyse Loehndorf, Lindsay Marinovic, Heather McLarnon, Arran Rowles
T&ES
Kathleen Barsoum, Irene Bradshaw, Peggy Byrne, Nancy Corbett, Greg Crane, Sandra Kane, Anna Meksavanh, Veronica Naas, Matt Ropp, Blake Alan Smith, Carol Teigen
The first Ambassador Program meeting was held in March 2014. Ambassadors will foster a values-based culture of service excellence and inclusion based on the People, Service, Trust framework; connect with them to learn more. There will be future opportunities for new Ambassadors. Please keep the program in mind and stay tuned for future communications. If you have any questions about the Ambassador Program, please contact Eve Nadler at ext. 3967. 4
Do you know what to do in an emergency? One day, it could save a life. Medical Emergency Procedures Pilot at 150 Frederick Street Our building medical emergency systems were put to the test in 2013 when a critical health incident occurred at 150 Frederick Street. It was a matter of life and death – time was of the essence. Thanks to the actions of some quickthinking individuals, the story had a happy ending…but we learned a lot. Following the incident, a debrief team was created consisting of staff from HR, C&AS, ITS, Facilities and first responders. Areas for improvement were identified and included: • improved communication to Regional staff on emergency procedures; • the need for accurate and up-to-date emergency contact information for employees; • regular testing of the 9-1-1 system. A pilot program to address the improvements, along with other suggestions, is currently underway at 150 Frederick Street. Once the pilot is completed and evaluated, implementation at other buildings will be considered and planned. Have conversations, ask questions and update your emergency contact information (HR tab on the portal, My Life Events, Emergency Contact Change) so that you can be prepared if an emergency ever strikes. For more information on this pilot project, please contact Kristen Dajka x4722.
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Library connections The Region of Waterloo’s Home Child Care Program provides Early Learning and Child Care to more than 1,200 children from the ages of 0 to 12 in approved caregiver homes. We work closely with the community to ensure that children have a rich and varied program and are always looking for new linkages.
is done through the library. Since a lot of the libraries are attached to the high schools, we have students who volunteer to gain community hours.
In Home Child Care we have developed a partnership with some local municipal libraries. We have been working with the staff at all the local branches in Kitchener. We are hoping to expand into Waterloo and Cambridge as well.
It is a win-win situation for both groups. The library has an opportunity to showcase their programs, facilities, books, and media. Home Child Care is able to share information about our program in the community.
The library provides the space and Home Child Care provides the activities. We advertise through the ’In
Now a visit to the library can result in seeing children learning: reading books, playing games, working on creative activities, exploring science, and meeting new friends.
Touch’ magazine to attract caregivers in the licensed as well as the unregulated sector to come together to explore their local library. Registration
Children get to benefit from the group and together we promote literacy. This has been a great opportunity to connect with our community!
Stay connected as ION gathers speed ION is set to launch in 2017. With the Region’s population expected to reach 742,000 by 2031, ION will play a vital role in the ongoing transformation of our community by moving people more efficiently, limiting urban sprawl and protecting our surrounding farmland. The rapid transit team is currently at work ensuring ION is delivered on-time and on-budget and as the 2017 launch edges closer, many exciting events and milestones are on the way. During each stage of the process, engagement with the community has formed a major part of rapid transit in the Region of Waterloo. Last July, for example, over 1,300 residents toured a 60-foot mock-up of the LRT vehicle, which had arrived to celebrate Council’s decision to purchase 14 LRT vehicles from Bombardier. The vehicle returned again in October, when more than 1,700 residents took
part on the tour. ION staff provided 60 rapid transit presentations in the community throughout 2013, while 50 local businesses and organizations participated in the Rapid Transit Tradeshow in April. Keep in touch! Staff are encouraged to connect with us through ION’s social media channels, which are updated regularly
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with information, photographs and videos. Sign up for the monthly ION Update by emailing rtinfo@regionofwaterloo.ca. www.facebook.com/ ROWRapidTransit @ROWRapidTransit Have you read the ‘ION story’ yet? Visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/ rapidtransit to learn more. 5
Service First Call Centre celebrates one-year anniversary A little over one year ago – on February 20, 2013, the Region of Waterloo’s Service First Call Centre (SFCC) went live at 131 Goodrich Drive. Over the past 365 days, we have answered a total of 185,386 calls. Our busiest day: Monday, January 6 – we answered 1,391 calls in one day. There was a big snow storm on this day. Three most interesting calls: • “I just got bit by a Siberian Tiger, what should I do?” • “I was driving on the 401 and I saw a family of ducks on the side of the road, can you send someone out to go get them?” • “My neighbour is stealing my garbage and keeps it in their house. It has been four months and they just put it back out for collection?”
into consideration January’s weather and the large increase in call volume, the SFCC met that target of over 80 per cent – great work by the team at the SFCC! To keep this high level of customer service, we will continue to look at our staff requirements and ensure we have the right number of staff online and answering calls when we need them. Providing Quality Customer Service Our goal is to answer 80 per cent of our calls within one minute at the time we launch to the public. Recognizing that building a call centre is a steep learning curve and adjustment period, our target while we are building the SFCC is 75 per cent. To date we are at 74.57 per cent. Taking
A public launch is scheduled for June 17, 2014. To all staff who have worked with us at the SFCC or contributed to seeing it get off the ground, THANK YOU! We appreciate your involvement and commitment to ensuring our success. As we represent the Region of Waterloo, our goal is to be the best ambassadors we can be.
Public Health welcomes new Director/Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
The new Director/Chief of EMS for the Region of Waterloo, Stephen Van Valkenburg, started with the Region in late August, 2013. Chief Van Valkenburg brings a wealth of experience in EMS. This includes serving as Deputy Chief in Middlesex – London Emergency Medical Services Authority since January 2012, and Deputy Chief in Niagara Emergency Services Division from 2008 to 2012. His EMS leadership experience also includes serving in a variety of roles: Manager of Administration, Communications Training Officer, Communications Operations Supervisor, Manager of Lambton County EMS, and Transition Coordinator for County of Lambton Land Ambulance. 6
His experience includes a number of leadership roles in a variety of EMS Services and municipalities. This experience prepares him well to collaborate with EMS partners and direct EMS staff. With his leadership, Region of Waterloo EMS will build on the strengths of our service. Together, we will continue to deliver “Excellence in Patient Care”. Stephen is excited to be back in the city of his alma mater, the University of Waterloo. Along with being a life-long learner, Stephen’s interests outside of work include photography, attending art and music events, travelling when time permits, and sitting back and relaxing with family and friends.
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Employee engagement and the employee survey Every employee has a role in supporting employee engagement at the Region. Engaged employees are a key part of the People, Service, Trust Framework. You told us in the survey that managing workload is one of the five drivers of employee engagement at the Region.
Use words with respect Words are powerful and can influence and reinforce perceptions of people. Inclusive language encourages a welcoming environment and places the emphasis on a person’s ability. Some tips on using inclusive language:
• Use person-first language • Take the time to listen • Focus on strengths • Use plain language • Avoid words and expressions that may exclude diverse groups of people
We are all learning and we will make mistakes along the way as part of the learning process. The important point to remember is to be intentional in your use of language and understand the impact your words may have on others. Visit the employee portal or refer to the Guidelines for Inclusive Language (Docs # 1393175) for more information.
Let’s be friends! The Region of Waterloo Public Health Department is now on Facebook. “Like us” to receive useful information and quick tips on what you can do – at home, at school, at work, and in the community – to make healthier choices that will protect you and your family from preventable diseases and chronic illness. Topics covered include everything from healthy eating, fitness and parenting tips, to the importance of vaccinations and reducing unhealthy habits. Join the conversation today at Facebook/ ROWPublicHealth or on Twitter at @ROWPublicHealth.
Many divisions throughout the Region identified workload as a priority. The causes and solutions to workload issues are different among individuals and across departments and divisions. The Region has developed a workload toolkit that contains tips and tools to assist individuals and teams with workload. Find it on the employee portal or by contacting your supervisor. Stay tuned – in future Connections articles we will be focusing on the other drivers of employee engagement. Coming soon – watch for updates and more actions on these two corporate priorities: 1. Dialogue with employees 2. Encouraging employee contributions
Say your name A re-launch of the Region’s phone system is coming soon. Get ready to improve customer service by using two important features: voice recognition calling and voicemail with proper back-up extension links. Be prepared to put your name on the line for service excellence. Stay tuned for more details.
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2014 promises to be another busy, exciting and challenging year for the Region of Waterloo. Like many governments, the Region is constantly challenged to find the right balance between maintaining and improving service levels while at the same time controlling costs and keeping property tax increases low. Despite these challenges, we continue to find ways to improve the service we provide to the community. One such initiative is the Service First Call Centre (SFCC), launching to the public this June. The SFCC will make it simpler and more efficient for the public to get information and access our services, by calling one easyto-recognize number. The SFCC will ensure consistent and comprehensive responses to a range of inquiries and offer service 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Another initiative to help us continue to provide excellent service is the Organizational Structure Review
currently underway. Since our last comprehensive review of the Region’s Departmental and Divisional structure (in the mid-1990’s) the community has grown and changed considerably, and the scope and complexity of the Region’s programs and services have increased dramatically. The primary purpose of the review is to ensure the Region’s organizational structure is helping us to achieve our goals and objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible. We are nearing the end of the first phase of the process which has involved gathering information from many people about what’s working well with our current organizational structure, and what could be improved. Thanks to all of you who provided input to this process over the last month. We will keep you informed as this review proceeds, and more information can be found on the employee portal under the ‘Corporate Leadership’ tab. We also recently reached another significant milestone in implementing our ION Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. On March 19, Regional Council approved the selection of GrandLinq as the team that will work
with the Region to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the LRT system. ION is a transformational initiative that will provide many benefits to the community for decades to come. It will help reduce urban sprawl, protect farmland and sensitive environmental areas, encourage development in our existing urban areas, and provide greater transportation choice for the 200,000 additional people we expect in Waterloo Region over the next 20 years. It has taken an incredible amount of work by people from all parts of the organization to reach this milestone. This dedicated, talented team has demonstrated to the community that it is possible for the Region to deliver a complex project like this on-time and on-budget. Much remains to be done to keep the project “on-track” for opening day in 2017, but the entire organization should be proud of our progress so far to make this transformational project a reality! Do you have a question for Mike? Send it to connections@regionofwaterloo.ca
April 9, 2014 is Day of Pink Once again, the Region’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative will be recognizing the International Day of Pink on Wednesday, April 9 this year. In previous years, staff from across the Region have participated to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion and we invite you to do the same this year! Get involved and show your support by: • Wearing pink clothing or accessories • Wearing a Day of Pink sticker
• Displaying posters in your work area • Bringing in pink snacks to share • Coming up with pink ideas with your colleagues What is the Day of Pink and why do we recognize it? The Day of Pink is a commitment to being open-minded, understanding of differences and learning to respect each other. By committing to diversity and valuing inclusion here at the Region, we ensure all
residents, regardless of national origin, language, race, colour, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status and family structure, have the same opportunity to access Regional services and programs. An inclusive workplace will also help us attract and retain the best talent from across the Region! More details will be available on the employee portal in March or contact Gina Hickman at ext. 3721 for more details.
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