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INSIDE COVER
Community
Development
Effective
Governance
"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan
in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must
vigorously act. There is no other route to success."
-- Pablo Picasso
Infrastructure
Sustainability
Economic
Development
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the Mayor..........................................................1
Introduction..............................................................................2
Our Mission, Values and Vision..................................................3
Plan Development.....................................................................4
SWOT Analysis....................................................................... 5
Community Development...........................................................7
Infrastructure Sustainability.........................................................9
Effective Governance...............................................................11
Economic Development............................................................13
Next Steps..............................................................................15
Thank You Contributors............................................................16
The success of Shuniah's strategic planning process is
a direct result of input from citizens and stakeholders,
a committed team of staff, and a clear vision for
the future. Council is looking forward to putting this
plan into action and make changes to improve our
community. I am proud to introduce Shuniah's Strategic
Plan 2016-2020 On the Horizon - Improving Today,
Inspiring Tomorrow.
This document is the result of extensive community engagement with
residents and stakeholders. I was thrilled to see so many citizens eager
to participate in this process through the survey, focus groups, and the
open house. The input received allowed for the strategic plan to be
customized to address the unique needs of our thriving community.
The strategic plan will guide Council and municipal staff in our decision
making and goals in relation to community development, infrastructure
sustainability, effective governance, and economic development. We
plan to grow and enhance our community, utilize our assets efficiently,
improve municipal services, develop new relationships, and increase
economic development capacity without jeopardizing our quality of
life. We are committed to proactive planning and making decisions
that will lead to meaningful change, while maintaining to offer a safe,
clean, friendly and prosperous community.
I would like to thank residents, Council, and the implementation team
for their input, advice, and commitment to this initiative. None of this
would have been possible without your dedication and support. We
are eager to get started on this exciting journey!
Sincerely,
Mayor Wendy Landry
MESSAGE FROM
MAYOR WENDY LANDRY
1
2
Every successful journey starts with choosing a destination and
making a plan to get there. Strategic planning is a lot like preparing
for a new journey. The basic purpose of the strategic plan is to ask
and answer four sets of questions about the Municipality:
- What do we want to accomplish?
- Where are we today and what are the characteristics of our
organization and environment?
- On what strategies will we focus our energy and resources?
- How will we monitor and evaluate our progress?
On the Horizon - Improving Today, Inspiring Tomorrow is about
protecting what makes our community a great place to live,
supporting sustainable initiatives and preparing to meet the
challenges ahead. When the project to create this plan was
launched, our Mayor and Council were especially concerned that
the residents of Shuniah had opportunities to shape the strategic
themes and objectives of the new plan, so a key component of our
Strategic Plan development was community engagement. Input
from Shuniah's residents provided our Plan Development Team with
starting points that could bring us closest to our common goals.
This booklet will give you a birds-eye view of where we'd like
Shuniah's new Strategic Plan to take us over the next five years. We
invite you to join us on the journey from here to 2020.
INTRODUCTION
The Mission, Values, and Vision of our new Strategic Plan describe the
spirit in which On the Horizon was drafted and how it is implemented.
How you approach a task, challenge or opportunity can be as crucial to
success as the steps designed to get you there.
VALUES
Within the next 5 years, On the
Horizon will guide Shuniah's
progress toward a more connected,
collaborative, accessible and
sustainable community where
residents thrive, businesses succeed
and excellent governance balance
the challenges and opportunities in
our unique community.
MISSION
Shuniah is committed to providing
the highest quality of life by building
a healthy rural community through
the delivery of essential services
provided by responsible leadership,
planning and effective management
of municipal resources.
VISION
From
2016-2020,
Shuniah's
municipal leaders and staff will
strive to ensure that our actions and
initiatives under the direction of our
new Strategic Plan are inspiring,
sustainable, pro-active, collaborative
and accessible to our community.
OUR MISSION, VALUES & VISION
3
4
PLAN DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY INPUT
The voices of our community
members were the focus of the
first phase of On the Horizon's
development.
Through
Focus
Groups, Surveys and a Community
Input Session held at the McGregor
Centre, over 200 residents provided
input on what they saw as Shuniah's
top priorities for the near future.
Feedback
included
satisfaction
levels with current services, interest
in various development options
and a lot of new ideas to consider.
STRATEGY DESIGN
After careful consideration of the
feedback collected, Municipal Staff
and Leadership participated in a
series of workshops that developed
On the Horizon from a collection
of ideas and concerns to a defined
plan with clear objectives. Our
values and vision for the plan will
help guide our efforts and evaluate
our progress as we implement our
goals through action plans.
SWOT ANALYSIS
- Residents report high quality of life/satisfaction with their community
- Good maintenance of roads and bridges, consistently high satisfaction levels
reported
- Proximity to Thunder Bay with access to affordable services
- Strong sense of community identity and appreciation for the land
- Policing Services strong with low crime rates
- Municipality provides personalized and progressive services
- Accessibility of services provided, and responsiveness and commitment of Council
and staff are highly rated
- Provision of Emergency, Fire, and First Response Services have high approval rates
- Fiscally responsible while maintaining affordable taxation levels
- Existing community programs well supported by residents (ex. Youth centre & Soil
Mates Gardening Club)
- Many beautiful recreational assets including Wild Goose Park, Mount Baldy Ski
Area, trails, Silver Harbour etc.
- Scenic geography used to attract visitors and new residents
- Promote our unique community identity
- Develop, expand, and identify all recreational opportunities (ex. Convert Kinghorn rail
line to multi-use trail system)
- Promote existing recreational areas and trails
- Synergies between resident wants and economic development (i.e. high demand for
community events that could attract more economic activity, like tradeshows)
- Potential revenue generators could be implemented at popular recreational areas, (i.e.
hawkers and peddlers licensing, parking fees or passes for Wild Goose)
- Utilize community assets to host events, services, meetings, and activities (ex.
McKenzie School & MacGregor Rec Centre)
- Create shared spaces throughout Shuniah with regular activities/events to bring
residents together (ex. Community Hub)
- Undertake Partnerships with Lakehead University or Confederation College to bring
services provided by recent graduates to the community
- Work with other small, rural municipalities to assess improvement options and gather
strength in numbers on important issues
STRENGTHS
OPPORTUNITIES
5
S
O
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A SWOT ANALYSIS PROVIDES CRITICAL INSIGHT INTO THE
MUNICIPALITY OF SHUNIAH'S CURRENT STATUS AND HIGHLIGHTS
GAPS BETWEEN OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE DESIRED STATE.
- Lack of long-term financial strategy for all municipal services
- Limited public transportation, utilities, and internet services due to expansive
geographic dispersal area
- Low activity in commercial and industrial sector balanced with resident
community identity
- No tourism strategy or promotion of what Shuniah community has to offer visitors
- Concerns about landfill and waste disposal (needs long-term plan and
communication with residents)
- Announcements, notifications, by-law and other information and signage should
be proactive and consistently distributed across all communication tools
- Residents divided based on seasonal vs. permanent residency in the community
- Low diversity of tax base with heavy dependence on residential property tax
- Lack of community events and activities year-round to keep community members
engaged and connected
- Lack of waterfront access strategy
- No administrative office hub located in Municipality
- Limited employment opportunities & no employment hub
- McKenzie School closure
- Aging population with little or no services/programs for aging-in-place
within municipality
- Maintaining a reasonable tax rate while costs of services increase and
government funding decreases
- Economic competition from Thunder Bay weakens ability to attract/retain
businesses to area
- Ability of market to bear costs of recreational properties
- Long-term housing corrections (i.e. aging population; assessments could change)
- Intense weather patterns may damage infrastructure or make expensive
upgrades necessary
WEAKNESSES
THREATS
W
T
Improve and promote information
on public green spaces, trails,
and parks *
Create and make available
on Municipal website a
comprehensive listing of Shuniah
Recreational spaces, trails,
beaches and facilities *
Consider the launch of a
community beautification
initiative**
Support initiatives to facilitate
community events to bring
residents together*
Support the development
of Community Togetherness
Committee of volunteers to
organize and facilitate events**
Create "Welcome Wagon"
information packages for new
residents*
Review a unified approach to the
best use of municipal buildings
and reduce redundancies**
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
7
Develop Outdoor Spaces and Promote
Shuniah's Natural Beauty
Support Community Togetherness
PRIORITIES
* SHORT TERM 1-2 ** MEDIUM TERM 3-4 *** LONG TERM 5+ (YEARS)
Review the need of services for our
residents and assess how they may
be improved or made available **
Explore greater utilization of
community assets and facilities
to create spaces for new or
expanding services/programs *
Increase services and supports for
seniors to age in the community*
Create an 'Age Friendly
Community Plan'*
Foster relationship with Lakehead
Public School Board and take steps
to protect McKenzie Public School
as an important part of the Shuniah
community *
8
ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT OF ALL RESIDENTS IN SHUNIAH
PRIORITIES
Ensure Necessary Programs and Services are
Accessible and Available in Shuniah
Enhance and Increase Use of Our
Recreational Assets
Capture and map existing
recreational trails, sites, and
accessibility points for the lake
and tourist attractions**
Create an interactive recreational
map available on Shuniah
website**
Pursue resources and information
to support the use of recreational
trails and activities**
Pursue opportunities to expand
recreational facilities and trails in
line with community needs and
levels of use*
Assess options related to the Rails
to Trails project as they relate to
community interest*
Support continuous improvements
to recreation and leisure
amenities, particularly those that
support an expected quality of
life**
8
INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY
9
Review and assess the options
for road servicing that best meets
the needs of our residents***
Investigate resident request for
improved signage and lighting
along main roads**
Development and implement new
Asset Management Plan*
Review and conduct feasibility
studies on property and lands
that can be developed for
community use and activities**
Pursue opportunities to address
landfill concerns and improve
related services***
Complete Master Water and
Waste Water Servicing Options
Study to support our Official Plan
and show good stewardship
in land use planning in our
Municipality*
Proactive Asset Management
Continue Road Maintenance Services
and Develop Improvement Plans
PRIORITIES
* SHORT TERM 1-2 ** MEDIUM TERM 3-4 *** LONG TERM 5+ (YEARS)
PROVIDE AND IMPROVE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AND
MAINTAIN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
10
Continue to improve Land Use
Planning for long-term sustainable
development***
Assess Municipal land for
potential commercial and
industrial use opportunities**
Review the impact of changes
to recreational property
designation***
Through the Strategic Framework
and Action Plan of the Provincial
governments Community Hubs in
Ontario, review the opportunities
for partnerships, collaboration
and innovation as it relates to
MacGregor Rec Centre and
McKenzie Public School*
Lobby the Provincial government
for Remote School Designation
for McKenzie Public School*
Investigate opportunities to utilize
all buildings and facilities in
our community as they relate
to service delivery hubs such
as walk-in clinics and health
services*
Plan for Sustainable Development
Utilize Assets Efficiently
to Develop Community Hubs
PRIORITIES
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE
11
Continuously improve our
website to ensure that it is
effective and efficient at
distributing information and
announcements*
Review alternative forms of social
media such as Facebook and
Twitter to effectively distribute
news and information**
Create FAQ section on website*
Consider alternatives for
communication for "offline"
residents**
Realize the importance and
impact Shuniah News and
review increasing number of
issues*
Be an active and vocal
champion for fair levy's for
social services and ensure our
community receives the services
that best suit the needs of our
residents*
Continue to monitor and
evaluate the cost effectiveness
of agency services such as
TBDSSAB, TBHealth Unit,
Police Services and Ambulance
Services. **
Build relationships with utilities
and organizations that provide
services to our residents and
advocate on their behalf.**
Consistent, Accessible and Clear
Communication
Maintain or Improve the Provision of Social,
Emergency and Police Services
PRIORITIES
ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP AND PLANNING
12
Ensure consistent enforcement of
Municipal by-laws and permit
acquisition**
Ensure that all residents, with
emphasis on new residents, are
well informed of Municipal by-
laws that have a heightened
impact such as zoning, building,
and impact of associations*
Lead and advance our
leadership position as
stewards of lakes and land by
safeguarding water quality
and optimizing waste diversion
practices that reduce future
landfill requirements***
Ensure that Administration
provide regular and current
financial assessment with
projections to measure ability
to maintain sustainable and
affordable property taxation
levels*
Work with neighbouring
municipalities to increase
efficiencies, share best practices
and increase capacity to achieve
shared goals**
Develop and Implement
long-term financial strategy*
Ensure Consistent Enforcement
of Municipal By-Laws
Ensure Fiscal Sustainability and
Transparent Governance
PRIORITIES
* SHORT TERM 1-2 ** MEDIUM TERM 3-4 *** LONG TERM 5+ (YEARS)
Strengthen relationships with
neighbouring communities'
Economic Development
departments***
EDO to develop relationship with
City of Thunder Bay CEDC**
Create Economic Development
portal on website that
directs business owners and
entrepreneurs to fact sheet, EDO
contact information and other
useful information**
Forge a strong, dynamic working
relationship with the Shuniah
business community**
Assess the impact and seek
funding to hire Economic
Development Officer (EDO)**
Implement short-term (3-
year) Economic Development
planning**
Update Community Profile
and create fact sheet for Small
Businesses who might be
interested in locating themselves
in Shuniah**
Complete comprehensive Retail
Market Research - Benchmark
Studies of comparable "Bedroom
Communities" and successful
Economic Development
Strategies***
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
13
Increase Economic Development Capacity
and Initiatives
Create Economic Development Connections
in Region
PRIORITIES
Develop Shuniah Tourism Strategy
with community input and update
information on North of Superior
Tourism Association website***
Create Shuniah Business Directory
on Shuniah website and update
regularly*
Support initiatives that will increase
employment opportunities in the
Municipality***
Promote and leverage Shuniah's
recreation and leisure amenities as
a means to support local economic
activity, tourism, and strengthen
community ties**
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
AS THEY ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY
14
PRIORITIES
Develop protocol to review
all new major economic
development initiatives with
community members via
community information session
or online open comment
forum***
Ensure Economic Development
Planning action items are
consistent with On the Horizon
Values and Community Input***
Develop Resources to Support Local
Economic Activity
Ensure Balance Between Economic Growth
Opportunities and Community Priorities
* SHORT TERM 1-2 ** MEDIUM TERM 3-4 *** LONG TERM 5+ (YEARS)
Strategic Plan Progress Reports
will be provided each year to keep
you informed about our progress
on each Strategic Direction.
By working together, we gain
momentum and motivation for the
path that lies ahead. We envision
that Shuniah will be an even more
inspiring, sustainable, proactive,
collaborative
and
accessible
community when On the Horizon
is complete.
We will reach out to local businesses in the coming year to launch
Strategic Actions in support of our economy.
Each of the goals listed under our Strategic
Directions contain additional objectives
and priority actions to be completed over
the next 5 years. Just as we needed
our community's input to develop these
plans, we need community support and
participation to ensure their success.
Opportunities for community members to
participate in the Strategic Actions will
be announced to the community via our
newsletter and Municipal website.
Photo. Mary Chadwick
Photo. Susan Tardif
NEXT STEPS
WORKING TOGETHER
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THANK YOU TO CONTRIBUTORS!
RESIDENTS:
Survey Participants
Focus Group Participants
Community Information Session Participants
MAYOR & COUNCIL:
Wendy Landry, Mayor
Donna Blunt, Councillor
Ron Giardetti, Councillor
Don Smith, Councillor
Duff Stewart, Councillor
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM:
Paul Greenwood, CAO
Nadene Hunley-Johansen, Manager of Planning
Andrea Strawson, Administration
MANAGEMENT:
Craig Baumann, Manager of Operations
Blair Arthur, Fire Chief/By-law Enforcement
STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTING SERVICES BY:
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MANY PEOPLE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
ON THE HORIZON. WE WOULD LIKE TO SINCERELY THANK ALL
OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
BACK COVER
www.shuniah.org