Good afternoon, Aisha
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
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What’s new
Partners
Find a partner organization or a service: what they do, who they serve, where they work, who to contact and how to refer someone.
Showing 6 of 22 organizations
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
Settlement service providers
IRCC-funded settlement services across Grey and Bruce.
Grey Bruce Public Health
Hospitals / health units
Public health programs, immunization and health equity work across both counties.
Four County Labour Market Planning Board
Economic development agencies
Local labour market research and workforce planning.
M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre
Indigenous organizations
Cultural programming and community gatherings.
Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library
Libraries
Newcomer welcome kits, conversation circles and community space.
Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce
Chambers of commerce
Connecting local employers with newcomer talent.
Showing 6 of 42 services
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
IRCC-funded settlement services across Grey and Bruce
Settlement and orientation services for newcomers across the two counties, including needs assessments, referrals, language assessment and community connections programming.
How our work connects with GBLIP
We bring front-line settlement experience to community planning, and help turn shared priorities into practical referral pathways for newcomer families.
Who we serve & where we work
Where
- Region-wide across Grey and Bruce
- Office in Owen Sound
- Virtual appointments
Who
- Permanent residents
- Refugees and protected persons
- International students
- Families with children
Languages
English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Ukrainian, Tagalog
Services & expertise
Areas of expertise
Can offer partners
Looking for
GBLIP participation
Committees
Based on the people from this organization.
Can contribute to GBLIP
In-kind support this organization can offer the partnership.
Recognition
Example · Recognition and engagement
Silver Partner is one of the example levels from your feature document. We haven’t worked out yet how an organization earns a level.
Committees
Each committee has a page holding its meetings, members, discussions and documents.
Partnership Council
Partnership Council
The full council of partner organizations: where the partnership as a whole meets, sets direction and reviews progress against the Community Action Plan.
Subcommittees
Connect Subcommittee
Welcoming communities: community planning, Welcoming Week and newcomer inclusion.
Workforce Subcommittee
Labour market integration, employment and employer engagement.
Working groups
Decision needed · Committees and working groups
Working groups can be added as they form. We still need to know if they work any differently from subcommittees, for example if they’re temporary.
Connect Subcommittee
Partners working together on welcoming communities: planning local initiatives, coordinating Welcoming Week and strengthening newcomer inclusion across Grey and Bruce.
Discussions
Open the Connect boardThe committee’s board in Collaboration. Members hear about new posts.
Documents
Browse in the Knowledge HubDocuments are kept in the Knowledge Hub and tagged to Connect. Minutes stay with their meetings.
Past meetings
Events
Training, webinars, conferences and community events across the partnership. Committee meetings live on each committee’s page.
In this preview · Meetings
Connect Subcommittee — September
Monday 21 September 2026 · 10:00–11:30 a.m. · Online
Agenda
- Welcome and land acknowledgementApprove the June minutes
- Welcoming Week 2026 debriefPartner highlights and what we learned
- 2027 work plan prioritiesSmall-group discussion
- Round table and next stepsConfirm actions and who leads them
Prepare
Please read these before the meeting.
Questions before the meeting? Post on the Connect board.
After the meeting
Minutes, slides, the recording and an attendance summary will appear here once the meeting has happened. See a past meeting
Connect Subcommittee — June
Tuesday 16 June 2026 · 10:00–11:30 a.m. · Online
Meeting record
Decisions and next steps
- Partners will share their Welcoming Week 2026 event plans by 10 July.
- GBLIP will add a shared Welcoming Week calendar to the partner toolkit.
- The group will raise evening interpretation access as a community insight.
Follow-up
Cultural Competency in Frontline Service
Thursday 8 October 2026 · 1:00–2:30 p.m. · Online
About this training
A practical session for frontline staff on culturally responsive service: first conversations, working with interpreters, and noticing our own assumptions.
Hosted by GBLIP with the Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce. Open to partner staff and the wider community.
Before the training
After the training
- The recording and slides are added to the Knowledge Hub.
- A two-question poll: has your understanding increased, and can you apply it?
- A short follow-up survey 60 to 90 days later.
Knowledge Hub
Plans, research, toolkits, recordings and communications materials from across the partnership.
Featured
Community Action Plan 2025–2028
The shared priorities guiding the partnership’s work across Grey and Bruce.
View the plan → Research · ReportLocal Labour Market Plan 2026
Workforce trends and newcomer employment data from the Four County Labour Market Planning Board.
View report → Resources & Materials · Webinar recordingTrauma-informed frontline practice
A 58-minute session for frontline staff, with slides and a short follow-up poll.
Watch recording →Browse by category
Recently added
Browse the Knowledge Hub
7 resources shown
Decision needed · Reporting
The Project and Community Action Plan filters depend on GBLIP’s project list and how strategic tags end up working.
No resources match these filtersTry removing a filter.
Trauma-informed frontline practice
Recorded 19 August 2026 · 58 minutes · Shared by GBLIP
About this recording
Practical approaches for frontline staff supporting newcomers who may have experienced trauma: recognising signs, responding safely and knowing when to refer.
Delivered with the Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce.
Was this useful?
Confidence check for this resource
Collaboration
Three ways to work together: talk things through, find partners for a specific piece of work, or tell GBLIP what you’re seeing in the community.
5 discussions
Looking for labour market data for 2026
Does anyone have 2026 data on newcomer employment by sector in Grey and Bruce? It’s for our funding report.
Fulfilled: Sofia Duarte linked Local Labour Market Plan 2026
Interpretation options for medical appointments
What are partners using when a client needs an interpreter for a same-day appointment?
Welcoming Week 2026: what worked at your events?
Share what drew people in, what you’d change, and anything worth repeating next year.
Translated municipal welcome guides (Arabic, Ukrainian)
We’re updating our welcome packages and would rather adapt existing translations than start over.
Fulfilled: Ravi Deshpande shared the Arabic and Ukrainian versions
A shared newcomer-friendly employer pledge
Could we create a simple regional pledge and toolkit for small employers who want to hire newcomers?
No discussions matchTry another board or type.
Decision needed
The boards are examples from your feature document. Questions, resource requests and ideas are kinds of post inside them rather than separate forums. Do ideas need their own statuses, like “under review” or “planned”?
Partnership opportunities
Structured requests for another organization’s time, expertise or resources. Each records who joined and what came of it.
Decision needed
This one is flagged because interpretation is on the YMCA’s profile under what it can offer partners. Should an opportunity reach an organization by what it can offer, by the subjects it works on, or both?
Interpretation for evening health clinics
The ask: a settlement partner who can coordinate interpreters for evening appointments in Owen Sound and Hanover this winter, after families told us they were missing them.
Co-hosting a newcomer employment fair in Hanover
The ask: an employer partner and a settlement partner to co-host a spring employment fair.
Cultural safety training for our frontline team
What came of it: M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre delivered two sessions for 46 frontline staff from five partner organizations.
Community insights
Short, structured reports to GBLIP about service gaps, emerging issues, newcomer feedback and community trends. GBLIP uses them to spot patterns across the region. Please don’t include names or details that could identify a newcomer.
Decision needed
Insights post straight away, with no approval step. They are shared with all partners unless the person sending one keeps it between themselves and GBLIP. Should that private option exist — for the ones that name another partner — or should every insight be visible to everyone?
Insights shared with partners
Evening interpretation for health appointments is hard to find
Families are missing appointments after 5 p.m. when an interpreter is needed.
Rental applications asking for Canadian credit history
Several newcomer families have been turned away by landlords asking for a Canadian credit check.
More employers asking how to onboard newcomer staff
Employers are asking for practical onboarding guidance more often this quarter.
Families want weekend English conversation options
Parents working weekday shifts say evening and weekend sessions would help them take part.
Share a community insight
Tell GBLIP what you’re seeing in the community. A few sentences is enough.
Please don’t include names or details that could identify a newcomer. Describe the situation, not the person.
Thanks for sharing what you’re seeing
GBLIP staff will read it and may follow up with a question. Insights help GBLIP spot patterns across the region.
Share a Success Story
Your organization’s work helps strengthen immigrant attraction, settlement, inclusion and community belonging across Grey and Bruce. We want to hear about the difference you’re making.
- 1No formal report neededA brief description of what happened, who benefited and what changed is enough.
- 2Add detail if you have itNumbers, quotes and examples help, but they’re optional.
- 3GBLIP takes it from thereStaff review your story, and you can follow it in My Activity.
Thank you for sharing your story
Your story is now on the Success stories page, and with GBLIP staff for their reporting. You can see it, and any note from staff, in My Activity.
News
Announcements, funding opportunities, job postings and partner spotlights.
The 2026 annual partner update opens 15 September
Organization admins will be asked to confirm their profile, now including sectors, in-kind contributions and committee involvement.
Partner spotlight: M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre
How the Friendship Centre’s cultural programming creates space for community connection in Owen Sound.
LIP network update: September roundup
Highlights from Local Immigration Partnerships across Ontario, shared by GBLIP staff.
Welcoming Communities Fund now accepting applications
Applications for community-led welcoming projects close 30 October.
Settlement Worker — YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
A full-time position supporting newcomer families in Owen Sound.
My Activity
What you’ve shared, joined and completed, and how your organization is taking part.
Surveys
All surveysYour success stories
Share a storyWelcome circles helped 18 newcomer families feel at home
Your story is on the Success stories page and with GBLIP staff for their reporting. If they have a question, it will appear here and you’ll be notified.
- Shared11 September
- Read by GBLIPTagged for reporting
- In the reportUsed in GBLIP’s reporting to IRCC
Conversation circles moved online for families in rural Bruce County
Note from GBLIP: “Thank you. This will be included in our annual report to IRCC.”
Visible to partners, and used in GBLIP’s reporting.
Recognition highlights meaningful contributions to the partnership. You can see your own points and what they are going towards; nobody is ranked against anybody else.
Example · Recognition and engagement
The badge names, the Silver Partner level and the challenge all come from the examples in your feature document. The rules for earning them still need to be set.
Your badges
Some badges are earned automatically; others are awarded by GBLIP staff.
Your points
185points, from 14 contributions
- Resources shared3 × 15
- Success story1 × 25
- Meetings and events attended5 × 10
- Discussion posts and replies4 × 5
- Survey completed1 × 10
Only you and GBLIP staff see your points. They are not shown to other partners, and nobody is ranked.
Silver Partner
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce, 2026 program year, based on contributions from everyone at your organization.
Progress toward Gold. Levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Community Champion.
Workforce Integration Challenge
July to September 2026 · Employer Engagement & Workforce Integration
Share employment resources, attend Workforce meetings, share employer practices and take part in workforce surveys.
Your organization has contributed 4. There’s no leaderboard.
Surveys
Short surveys from GBLIP. They show where the partnership is starting from and what’s working.
Waiting for you
Connect Subcommittee check-in
Help shape the committee’s priorities for the next quarter.
Sent to Connect members · answers go to GBLIP staff with your name
June meeting follow-up
Was the June Connect meeting useful to your work?
Completed
Decision needed · Surveys and the baseline survey
Each survey says up front whether answers are named or anonymous. Who sees the results, and how surveys get built, are still open questions.
In this preview · Surveys and the baseline survey
Not everything needs a full survey. Quick feedback shows up where it’s useful: a “Was this useful?” rating on resources, and before-and-after questions on recordings and trainings. A follow-up survey 60 to 90 days after a training is also an option.
Thank you for your answers
Your survey has moved to Completed, in Surveys and in My Activity.
Messages
Private conversations with other partners. Nobody else can read them: not other partners, and not GBLIP staff.
- GBH Ravi Deshpande Online now Translated municipal welcome guides (Arabic, Ukrainian) Quick update on the Ukrainian guide: two phone numbers had changed, so I’ve corrected them… 1
- FC Ben Whitfield Connect and Workforce: a shared agenda item? Several employers at our last Workforce meeting asked how to onboard newcomer staff… 1
- UW Marguerite Lalonde Welcoming Week 2026 debrief You: Thanks, I’ll bring the participation numbers on the 21st.
- FC Sofia Duarte Looking for labour market data for 2026 You: That’s exactly what we needed, thank you.
Nothing archivedConversations you archive will be kept here.
Decision needed · Privacy, activity and messaging
“Online now” is the lightest take on the live chat request: no typing indicator, no “last seen”, no chat pop-up. Still outstanding with the County: whether messages count as records under FOI or retention rules, which decides what partners can be told about privacy and whether messages can be deleted.
Translated municipal welcome guides (Arabic, Ukrainian)
With Ravi Deshpande at Grey Bruce Public Health Online now
Discussion: Translated municipal welcome guides (Arabic, Ukrainian)
Hi Ravi, thanks for pointing us to the translated guides on the Connect board. Could you send the files directly? We’re updating our welcome packages this month.
Of course. I’ve added both versions to the board post so everyone can use them.
The Ukrainian one is from 2024, so I’ll check the phone numbers in it.
Quick update on the Ukrainian guide: two phone numbers had changed, so I’ve corrected them and replaced the file on the board post.
Connect and Workforce: a shared agenda item?
With Ben Whitfield at Four County Labour Market Planning Board
Committee: Workforce Subcommittee
Hi Aisha,
Several employers at our last Workforce meeting asked how to onboard newcomer staff. Could Connect and Workforce share an agenda item on it in October? I’m happy to draft something.
Who do you want to write to?
Everyone at a partner organization, and GBLIP staff. Only the two of you will be able to read the conversation.
8 people
Online now
- GBHRavi DeshpandeHealth Promoter · Grey Bruce Public Health
- OSLDana PetrieCommunity Outreach Coordinator · Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library
Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce
- CMHMarcus BellManager, Community Programs
Four County Labour Market Planning Board
- FCBen WhitfieldExecutive Director
- FCSofia DuarteResearch Analyst
GBLIP staff
- ACAlex ChenPartnership Coordinator
United Way Bruce Grey
- UWMarguerite LalondeCommunity Impact Manager
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
- YMTom FergusonCommunity Connections Coordinator
People appear here once they have a portal account. “Online now” shows only for people who haven’t turned it off.
New message
To Dana Petrie at Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library Online now
Only the two of you can read this.
Settings
Choose what you hear about, and how often. Private messages and replies to your own posts are always sent.
Search
18 results for “housing”, best match first
Showing 10 of 18. Archived documents are left out unless you ask for them.
In this preview · Search
One search covers organizations, services, documents, meetings, discussions, insights and news, with the matching words shown in context. Partners only see what they are allowed to open. Search this good needs a dedicated search plugin rather than what WordPress does on its own — worth settling early, because it changes how documents are indexed.
Staff workspace
What needs GBLIP’s attention, and where to manage each part of the portal.
This week
Added since you were last here
2 success stories, 2 community insights and 1 resource. All of it is already visible to partners.
See what partners addedAttendance to record
Workforce Subcommittee, 8 September. 9 people replied yes.
Record attendanceSurvey closing soon
Connect check-in closes Friday. 9 of 14 members have answered.
View surveyRequest to join
Hannah Beaudry asked to join the Workforce Subcommittee.
Review requestManage the portal
Partner activity
Everything partners have added, newest first. Nothing waits for approval — it is all live — so this is where staff keep up with what is arriving, tag it for reporting, and step in if something needs changing.
Decision needed · Review and approval
Nothing is held for approval here — what partners add goes live, and GBLIP keeps up with it afterwards. Approval can be switched on for a single type if one turns out to need it. Is there one?
Welcome circles helped 18 newcomer families feel at home
YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce · Aisha Karim · Shows: newcomers taking part in community life; stronger partnerships
Strategic tags and reporting marks
Decision needed · Reporting
We’ve assumed GBLIP staff add these tags when they review something, so partners never have to pick them.
Youth mentoring pairs helped newcomer teens settle into school
Launch Pad Youth Activity & Technology Centre · Kyle Brandt · Shows: better access to services
Evening interpretation for health appointments is hard to find
Grey Bruce Public Health · Ravi Deshpande · Health & Mental Health · Grey County · Shared with partners
Rental applications asking for Canadian credit history
Grey County · Ruth Ellingham · Housing · Owen Sound · GBLIP only
Library card sign-up guide for newcomers (French)
Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library · Dana Petrie · Resources & Materials · Guide
Committees & working groups
Hannah Beaudry (Municipality of Kincardine) asked to join the Workforce Subcommittee.
| Committee | Kind | Chair or lead | Members | Next meeting | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connect Subcommittee | Subcommittee | Marguerite Lalonde | 14 | 21 Sep | |
| Workforce Subcommittee | Subcommittee | Ben Whitfield | 11 | 6 Oct | |
| Data Working Group | Working group | Sofia Duarte | 7 | 14 Oct | |
| Partnership Council | Council | GBLIP | All partners | 18 Nov |
Surveys
| Survey | Sent to | Status | Responses | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connect Subcommittee check-in | Connect members | Open | 9 of 14 | 18 Sep |
| Baseline partner survey | Organization admins | Open | 14 of 22 organizations | Ongoing |
| Cultural Competency training follow-up | People who registered | Scheduled | — | 60–90 days after 8 Oct |
| Cultural safety training follow-up | Attendees | Closed | 31 of 46 | 4 Aug |
Connect Subcommittee check-in: which priorities should Connect focus on next quarter?
Decision needed · Surveys and the baseline survey
How surveys get built depends on the tool GBLIP chooses, so we haven’t shown the question editor. Anonymous surveys, reminders and people without portal accounts are still open questions.
Example · Recognition and engagement
The badges, levels and point values are examples from your feature document. Partners see their own points, badges and level; points are never shown to other partners.
Point values
Used behind the scenes to reach badges and levels. Not shown to partners.
| Activity | Points |
|---|---|
| Success story submitted | 25 |
| Referring a new partner | 20 |
| Sharing a resource | 15 |
| Committee meeting attended | 15 |
| Webinar or event attended | 10 |
| Survey completed | 10 |
| Discussion reply | 8 |
Attendance, referrals and anything that happens away from the portal can’t be counted automatically. Staff would record those.
Concept · Recognition and engagement
To set up a challenge, staff would pick the dates, a Community Action Plan priority and which activities count. Anything the portal can’t see, like taking part in a consultation, staff would record by hand. See a challenge from a partner’s side.
Reports
2026 program year
In this preview · Reporting
All of these figures are sample data. Each one is labelled with where it would come from:
Counted automaticallyRecorded by staffNeeds extra workNeeds an outside system
Are partners using the portal?
Portal engagement
- Active partner organizations19 of 22Counted automatically
- People who signed in64Counted automatically
- How often each person signs inNot yetNeeds extra work and a privacy decision
Which resources are useful?
Knowledge Hub
- Resource views1,284Counted automatically
- Downloads412Needs extra work
- Rated useful or very useful86%Needs extra work
- Video completion and time watchedNot availableNeeds YouTube or video player tracking
Are committees active?
Committees
- Committee meetings held9Counted automatically
- Average attendance11 people, 7 orgsRecorded by staff
- Posts on committee boards34Counted automatically
Who is attending meetings and events?
Meetings & events
- Portal RSVPs214Counted automatically
- Attendance recorded162Recorded by staff
- Eventbrite registrationsNot connectedNeeds Eventbrite
- Recording replays88Needs extra work
Are surveys being completed?
Capacity building
- Baseline survey14 of 22 orgsDepends on the survey tool
- Connect check-in9 of 14Depends on the survey tool
- Knowledge polls, before to after+0.8 of 5Needs extra work
Where is collaboration happening?
Collaboration
- Partnership opportunities18 posted · 7 completedCounted automatically
- Resource requests fulfilled11 of 15Needs extra work
Community insights by topic Needs extra work
Stories for IRCC reporting
Success stories: needs extra workOutcome notes: counted automatically12 accepted success stories and 7 collaboration outcome notes, filterable by theme, topic, region and Community Action Plan priority.