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April 30, 2026

Kate Ingram | Manager, Communications

How Communications Helped Reduce Online Incivility During a Major Downtown Infrastructure Project

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Beautiful Downtown Port Hope

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The Project

    • 100-year-old infrastructure replacement - sewer, water, storm systems
    • Upgrades to streetscape and pedestrian accessibility
    • Three-Phase Project
      • Phase 1 - Residential only
      • Phase 2 - Commercial area (some residential)
      • Phase 3 - Transition (mixed residential and commercial)

Walton Street Reconstruction Project: 2023-2025

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The Challenges

FEAR OF BUSINESS LOSS

HIGH EMOTION

LOW TRUST

NO CLEAR COMMS CHANNEL

!

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Priorities & Strategies

Priorities

Strategies for Success

Empathy with a dash of humour

  • Build the audience�
  • Gain trust�
  • Support community resilience�
  • Be the trusted source

Consistency

Listen and Learn

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Tactic 1: Information Ecosystem

Primary Channels

Dedicated Project Webpage

Dedicated Social Media

Continuous Engagement

Weekly Recap Posts

Active Responses

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Tactic 2: Strategic Tone

The Approach

Human Voice

Empathy & Humour

A dash of wit

Explain the "Why"

Humanize the Team

Showcasing the people

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Thank You

porthope.ca

Kate Ingram

Manager, Communications

kingram@porthope.ca