Examining Community Capacity and Resilience Post-Outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario

Abstract

Most disaster management studies only assess community resilience immediately following the event with no further follow-up. Accordingly, there is a lack of research being conducted to determine whether communities truly recover over time after a disaster strikes. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine the different factors and dimensions that facilitate or hinder community resilience more than a decade post-disaster using present day Walkerton, Ontario (16 years after the effects of the 2000 water contamination outbreak). This exploratory study utilized an interpretive description qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of 29 Walkerton community members. The data were transcribed verbatim and coded using conventional content analysis to identify themes inductively. Several barriers and enabling factors were identified in maintaining community resilience under non-crisis conditions in the community. A conceptual model was developed based on the study’s findings to demonstrate the application of the life course approach within an existing community resilience framework. This model contributes to the field of disaster management in demonstrating the various ways that a disaster affects the subsequent life course of individuals post-disaster. It highlights the need to integrate a community-centred approach in disaster management to yield more effective and efficient mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery strategies.