Cobourg, ON (June 19, 2024) – The Legislative Services Division is delighted to announce that the Town of Cobourg has received the Outstanding Institutional Contribution Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for its involvement in FCM’s International Programs.
In 2022 the Town of Cobourg, was selected as a participant in the Partnerships for Municipal Innovation - Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) project in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). To date, Cobourg, in cooperation with the City of Kitchener, has contributed to three missions to Sri Lanka, to enhance women's role in local government and inclusivity of municipal services.
The missions allowed Town employees to participate with international and Canadian partners in trainings and education seminars on policy development for greater inclusion to ensure a more inclusive and gender-responsive approach in local governments. The Town was able to provide trainings on some of its resources on women in local government initiatives and public participation using GBA+ engagement methods. 26% of program participants hailed from marginalized groups, underlining FCM’s commitment to equity and inclusion
“These experiences have been extremely impactful and have allowed staff to participate in dynamic capacity building and networking initiatives with participating country partners spanning a diverse group of more than 2000 women,” says Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty. “Through mission work and correspondence with fellow municipalities, the Town of Cobourg has gained best practices and learned alternative approaches to common challenges that are occurring in Ontario municipal governments.”
Through their mission work, Town employees learned a lot about local Sri Lanka communities’ challenges. These are similar to those that local communities face when it comes to homelessness, the cost of living, substance dependency and climate change. All relating back to enhancing Women in local government, policy changes for greater inclusion, inclusive municipal services, and global collaboration.
Deputy Mayor, Nicole Beatty and Director of Legislative Services, Brent Larmer were present to receive the award at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities AGM which took place at the end of the FCM Annual Conference and Trade Show. Held under the theme Redefining our Future, the 2024 FCM Conference provided delegates with an opportunity to explore how local municipalities can build a future that provides Canadians with the best services and enhanced quality of life. In response to the challenges facing municipalities of all sizes across the country, FCM is championing a new Municipal Growth Framework, a new way to empower municipalities to withstand the challenges they face today and in the future.
For additional information about the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the PMI-WILL project visit https://fcm.ca/en