The Town of Petrolia and the Bluewater Health Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital (CEEH) collaborated on a unique planning project. Instead of working in isolation, the Town and the Hospital both understood the potential of creating a plan that considers community wellbeing first, and determined that by working together they would have a greater positive impact on Petrolia and the surrounding region. The Petrolia / CEEH Master Plan has two focus areas: first is the Town of Petrolia and its physical environment, which will lead to a Community Master Plan; and, the second focus area is the CEEH, which will lead to a Hospital Master Plan.
Eight design directions were established through community consultation for the concurrent development of the City Master Plan and Hospital Master Plan for the Petrolia Health Care Village.
Improving sidewalks, planting native street trees, and adding benches will allow more people to use and enjoy the spaces.
Improving sidewalks, planting native street trees, and adding benches will allow more people to use and enjoy the spaces.
The Town of Petrolia and Bluewater Health CEEH Master Plan ProjectCollaboration leads to a healthier community
Community and municipal engagement
Hospital engagement with stakeholders such as maintenance staff, clinical staff, patient representatives, and hospital leadership was augmented by a city-wide engagement strategy.
Community and municipal engagement
The Town of Petrolia engagement process included a forum for local high school students, sessions with community members that utilized the Community Wellbeing Framework, and an open house where community members were invited to bring ideas and concerns to the design team, community leaders, and hospital leadership.
A Community Wellbeing Master Plan
The Town was provided with a decision-making framework and initiatives to improve community wellbeing and help manage the demands placed on healthcare infrastructure. The planning team’s scope of work included extensive engagement of stakeholders to craft a vision and design principles; determining objectives; developing policy frameworks to guide built form, open space, and movement; and make recommendations for the successful implementation of the Plan.
Holistic health
The approach adopts a holistic view of health (considering social, mental, and environmental factors for health / wellbeing), and has the potential to shift a reactive approach to healthcare delivery that focuses on treating illness, to a proactive approach that enables healthier lifestyles and improved conditions where people can flourish.