PEC Community Benefits network launches with focus on needs

Two sugar maples were planted at Pinecrest to commemorate the partnership. Among those participating and observing were Christine Durant (project implementation lead), Kathy Kennedy (PELC executive director), Eoin Callan (representing Thrive PEC) and Ken How (Pinecrest Housing). Several folks attended from the team at Pinecrest Housing, including affordable housing developer Phil Spry, along with members of the Community Benefits Network, Bloomfield/Hallowell Councillor Brad Nieman and Adam Goheen, interim CAO for the municipality.

The PEC Community Benefits Network – a coalition of residents, advocates, and more than two dozen community groups and local agencies – officially launched this week to offer a road map to guide public and private investments to meet community needs — socially, economically and environmentally.

The network will use Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), formal partnerships negotiated between developers and community stakeholders.

The first CBA to be signed with Pinecrest Housing (formerly known as LoveSong) was formalized this week with a letter of intent.

The letter of intent was signed by Ken How of Pinecrest Housing and Eoin Callan (executive director of Community Futures), signing on behalf of Thrive PEC. Other members of the Pinecrest Housing team joined in the photograph.

“The not-for-profit housing initiative at the former Pinecrest School reflects values that are closely aligned with the community-defined goals set out in the Community Benefits Framework,” said Gillian Armstrong, Interim Director of the County Foundation.

“The development anticipates 50 units, (about 412 square feet each), of affordable housing for seniors, along with the creation of a community hub. The volunteer-led group has also committed to prioritizing local hiring, and creating opportunities for people facing barriers to employment, including women, people with disabilities, BIPOC residents, and economically marginalized individuals.”

“When we work together, we are stronger,” said Pinecrest Housing Project Facilitator Ken How. “I’ve done enough team sports in my life to know a team works better together.”

The Pinecrest website notes design and preparatory work was well underway in 2022 and the main renovation phase is due to start late summer 2025 with completion in the fall of 2026. The Pinecrest team, and Springdale Developments, last fall told County council they were focused on overcoming challenges with getting the $14 million in funding required to start construction.

The aim of the Pinecrest Housing project is to provide at 50-55 affordable housing suites to seniors who are at an increased safety risk in their homes, but who can still live independently with varying levels and the right mix of support services.

Developers will be encouraged to integrate “framework goals” into their projects with commitments such as local hiring and procurement, affordable units, sustainable building practices, and community assets such as daycare and recreational spaces.

The project is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.

The framework is based on community-defined priorities shaped through Thrive PEC, a community development initiative that ran a year-long local engagement process involving consultation, asset mapping and collaboration. Further community consultations around development have been led by Thrive’s implementation partner, Prince Edward Learning Centre (PELC).

“The County anticipates more than 8,000 new housing units over the next two decades, along with major public projects like a new school, hospital and long-term care facility,” said PELC Executive
Director Kathy Kennedy. “We have a unique opportunity to ensure development delivers meaningful community impact.”

The County Foundation is one of three primary partners representing Thrive PEC, along with the municipality, and Community
Futures.

“The result is a clear set of goals, based on community priorities, to help shape site-specific agreements with developers,” added Armstrong. “The PEC Community Benefits Framework marks a shift in how rural communities approach growth, placing community leadership, shared goals, and long-term impact at the heart of development.”

Christine Durant, who is the program co-ordinator with Thrive PEC and PELC, and the project implementation lead, said “We’ve consulted extensively to learn how other community benefits networks have harnessed development that’s already happening, to create tangible social goods for the community,”

The Community Benefits framework is soon to be available online at thrivepec.ca/community-benefits-framework