It's Collingwood's 'best-kept secret', but you can use it too!

Most Barrie residents aren’t calling 211 if they need help.

A report to Simcoe County Council this week revealed only 4.6 per cent of Barrie residents called the free 24/7 community information service for assistance with health care, community services, public safety and housing questions.

Barrie residents called the toll-free service 6,203 times in 2016.

The percentage of residents calling is highest – at 26.2 per cent – in Collingwood, which is where 211’s offices are located, where residents made 5,710 calls.

“It’s Collingwood’s best-kept secret,” said Innisfil Deputy Mayor Lynn Dollin. “I’ve taken bookmarks and spoke about it at council. (Information about 211) sits on our customer service desk. I always make sure I have 211 information. It’s just a matter of letting people know.”

On behalf of taxpayers in Barrie and Orillia as well as throughout the county, Simcoe County supports the community information service. For the 2017/18 fiscal year, the county grant is $30,692.

During 2016/17 – which ended Mar. 31 – calls from throughout the county totaled 16,617. Of those, 211 staff made 15,310 referrals for services related to health care, community services, legal/consumer issues, public safety and housing.

The Ontario 211 service was launched in the Simcoe region in 2005. As well as working with callers, 211 also partners with Ontario Works on a search portal, supports the Simcoe County Nutrition Network and keeps the Best Start Simcoe County map – which shows services for children ages 0 to 6 – up to date. As well, the agency is the common access and information point for individuals who need mental health and addictions supports in North Simcoe Muskoka. It also links community-based transportation providers.  

Its operational plan, however, showed it is not spending any money on outreach.

“When you look at the (numbers), there is not the awareness,” said Oro-Medonte Deputy Mayor Ralph Hough. “We don’t get any advertising on that service.”

County-wide, just under 10 per cent of households have called 211 centre in Collingwood, which is one of six regional 211 services in Ontario.

In Oro-Medonte, no calls were made to 211, as was the case in Adjala-Tosorontio and Essa.

In Orillia, 4.6 per cent of residents picked up the phone to call 211.