Keeping the Momentum: Celebrating 5 Years of the Ontario Community Changemakers Program
The recent October Studio marked 5 years of the Ontario Community Changemakers, a multi-generational microgrant and fellowship opportunity designed by 8 80 Cities and funded by Balsam Foundation.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Don Kwan
Mapping Memory is a community art and storytelling initiative that documents and celebrates the layered histories of Ottawa’s Chinatown through visual memory mapping.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Kiana Simmons
Kiana’s project documents successful community farming initiatives in Ottawa and compiles years of knowledge into a guidebook designed to help groups create their own sustainable and community-rooted collective growing programs.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Dolly Roul
From the Ground Up is an Afro-Caribbean, cultural and environmental learning experience led by Dolly through her youth initiative, The Amani Effect.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Jen Gadoua
The Ontario Adaptive MTB Riders weekend project involved planning and hosting an Adaptive mountain biking camp for new riders in May 2025.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Two White Feather
Two White Feather’s project grew from the intention to sit with encampment residents in a way that honoured their humanity, their stories, and their struggles. Over the past year, it has become a place of refuge, resistance, and relationship-building at the 100 Vic encampment.
A Year In The life of #OCChangemaker Hannah Gardiner
Hannah conceptualized her project as a nostalgic return to an enduring community ritual: parades. Building on her previous project, the MacGregor-Albert Giraffe Parade, put on by neighbours in memory of Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, Hannah wanted to continue exploring ways of bringing people together in Waterloo Park. Although she had initially planned for a single micro-parade project, Hannah decided to experiment with hosting several small ones .
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Rubby Jones
QUEER BASH is Rubyyy Jones’ bold and tender response to the realities of being visibly Queer in a small rural town
A Year In The Life of #OCChangemaker Meredith Sweeney
Meredith’s project brought neighbours together through accessible community pop-ups that created joyful weekly gathering spaces and strengthened pride across St. Patrick’s Ward.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Nancy Angus
Nancy Angus’s project invited people to meet in local parks and green spaces to write about their lives and share short, light-hearted stories.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Dokun Nochirionye
Sudbury African Literacy Project (SALP) was designed to promote African culture, literacy, and representation in the Greater Sudbury community.
A Year In The Life Of #OCChangemaker Sanaaj Mirrie
Sanaaj’s project grew from a vision to celebrate Black youth, culture, dance, and pride in Durham Region. When noise complaints ended the original waterfront plan, Sanaaj pivoted and created the region’s first African Caribbean Youth Showcase at the Regent Theatre.