Austin Ekekhomen
Shade and Trade | Scarborough, Ontario
Austin Ekekhomen is a Scarborough neighbour passionate about creating welcoming spaces where community life can thrive. Austin organises small meet-ups and pop-ups that transform overlooked spaces into vibrant hubs of connection. Through Shade & Trade, Austin designs shaded mini-markets that give local vendors—especially youth and women selling from home—practical tools like permit guidance, cashless sales, and starter stipends. Each market also doubles as a civic studio where residents vote on improvements and learn simple steps to act. With the Ontario Community Changemakers program, he aims to host three labs and publish a reusable Mini-Market Playbook for Scarborough.
About the Project
Shade & Trade Market Labs is an initiative that brings people together in overlooked lots and parkettes, turning them into shaded, welcoming spaces for gathering, earning, and civic action. The project hosts three free pop-up markets that double as civic studios. Each lab supports first-time vendors, especially youth and women selling from home, with practical guidance on pricing, permits, and cashless sales, alongside small starter stipends. At the same time, residents engage in civic studios where they vote on local improvements like benches, safer crossings, and shade, while learning straightforward steps to act. The project emphasizes accessibility, and active community participation.