Communities in Action Committee
Making Haliburton County
a healthy, active, vibrant community
through active transportation.
What We Do
Based in the Haliburton Highlands in central eastern Ontario, the Communities in Action (CIA) Committee was formed in 2004 to create healthy, active communities by:
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Promoting the benefits of active transportation in a rural community
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Advocating for policies and investments that will lead to communities that are designed to support and encourage active transportation
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Doing research in order to develop an evidence-base for rural active transportation planning and implementation
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Developing partnerships with multiple sectors in order to build knowledge and capacity around active transportation
Our members include representatives from public health, economic development, seniors, transportation, and planning.
Rural Active Transportation
Why plan for active transportation in rural communities?
Promotes and encourages people to build physical activity into their daily lives
Improves safety and accessibility
Growing body of evidence that shows link between the built environment and health
Contributes to other municipal priorities such as planning for an aging population, economic development and tourism
Builds an equitable transportation system - many people cannot, do not or should not drive due to age, income, ability, choice
Provincial planning policy direction places active transportation and healthy, active communities as important considerations
Active transportation is an important part of a complete rural transportation system that ensures everyone can get where they need to go in a safe, accessible and convenient way.
Active Transportation Planning
In 2016, Communities in Action partnered with the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation on an Active Neighbourhoods Canada project that looked at how to make a section of county road outside Haliburton Village a more complete street. The project included community consultation and local professional input and resulted in a final report that recommends ways to make this road a safer and more attractive multi-modal corridor.
The Haliburton Active Transportation Plan was initially written in 2009, and updated in 2014.
Click to view the 2014 Haliburton Addendum.
The Minden Active Transportation Plan was written in 2008, and updated in 2014.
Click to view the 2014 Minden Addendum.
The County and local municipalities have made big investments that have improved infrastructure for active transportation. Click here for before and after images of Haliburton Village and here for before and after images of Minden.
Resources
The work of Communities in Action has been showcased in presentations at numerous conferences, as well as in case studies and other documents as an example of implementing active transportation in a small, rural community. Here are links to some of these resources, which provide more detailed information on the work, successes and lessons learned.
Presentation at Rural Ontario Municipal Conference (2017)
Presentation at Ontario Good Roads Association Conference (2015)
Presentation at Pro Walk Pro Bike Pro Place Conference (2014)
Landmark Case Study - Tools of Change (2012)
Creating Active Rural Communities Case Study (2008)
In 2012, the CIA completed an extensive evaluation of the impact of their work.
Full report: "Seven Years Later: Evaluating Impact on Active Transportation in Haliburton County"
Or a little lighter reading: Executive Summary
Members of the CIA have also published articles, including this one on "Community - Municipal Partnerships - working together to create healthy communities"
Here are some additional helpful resources on creating healthy rural communities including active transportation:
Resources for Small, Rural and Remote Communities
Small Town and Rural Multi-Modal Networks Guide
Healthy Rural Communities Toolkit
To find out more about cycling opportunities in the Haliburton Highlands visit Cycle Haliburton
In the News
December 11, 2017
Haliburton County Planning Committee received the Corridor Assessment Study for County Road 21 from consulting firm AECOM at their meeting on November 22. The study makes several recommendations for making the stretch of CR21 a more complete street, and better able to safely and conveniently accommodate active transportation as well as improve traffic operations. Read details and coverage in the Haliburton County Echo here.
Read the full report here.
Contact Us
​sshikaze (at) hkpr.on.ca
1-866-888-4577 x3249