What's New!
The Dufferin Not-For-Profit Support and Capacity Building Project is a two-year pilot to support Dufferin's not-for-profit, social service sector and to fund projects that will lead to more effective and sustainable service delivery.
This collaborative project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Our Leadership Group includes: 
- Community Living Dufferin
- The Orangeville Highlands Rotary Club
- Headwaters Communities in Action
- The County of Dufferin
- The Shelburne Rotary Club
- The Amaranth Lions Club
- The Shelburne Lions Club
- The Orangeville Lions Club
Learn more and access the 2010 NFP Support and Capacity-Building Grant Application here.
Well-being Report
We asked and You answered!
Thank you for helping shape your community!
In the Fall, we invited people living and/or working in the Headwaters Region to take part in HCIA's first-ever survey and more than 400 of you did!
Your answers -- along with input from 5 focus groups -- are helping us better understand what folks see as contributing to -- and challenging -- the well-being of our community.
The summary of the Headwaters Well-being Report survey and focus groups is now available. Here are some highlights to whet your appetite:
Survey
When asked: List two reasons why this area is a good place to live/work?, survey results revealed 3 core themes:
- Theme 1: Small town feel; safe, quiet, and friendly community.
- Theme 2: Rural, beautiful area; clean air and water
- Theme 3: Close to amenities; both locally and in nearby urban areas (shops, arts, sport activities)
When asked: List two reasons why this area is not a good place to live/work, survey results also revealed 3 core themes:
- Theme 1: Higher paying jobs
- Theme 2: More medical services and amenities (e.g. better shopping, high speed internet, day care)
- Theme 3: Issues related to the built environment, including development that threatens areas assets (e.g. safe, clean, friendly), inadequate public transportation within towns and to urban areas to the south, dependence on cars, and winter road conditions)
Three Reports
Focus Group participants helped deepen our understanding of the survey results and identifying the core themes that tell the story of community well-being in the Headwaters area.
We used the survey and focus group input to outline a series of 3 proposed Community Well-Being Reports. Each Report highlights and measures a different theme about community well-being. Together the 3 reports will provide a comprehensive profile of community well-being in the Headwaters area.
Building A Better Quality of Life Together
Headwaters Communities in Action strives to attain the best quality of life for those who live and work in Dufferin County and surrounding areas. We do this by bringing people together across many sectors to explore new ways of mobilizing our region's assets.
HEALTHY PEOPLE
- Strengthening our health and social services
- Providing excellent sport and recreation services
- Encouraging healthy lifestyles
DYNAMIC ECONOMY
- Vibrant and diverse local economy
- Fair wages
- Educational and employment opportunities
- Affordable housing
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
- Protecting and responsibly managing our built and natural environment
- Minimizing our impact on the environment
- Stewarding our natural resources
VIBRANT CULTURE
- Respecting our heritage
- Encouraging artistic and cultural expression
ENGAGED CITIZENS
- Nurturing a shared sense of community
- Honouring diversity and inclusion
Outstanding Grantee
Headwaters Communities in Action has been recognized by the Ontario Trillium Foundation as a outstanding grantee for 2007 and was awarded the Grant Review Team Chair's award to acknowledge our success in engaging and mobilizing volunteers.
The success of Headwaters Communities in Action is due to the efforts of a vibrant leadership team, a core group of dedicated volunteers, and numerous project partners.

Want to Know More?
We welcome your involvement! Keep up-to-date on the progress of our project, sign up for our e-newsletter. Explore our Connect page for tangible ways for you to get involved.



