Living cities are places where all residents have access to healthier, safer, and greener spaces. Historically, those residents most affected by the impacts of climate change (such as extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution) have also been the residents most likely to be excluded from urban decision-making.
Greening initiatives should involve more than planting trees. These initiatives also need to address environmental injustices to create thriving, inclusive communities.
Through our Living Cities Canada Fund, Green Communities Canada is supporting local organizations in co-creating green spaces with and for marginalized communities. In 2024, we invested $630,000 in grassroots projects across 8 provinces, transforming over 8,000 square metres of land at 40 sites in 26 cities. The area transformed through these projects last year is equivalent to just over a standard soccer field!
Each of these spaces tells a story of community-led change, resilience, and hope. Here is one of those stories.
One City, Peterborough, Ontario
One City Peterborough is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting those who have experienced homelessness, marginalization, and/or criminalization. One City Peterborough supports stability, well-being, and inclusion in the form of housing, employment opportunities, and support programs.
On September 10, 2024, One City Peterborough staff gathered with volunteers and clients to bring a long-awaited vision to life after over a year of collaborative planning.
Guided by Green Communities Canada’s structured Transform Stream of the Living Cities Canada Fund, local partner organization Peterborough GreenUp led One City in a robust engagement and co-design process to bring the community’s priorities and goals into focus. This process engaged staff, volunteers, and clients to create a more accessible and welcoming space for the community.
The plan included planting 20 trees and more than 94 plants, enhancing stormwater management and food security, and creating new shaded areas. The final transformation featured:
- Two rain garden planter boxes filled with species like the blue flag iris, brown fox sedge, and swamp milkweed.
- A diverse mix of trees, including a row of birch, black cherry, and sugar maple.
- A small community orchard featuring apple, pear, peach, and apricot trees.
This initiative was led by GreenUP, a founding member of Green Communities Canada. GreenUP champions environmental education to take meaningful action toward a healthier, more sustainable future. Funding was provided through GCC’s Living Cities Canada Fund.
Tegan Moss, Executive Director at GreenUP, highlighted how the Living Cities Canada Fund has supported GreenUP. The funding program allowed GreenUP to directly collaborate with individuals who are often left out of urban planning and decision-making, ensuring they have a voice in shaping their communities and built environments.
“When a community comes together, when we have these ideas that it’s possible to turn them into something real, it’s about coming together to be the kind of change that we want to see in the world.” – Tegan Moss, Executive Director of GreenUP.
Moss expressed hope that this project would benefit the entire community by creating green space that provides food that is more resilient to climate impacts. The engagement and planning of the project is especially empowering for those who rely on One City and the Drop-in Center at Trinity Community Centre,
“It creates a space that makes people feel uplifted.”
Laura Keresztesi is a program coordinator with GreenUP who led the community engagement and planting events. She highlighted the extensive planning involved in optimizing the area beforehand and praised the volunteers for their enthusiastic participation.
“My favorite part of an event like this is seeing the transformation that can happen in just a few hours…. it’s just amazing to see the passion people have for their communities and their willingness to help.” – Laura Keresztesi, Neighbourhood and Residential Programs Coordinator with GreenUP.
Mary Kay is a volunteer with One City’s Circles of Support and Accountability program (CoSA). CoSA supports individuals in their re-integration journey during parole. Mary Kay shared her passion for creating a healthier community. She expressed joy in witnessing people coming together and building meaningful relationships.
“The way people are working together as one unit. It’s lovely to see everybody cooperating and building relationships….If I could do anything to make the community a better place, a healthier place, I want to be a part of it.” – Mary Kay, One City Volunteer, Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) program.
This project is but one of 11 exciting transformations that took place in 2024, funded through the Transform Stream of the Living Cities Canada Fund.
Everyone needs to be engaged to advance equitable, abundant, and thriving green infrastructure. Since 2022, Green Communities Canada’s Living Cities Canada Fund has been supporting community-based organizations as they engage citizens in the planning, design, and implementation of local green infrastructure action projects.
The Living Cities Canada Fund provides local organizations with training, access to GCC’s project management tools, funding, and logistical support to engage their community, advance local policy changes, and implement on–the–ground solutions.
Green Communities Canada is grateful to our 2024 Living Cities Canada funders, including Definity Insurance Foundation, TD Ready Commitment, Echo Foundation, Greenbelt Foundation, All One Fund, and the Beacon Design Collective. Their support makes these on-the-ground projects possible.
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