I noticed this sign on a recent trip to Toronto. This same question came up often during a series of conversations on community mapping recently. Everyone agreed that the more we all can be known, the more likely we will have a more welcoming community where e...

Do you have a why that inspires and engages?  Why do you do what you do? This has been a frequent topic of conversations I have facilitated over the past several months. Groups often become focused on the “what” or the “how” of their a...

This week I was invited to join a drum circle. Although I had heard of drum circles, I had never had to chance to participate in one. My friend who invited me said that I didn’t need to have experience and that it was a welcoming group. I very much enjoyed m...

For many years around this time, I would receive a phone call from my friend Bill to remind me to “spring my clocks forward.” This was a gift Bill gave to his friends.  He did the same thing every fall to “fall back a hour.” What a hum...

In Vancouver there is a disc golf course on a relatively small area of land. The holes are all marked, but they are so close together it can be difficult to know if you are throwing to the correct target.  This course is much more enjoyable when there is some...

It’s Frosty Fest weekend in Brantford, Ontario. Even though the weather today is not very frosty, it is super festive. A local church, Freedom House created this event 8 years ago as part of their “Transforming the City with Kindness” movemen...

As some of you are aware, I am currently spending time in Brantford, Ontario with an amazing organization that is changing the way people with disabilities in Ontario are accessing the support that they need to build vibrant, included lives in their communitie...

Connected citizens in community make neighbourhoods stronger and lives better. This month “My Neighbor’s Place” in Cincinnati will celebrate their 10 year anniversary! This amazing group of neighbours have been connecting and sharing their gi...

Here is one of John McKnight’s latest posts from :  Abundant Community Throughout North America, one of the most popular mottoes is the African saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” Hardly anyone disagrees with its premise. However, there ar...

The Brantford Station Gallery is a treasure in Brantford, Ontario. Since 2008, the gallery has become a special place for the local artistic community to share their gifts and creative talents.  They have also built a small non-profit organization to expand t...