By Dawar Naeem
Dawar is a journalist with the Focus Media Arts Centre

The SDP Stakeholders Table is the main decision-making body responsible for the implementation of Social Development Plan in Regent Park. The Stakeholders Committee meets four times yearly.

Intended to be a coalition of stakeholders serving or residing in Regent Park. The SDP Stakeholders Table is open to anyone including market and TCHC residents, Agencies, Grassroots Groups, Faith Groups and businesses located in or serving Regent Park, TCHC and its development partners, City of Toronto, and elected representatives serving Regent Park.

While membership is open to all, voting privileges are restricted to residents and stakeholder groups who are actively involved on the various working committees of the SDP. The working committees are communications, community building, safety, employment & economic development, funding, and evaluation and benchmarks. The SDP Stakeholders Table is coordinated by a planning committee.

On June 21st 2022, a hybrid & in-person meeting of the Regent Park Stakeholders Table took place at the CSI Community Living Room located on the first floor of Daniels Spectrum and it was live-streamed on Zoom and the Regent Park TV Youtube Channel.

The meeting was chaired by Ismail Afrah- the TCHC resident co-chair, Marlene Degenova the Market resident co-chair, and Greg Gary, the Executive Director of Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club representing the Executive Directors Network.
 
Marlene commenced the meeting by welcoming all in attendance and presenting the meeting's agenda. Denise Soueidan-O’Leary expressed words of gratitude and did the land acknowledgement.

An update about the SDP transparency of process for the Community Benefits Oversight Working Group Selection Process was given by Walied Khogali Ali. Walied answered questions from the community about the recruitment process.

The second item of the agenda was a decision-making item regarding strategic planning with a presentation given by Deany Peters explaining the request and ask from the planning committee. After Deany’s presentation, the meeting was opened up for questions and clarifications. After some discussion, concerns and objections to build consensus on creating a strategic planning committee, it was decided to hold the item for next stakeholders table meeting.

Greg Gary introduced Anti-Racism Action Program presented on Zoom by Amal. After Amal’s Anti-Racism Action Program presentation, Marlene De Genova introduced the presentations by the four working groups.
 
The Employment & Economic Development was shared on zoom and presented by the Employment & Economic Development Lead Brian Eng. The group announced the Night Market through the City of Toronto focused on equity start-up women micro-entrepreneurs. The Night Market will happen on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August.

Ines Garcia, Lloyd Pike, Lizette Cassoule and Sadjia shared updates and their experiences as members of the safety network. The last presentation was shared by the communications group. Adonis Huggins, Ibrahim Afrah, Denise Soueidan-O’Leary and the SDP promotion team gave an update about their activities and on-going projects.

The stakeholders table meeting ended with the announcement of Sunday in the Park coming back this year to Regent Park in the month of August.