Simon Fraser University

NGOs on a Northern Frontier

This is an ethnographic study of citizen engagement in community development in the town of Cobalt, Ontario (population 1200). Cobalt was incorporated three years after the discovery of silver in 1903. In its heyday it was the most important mining site in Canada, but has not been a significant mining town for more than half a century.


Like many small towns in the developed and developing world, Cobalt relies upon active citizen participation and strong non-governmental organizations to sustain a vibrant community life. This research has shown that municipal government can encourage or discourage citizen engagement through its practices and structures. In Cobalt, the Town Council succeeded in involving residents in many standing committees and short-term projects, such as the volunteer fire department, recreation, arts and culture activities, and annual festivals.


Waiting for the parade to begin, Centennial Miner's Festival, August 2006 (c. photo by Peter Hall)
Waiting for the parade to begin, Centennial Miner's Festival
© PV Hall, 2006


The town is known for its strong social capital which helped it survive many years of economic decline. Residents of the town are justifiably proud of their high level of public services which include transit, recycling, an experimental natural sewage treatment facility, public library, three museums, parks, street lighting and arena. Yet, in the last decade municipalities like Cobalt have come under pressure to take on more obligations, and to compete for funding to meet these responsibilities. Instead of citizen volunteers, the new funding environment favours consultants and grant-writers. Despite the best intentions of these development professionals, this process undermines active engagement of ordinary citizens in the development process.


Cobalt
© PV Hall, 2006


The Town of Cobalt is trying to establish itself as a heritage tourism destination. This research is also looking at these efforts in relation to changes in the funding environment and to citizen engagement.

The lessons from this research will benefit:

  • civic organizations
  • municipal government
  • federal, provincial and private funding agencies
  • development professionals

The Principal Investigator on this project is Dr Pamela Stern, with co-PI, Dr Peter Hall. The project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and runs from 2005 to 2008.