About FUN

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS ORGANIZE PROVINCE-WIDE
Communities count. Civic matters.

The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods (Ontario) came into being at a founding meeting hosted by the Durand Neighbourhood Association of Hamilton on November 24, 2001. This province-wide umbrella organization of community and neighbourhood associations stemmed from common ground found during May’s “Shaping Ontario’s Neighbourhoods 2001” Symposium also hosted by Durand in Hamilton.

Community Associations from Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph and London are charter members of this fledgling organization. The objectives of F.U.N. are to promote awareness of urban issues, undertake projects which will enhance quality of life for residents of urban settings, establish a resource base for information, share expertise, represent the common interests of member organizations before public and private bodies as well as to encourage citizens to actively participate in and become informed about community and civic affairs.

Dr. Barry Wellar, University of Ottawa Professor, keynote speaker at the meeting and advisor to the Steering Committee commented on the intellect, talent and wealth of experience found in local community associations. He also noted there is no mainstream association in Ontario that is cognizant of what is going on in neighbourhoods across this province. Local associations deal with complex issues every day, including housing (affordable, student, senior etc), transportation, industrial development, economic development, land use planning, bylaw, environmental, health care and taxation issues etc.

Gloria McGinn-McTeer of London, first President of the Federation echoes Dr. Wellar’s comments. “The new governance environment resulting in municipalities being granted more responsibility and powers affects neighbourhoods in an ever-widening manner on a daily basis. The learning curve for new community associations, which often form in response to local issues, is very steep. It’s critical we support each other and spend our most valuable resource - time - encouraging an imaginative but hard-headed form of civic participation rather than each group re-inventing the wheel. New groups need to hit the ground running. Existing groups need to form partnerships.”

McGinn-McTeer is also Chair of the Urban League of London, an umbrella organization of city-wide community groups. The League has been in existence for 32 years, developing a strong reputation for education and encouraging civic responsibility, contributing to the community by sharing expertise, funding projects as well as providing support to neighbourhood groups. Ottawa’s Federation of Citizens’ Associations also provides similar connectivity for its member groups providing depth and dealing with common issues with a view to achieving a more balanced outcome.

Public participation is a critical component in our democratic society and is taken seriously by many civic-minded individuals and groups. F.U.N intends to provide some organizational structure to ensure those voices are given due consideration in turn by all levels of government.

As Harvard Professor Robert Putnam indicates: “The successful communities did not become civic simply because they were rich. They became rich because they were civic. The social capital embodied in norms and networks of civic engagement seems to be a precondition for economic development, as well as for effective government. Development economists note: civic matters.”

While the Federation continues with its membership drive, it expects to assist community associations throughout the province. Assistance will include helping with the formation of groups in urban centers Ontario-wide. F.U.N aims to establish a system for transferring knowledge, sharing resource materials and evaluating purposes and results of government and non-government initiatives, which affect the quality of life, and level of public participation in Ontario’s urban neighbourhoods.