Loyalist College
EN-9: Community Partnerships

Loyalist College was a member of the organizing committee for the Quinte Bike Summit in 2014 - a two-day event that aimed to spur a dialogue about how to foster a cycling culture in the region and build support for cycling infrastructure development. The event was spearheaded by the local health unit, a local cycling advocacy group and other community stakeholders.

Loyalist College is a member of the Healthy Communities Partnership which is made up of local organizations and individuals who have a commitment to advancing effective and sustainable policy to enhance the health of people living in Hastings and Prince Edward counties. The Partnership is part of a province-wide initiative funded by the Government of Ontario which aims to provide greater opportunities for organizations and citizens to work together to build communities that make healthy eating and active living easier. In September 2014, Loyalist attended the Partnership’s Healthy Eating & Active Living Policy Action Planning Workshop. The College has a strong collaborative partnership with the Quinte Business Development Centre which is located on campus. The Centre is made up of a group of business development related organizations that offer a variety of services to improve economic prosperity in the region. Loyalist has also partnered with Habitat-PEH to build homes for those in need. Loyalist co-organized and provided financial support for the region's first Repair Café in 2014 with community partners Quinte Waste Solutions and Bay of Quinte Region and continued this collaborative partnership again in 2015. Citizen volunteers were also involved with hosting the event. The Repair Café is open to all residents and aims to encourage people to rethink throwing away their damaged or broken household items and divert waste from landfill by providing repair services on site at the event. The Café also aims to build community and social capital, encourage citizen engagement and promote local repair businesses. Loyalist College representatives from Student Government and the Sustainability Committee are members of Belleville on Bikes - a local cycling awareness group. This is an ongoing collaboration that addresses both environmental and social dimensions of sustainability through the promotion of an affordable and environmentally responsible form of transportation. Loyalist College members support the planning, execution and promotion of BoB's events and initiatives.