01 Oct 30 Community Leaders Selected as Ontario Community Changemakers for Their Innovative Ideas to Improve Their Communities
30 leaders from Ontario will receive $ 5,000 to implement their project idea, leadership development training from 8 80 Cities, and peer-to-peer networking with other grassroots community champions. The 2024 program will run from October 2024 to September 2025, including a 2-day Studio in Toronto. The changemakers will have 12 months to implement their projects. They will receive ongoing training and capacity building from the team at 8 80 Cities and a network of international public space experts.
The program is powered by 8 80 Cities with funding from Balsam Foundation.
This year, the program was opened to anyone aged 19 and above. 8 80 Cities added 10 more spots, expanding the cohort to 30 changemakers. The reason for doing this is that many people get aged out of the youth funding category by the time they figure out their capacity and project ideas.
“We have realized that older people are re-imagining their potential and need support for their goals,and we want to be that support for these groups of people,” says Jiya Benni, Project Manager at 8 80 Cities.
“This is also very much in alignment with our vision of cities being places for people to grow up and grow old in. As an organization, we believe our communities need and depend on changemakers of all age groups.”
We received 285 applications this time and there was an overwhelming number of applications from people of BIPOC and LGBTQ2SIA+ backgrounds, as well as individuals with lived experiences who are currently underrepresented in the placemaking sector, from communities of all sizes, including rural areas, small towns, cities, and First Nations territories within Ontario.
“We are thrilled that the Ontario Community Changemakers program has become a platform for community leaders from diverse backgrounds and geographies, including those in small communities. Over the years, 15% of eligible applicants came from rural Ontario. We are keen to continue supporting changemakers from rural communities and communities in Northern Ontario like Thunder Bay, Rainy River and beyond,” said Amanda O’Rourke, Executive Director of 8 80 Cities.
The 30 participants will meet in Toronto on October 26 and 27 for the Ontario Community Changemakers Studio. This immersive two-day learning opportunity includes city tours, workshops, presentations, and meetings with local grassroots community leaders. The Changemakers will have the chance to build relationships with alumni and peers and work through their project ideas with support and coaching from 8 80 Cities. The program also features ongoing virtual coaching and capacity building throughout the one-year granting period.
To learn more about the program, visit Ontario Community Changemakers.
Meet the 2024 Ontario Community Changemakers
Robel Adugna, Scarborough
On The Horizon Showcase
On The Horizon Showcase will highlight the wide range of artistic talents in the Ethiopian & Eritrean community in Toronto. From music to dance to art to photography, the project aims to display some of their fine work as an inspiration to the community.
Mushtari Afroz, Pickering
Imagine There’s No Quota
The public art project, developed through research, community participation, and a pilot audio-walk installation, will honour those who were killed or injured by the last ruling party’s genocidal tactics during the July-August 2024 revolution in Bangladesh, which advocated for education and employment reforms and broader social changes.
Nancy Angus, Thunder Bay
Park Your Stories: Storytelling in the GRAND Outdoors
Park your Stories: Storytelling in the GRAND Outdoors is a story circle concept where chairs are provided in a park for a group of older adults or GRANDS to shape and share stories.
Nicholai Avigdor Melamed, Barrie
Taste of Barrie: Community Through Cuisine
An art project highlighting local, family-owned ethnic food stores, their cuisine, and the cultural connections they represent to the broader Barrie community.
Phil Cargill, Brampton
Golf & Chill – Let’s Play & Vibe
Through a series of golf clinics tailored for BIPOC youth & interactive workshops with a psychotherapist, this project will help youth learn stress management techniques, mindfulness practices, & positive mental health strategies.
Victoria Davis, Toronto
CommUNITY HUB Outreach
This project will occur mere steps away from the busiest intersection in the core of downtown Toronto and aims to foster relationships between volunteer leaders and houseless community members through gardening and sharing pathways to support.
Jen Gadoua, Kitchener
Ontario Adaptive Mountain Biking – Intro Riding Weekend
This project seeks to create an adaptive mountain biking weekend retreat for new riders from Ontario who until recently have been travelling to get coaching and riding practice in Alberta and British Columbia.It activates public space by people with disabilities being active in the outdoors.
Hannah Gardiner, Waterloo
Experimenting with Microparades in Waterloo Region
This project is a nostalgic return to an enduring community ritual: parades. Parades remind us of the value of coming together in a public space without a ‘purpose’ or ‘aim.’ For this project, Hannah will research, develop and host a “micro-parade” in a public space and build a digital resource outlining the process to encourage others to host their own.
Zwena Gray, Peterborough
Queer Ecology Hikes
Queer Ecology Hikes are an invitation to explore nature through a queer lens. These guided hikes create space for community connection and conversation, exploring themes of reciprocity, consent, and the fluidity of nature.
Asya Gunduz, Toronto
Lubun TO Community Education and Engagement Project
The LubunTO Community Education and Engagement Project aims to organize community listening sessions to define the needs of LubunTO community members – LGBTQ+ immigrants from Turkey – and eventually create a work plan and a resource kit to improve their settlement knowledge and self-advocacy practices.
Sureya Ibrahim, Toronto
Healing the Community
The project aims to support mothers who have lost their children from gun violence and heal with like-minded individuals. The project does this through healing trips to places outside the community alongside a therapist.
Rubyyy Jones, Paris
The Save RubyyyJones Revue: QUEER BASH
The Save Rubyyy Jones Revue QUEER BASH is a four-part project which includes: a public workshop exploring civic population opinions of small-town living, existence and violence against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a rehearsal process with rural 2SLGBTQIA+ folks to create solo, micro-theatre around their experiences of existing, surviving and/or thriving and then a performance of these precious and provocative experiences and expressions, plus a digital archive of the entire process found under #QueerBash2024.
Jasmyne Julies, Bowmanville
Your Story Matters
Your Story Matters is a youth-serving project that combines traditional listening circles with modern workshop techniques. The purpose of these circles is to build community connections, foster healing, and inspire the creation of personal comic book stories. Following the circles, youth will have the opportunity to publish their own comic book stories.
Don Kwan, Ottawa
Focus on Chinatown
The Mapping Memory Project will activate Ottawa’s Chinatown by displaying historical photos in storefront windows, showcasing key moments and individuals from the neighborhood’s past. Public unveilings will include seniors and their families alongside current business owners, deepening connections with Chinatown’s history.
Monica Loney, Barrie
Transformative Power of Public Art
Working with vulnerable sectors of the community to encourage creative expression and give a voice to a cause, a public art piece will be created. By providing an avenue to develop skills and empower for change, the project’s goal is to break down barriers and stigmas within the community.
Sanaaj Mirrie, Pickering
Groove by the Lake
This project aims to activate the lakefront with Afro-Caribbean dancing and culture. Not only will members of the Afro-Caribbean community join in, but they also aim to attract others from different cultures to take part, whether one time or on a more consistent basis.
Dokun Nochirionye, Sudbury
Sudbury African Literacy Project (S.A.L.P)
The Sudbury African Literacy Project (S.A.L.P) brings African culture and heritage to life in Sudbury through literacy. They engage families, children, and youth in creative and cultural experiences to foster literary and communication skills, inclusivity, and respect while nurturing pride in the African heritage.
Nneka Perry, Scarborough
Beautifully Minded
Beautifully Minded is inspired by Nneka Perry’s personal experience with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Her mother, Joan, has been battling this condition for over four years, and it has been progressing rapidly. This project is dedicated to her and aims to create supportive spaces that specifically address the unique needs of Black communities dealing with Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
Phoenyx/Nyx, Hamilton
Farm to Table Food Access Project
The Farm to Table Food Access Project aims to provide equitable access to fresh, affordable food in Hamilton’s food deserts, particularly Downtown and the North End. Community members will place orders for locally sourced produce from farmers at the Hamilton Farmers Market, paying what they can afford.
Dolly Roul, Ottawa
Culture, Land and Joy – Black Youth Gathering
‘Culture, Land & Joy – Black Youth Gathering’ offers Black youth a free and transformative 4-day experience on the land. It will focus on cultural heritage, wellness, play & the inner child, and community building.
Chloe Sanchez, North York
Unseen Stars: Empowering Crown Wards through Creative Expression
“Unseen Stars” aims to empower Crown Wards through literary and performance arts, culminating in a final public performance at venues like libraries, community centers, or theatres. The project offers workshops in writing, poetry, storytelling, and theatrical performance, led by mentors skilled in both arts and mentorship.
Kasthuri Satgunanathan, Toronto
The Care for Change Project
The project will host a cooking workshop for South Asian women who are pre-diabetic or diagnosed with diabetes, teaching them how to prepare diabetes-friendly South Asian dishes. Participants will receive a booklet created by an interdisciplinary team featuring culturally relevant recipes.
David Sheffield, Cobourg
I Belong Here
Building on existing relationships with people, this project will use the oral history model to record personal stories of people with lived experience of homelessness and drug use. These narratives will be de-identified and shared with artists and poets, who will transform them into works of art for exhibition.
Kiana Simmons, Ottawa
Collective Farming Toolkit for Community Growing
The Collective Farming Toolkit for Community Growing is a manual for establishing a financially sustainable and permanent collective farming program. The model provides a space for the community to convene and learn about food production and farming practices, while receiving a share of fresh, organic vegetables throughout the season.
Meredith Sweeney, Guelph
Ward Night Market: Pop-up Community Centre
The Ward Night Market transforms public spaces into vibrant community hubs by hosting monthly markets featuring local artisans, food, performers, and organizations. Each event offers live music, workshops, and activities celebrating cultural diversity.
Two White Feather, Cambridge
Finding Common Ground
“Finding Common Ground” will mobilize encampment residents, community members and allies of ALL 4 Nations / Abilities to build a healing lodge and raise a respite tipi to alleviate mental health and emotional safety issues, improve physical living conditions, break the cycle of traumatic displacement of marginalized folks.
Nithya Vijayakumar, Toronto
Angry Locals
The project aims to bring together resident and community groups advocating for Metrolinx transit projects to include community benefits like improved public realm and pedestrian and cycling connections.
Rignam Wangkhang, Etobicoke
Tibetan Greenspace Project
The Tibetan Greenspace Project aims to develop an accessible greenspace in an unused hydro corridor in South Etobicoke, across the street from the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre (TCCC).
Kerry Yang, Sudbury
Stories of the North
Stories of the North will be an outlet of expression for BIPOC youth to amplify their voices, share their stories, and empower their cultural identities. It will be a platform for the storytelling of cultural experiences through diverse formats– whether that’s through writing, poetry, music, film, visual art, or even cultural recipes.
Britt Zeus, Peterborough
Speaking For Wildlife
Bird Friendly Peterborough (BFP) is an organization that works to make our cities and spaces safe for birds. BFP is expanding its programs to be accessible to people of all ages, within schools and residential facilities, and to rural areas that are often left behind with programming in urban populations.
Ontario Community Changemakers is powered by 8 80 Cities, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for people in cities by bringing citizens together to enhance mobility and public space, with funding from Balsam Foundation.
About 8 80 Cities
8 80 Cities is a nonprofit organization based in Toronto, Canada. We are dedicated to contributing to the transformation of cities into places where people can walk, bike, access public transit and visit vibrant parks and public places. Our approach is to engage people and communities across multiple sectors to inspire the creation of cities that are easily accessible, safe, and enjoyable for all. We achieve our mission through grant projects, research and advocacy, and innovative services. For more, visit: 880cities.org.
About Balsam Foundation
Balsam Foundation exists to enable and galvanize the well-being and potential of our communities. We are committed to a future where all Canadians benefit from a high standard of health and well-being. For this reason, our funding will reflect approaches that put people first, strike a balance between personal and collective wellness, and acknowledge the impact of social determinants of health and the context within which people live, work and play. For more, visit balsamfoundation.com.
Media Contact
Jiya Benni, Senior Manager 8 80 Cities, jbenni@880cities.org, 647-800-5590
