Prince Edward Learning Centre hosted “lean-in” sessions on land trusts and affordable housing, in partnership with Thrive PEC. This was part of a series of public events taking a closer look at building community wealth through land trusts, community bonds and community benefit agreements.

Rosemarie Powell from the Toronto Community Benefit Network joined Thrive PEC to share about the work they do and answer questions from the community, full video available on Thrive PEC’s Youtube Channel.

A Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) is a legally enforced agreement on construction, infrastructure and development projects for specific social value outcomes like hiring, training, or procurement that ensures projects enhance social, cultural, environmental, and economic opportunities for the community.

Rosemarie Powell is a passionate advocate for social, economic and environmental justice and is currently the Executive Director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN). She has led for over 20 years from the grassroots up, managing and developing several innovative and impactful community programs and services to support under-represented group’s access to the labour market. Her community engagement work in Jane Finch earned several awards for leadership and imagination. The Toronto Community Benefits Network, is a community/labour coalition of over 120 member organizations which initiated successful Community Benefits Agreements for the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT transit projects, West Park Healthcare Centre and Woodbine Casino expansion.

We are learning from the CBA Network in Toronto, and continuing to hear about other community benefit projects across Canada. How can we connect on community benefits here? Comment below or reach out to community@thrivepec.ca