FAQs

Engage Brant is your online space to connect, share ideas, and provide feedback on projects and initiatives happening in the County of Brant. Whether it’s shaping future parks, improving services, inspiring new programs, or helping to build inclusive communities, your voice matters!

This easy-to-use platform brings public engagement online, giving you a chance to learn about what’s happening in the County and participate in meaningful conversations – all at your convenience. You can explore project updates, take surveys, join discussions, simply stay informed, and more. 

Register at EngageBrant.ca/register to be able to fully participate in all available projects. 

Read the Privacy Policy to learn what personal information we collect from you, why we collect it, who has access to it, how you can update that information, and how we protect your information.

Read the Terms of Use to understand the legal terms and conditions of using the site. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of the Terms of Use, then you may not access the site or use any of its services.   

Read the Moderation Policy to learn the rules for using this site, how we moderate comments, and read some suggestions on having respectful and constructive conversation on this site.

Read the Accessibility Statement to learn about accessibility features on this site and what to do if you have difficulty using the site.

Click “Register” at the top right-hand corner of any page on Engage Brant. Follow the instructions to choose a username, enter your email address, and choose a password. Select the community you live in. This helps us to better understand which communities we're reaching. Click the 'Register' button to submit your registration.

You’ll get an email to confirm the email address you used to register. Follow the prompts. Once confirmed, whenever you visit Engage Brant, click “Sign In” at the right-hand corner of the screen.

You can explore the different projects on the Engage Brant platform. Each project page offers interactive tools such as surveys, polls, virtual maps, and others, where you can share your thoughts, ideas, and questions.

When you participate in an engagement opportunity on Engage Brant, like a survey or idea board, your responses are sent to the staff member leading the project and are combined with those from in-person activities, where applicable. 

This feedback and input will help inform the staff member’s decision-making or, depending on the project, used to help inform a recommendation to Council who will make the final decision. 

It is also important to note that responses received through Engage Brant also become part of the public record.

Absolutely! We encourage residents to engage in multiple projects that interest them. Your involvement helps ensure diverse perspectives are represented in all areas of the County’s work.

When the project is live, engagement will be monitored on a regular basis. Questions will be reviewed and answered a timely manner with staff aiming to respond within three (3) business days.

Contact support@engagementhq.com for help with any technical issues with the site.

Help us improve engagement! Tell us about your experience with community engagement in the County or using Engage Brant, and share any feedback by emailing engage@brant.ca.

Community engagement framework is a structured approach that guides how the County of Brant involves residents, businesses, and community partners in decision-making processes. It provides a clear set of principles, policies, processes, and tools to ensure that public input is gathered effectively, transparently, and meaningfully.

Read the County of Brant's Community Engagement Framework.

The public engagement framework helps the County of Brant connect with you in a clear, fair, and consistent way. It provides a guide for how we gather input from the people who live, work, and play in the County, ensuring all voices have an opportunity to be heard in decisions that impact them.

Community Engagement is a process that creates opportunities for you, members of the community, to become involved in decision making by County of Brant Council and Staff with regards to County policies, programs, projects, and services. 

When you participate in community engagement processes and activities you contribute your valuable feedback, perspective, and insight to help shape the future of the County. 

When you share your thoughts with us, you’re shaping the services, policies, and programs that directly impact you. With your input, we’ll build a Public Engagement Framework and Policy that makes engagement more transparent, accessible, and meaningful for everyone.

When you engage with us, you help shape decisions that improve our community.

✅ Your Voice is Heard: Your input influences decision-making and shapes County initiatives.
✅ Programs and services that fit your needs: Your feedback will help us deliver what matters most to you and your family.
✅ Support for local business: Business feedback strengthens our local economy.
✅ Stronger Community Connections: Engagement brings us closer together, creating a connected and supportive community.

The County of Brant is committed to engaging with the community when your input can genuinely shape, inform, or influence the outcome of decisions or projects that impact you. We will engage with you to:

• Gather insights about priorities and concerns related to community initiatives 
• Inform the creation of new projects, policies, or programs
• Get feedback about existing projects, policies, or programs 
• Fulfill a Council resolution or legislated requirement 

Certain legislation, such as the Municipal Act and Environmental Assessment Act, outlines the minimum requirements for when municipalities must seek input from the community. In the County of Brant, we strive to go beyond these legal requirements by creating additional opportunities for meaningful community engagement.

There are many ways to take part in engagement:

✅ Participate in surveys and online opportunities through Engage Brant – Have your say at your convenience.
✅ Attend public meetings, open houses and other in-person and virtual activities.
✅ Use your experience and expertise by joining committees or working groups to help guide important decisions.
✅ Register with Engage Brant – Stay up to date on engagement opportunities and projects.

We advertise engagement opportunities in a wide variety of ways depending on the project or initiative, using approaches that are appropriate and accessible for the residents most affected by the issue. Some projects, like construction or development projects, also have specific requirements they must follow, for example, sending letters to affected residents. 

Here are some ways to stay informed about engagement opportunities:

• Register for an Engage Brant account to get notified of new opportunities as soon as they are available.
• Subscribe specifically to the Engage Brant projects that matter most to you by adding your email to the "Stay Informed" box on a specific page and click ‘Subscribe'.
• Subscribe to County news and receive the most current information about what’s happening in the County.

Discover all the ways we engage! 

We are committed to inclusive and equitable community engagement. Our focus is on eliminating barriers from participation, ensuring those who are most affected are actively included, measuring our progress through demographic data collection, and committing to ongoing relationship-building and engagement.  

We use a wide variety of approaches for engaging the community, selecting engagement methods, tools, and techniques based on the specifics of the issue or project.  

Decision-making in the County of Brant is complex and may involve a unique mix of considerations.

While all feedback is carefully considered, it’s important to remember that we must balance your input with factors like different levels of government, resource constraints, long-term impacts, environmental needs, legal guidelines, financial considerations, and the needs of the entire community. The County’s goal is to always make the most informed decisions by considering ALL these aspects together.

Our decisions will aim to create the greatest benefits, minimize negative impacts, and promote equity, while working to address the needs of our growing and diverse community.

We aim to make all engagement opportunities inclusive. If you require accommodations or need assistance, please contact Dana Steane, Public Consultation Specialist, or Suzie Keczan, Director of Communications and Public Relations, so we can provide the necessary support.

You can register to receive new project and engagement event notifications as soon as they are available by creating an Engage Brant account at EngageBrant.ca/Register. 

In addition, you can follow us on social media @BrantCommunity or check the County of Brant website for news updates.