What If Our Community Could Help Build More Housing?

The Mechanics of Community Wealth

Written by: Marilyn Struthers

In Event 2 of this series, our speakers explored growing ideas of community wealth evolving in Canada, and the practical and legal mechanics of how a system-changing economic model can redirect wealth and control of assets back into the community, as well as practical tools that communities are using to solve for affordable housing. Watch as Audrey Jamal from University of Guelph, Ben Miller, Ontario Nonprofit Network and Stephanie Pinnington of Tapestry Capital show us what is possible and how our nonprofit sector can leverage much more wealth than we think.

Check out the summary report and recording of that event.

Watch Now!

How Community Wealth Is Creating Affordable Housing

Third Topic: The Institute’s Social Finance and Affordable Housing Group continues our online series with a third event on how our community wealth can leverage more of the affordable housing our communities need building series.

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Time: 4:30 to 6:00 PM

Purpose: In this event we will showcase examples of communities successfully leveraging local wealth and assets to create affordable housing. Mike Baltius from the Ottawa Community Land Trust will speak to how his community is using both a land trust and a community financing fund – built through local investment – to increase the supply of affordable housing. Dave Harder from Releven will share this organization’s work responding to the considerable number of faith communities leveraging both buildings and financial assets to create affordable housing. Ryan Deska, newly at the Community Foundation Grey-Bruce, will speak about efforts to create our very own community development corporation to support more affordable housing right here in this region.

The Social Enterprise Journey

Written by: Jessica Flynn

Are you a business owner or community leader who wants to amplify your community impact through a sustainable business model? The Social Enterprise Journey — a new three-part leadership series led by Jessica Flynn in partnership with Georgian College — is coming to Collingwood this spring, and we think it’s worth knowing about.

Designed for business owners, nonprofit leaders, consultants, and community builders, the Journey equips participants with systems thinking tools, social innovation frameworks, and a peer cohort to help them design work that creates real, lasting change.

Three sessions: May 22 · June 19 · September 11, 2026 — all in Collingwood, Ontario.
Journey Pass: $349 + HST

Full Details + Registration