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By Brook Lahey
Brook is a cooperative student at Focus Media Arts centre

The Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) held their weekly meeting via Zoom. The discussion revolved around the scheduling of future meetings. The facilitator of this meeting was Ismail Mohammed, other speakers included Joel Klassen, Sarah Jane, Leah Katerberg, Walied Khogali Ali, Michael Rosenberg, Murshida Samsun Mueen, and Gail Lynch.

The Regent Park Social Development Plan, also known as the SDP, is a community-wide initiative aimed at fostering unification and community collaboration. The social development plan is constructed by four areas of priority; these include the community building working table, the safety network, employment and economic development, and lastly, the communication table.

The group discussed concerns related to facilitating the activities of the Community Benefits Overnight Working Group (CBO), Employment and Economic Development Working Group (EED), Access to Recreation and the Evaluation and Benchmark Committee. The group  discussed the frequency and timing of meetings, specifically alternating between afternoon and evening sessions. Additionally, a vote is taken to decide if the group should return to weekly meetings.

Another key discussion concerned the upcoming stakeholders' meeting, specifically the date and planning. It was decided that the planning will be done at the planning committee meetings rather than at a separate meeting.

Group members also mentioned what the agenda for the November stakeholders' meeting would be. The final round of discussions centred on updates for future meetings and whether not to shift to hybrid in-person or virtual meetings in the future.

The Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) is a crucial component of the revitalization effort. The significance of the Regent Park Social Development Plan includes the following concerns: Community Revitalization, Housing Diversity, Community Engagement, Economic Opportunities: Cultural and Social Integration, and Long-term Sustainability.