2023 Progress Report by everyoneeverydayhfx

2023

Progress Report

The Land We Are On The Gottingen Street Neighbourhood Shop and Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax (EOED) exists in Halifax North, which is situated on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. Oral histories, supported by written evidence and artifacts, tell us that the Mi’kmaq have occupied this territory for over 13,000 years. Mi’kma’ki is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkatiyik Peoples first signed with the British in 1726. These treaties did not implicate or affirm the surrender or transfer of lands and resources to the British but recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey title and set the rules for what was to be a long-standing relationship between nations, initially preventing war and facilitating trade. For the Mi’kmaq, these treaties are revered as legal covenants. These sacred pacts are the foundation of Mi’kmaq—Euro-Canadian government relations and we all, as treaty people, must recognize

and appreciate their legitimacy if we are to truly acknowledge the presence of the Mi’kmaq—past, present, and into the future. This land acknowledgement is a commitment to build upon as we recognize that such statements are inconsequential without meaningful action toward reconciliation. THE SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION IS IN RELATIONSHIPS. WE MUST NURTURE THE SPIRIT. Msit no’kmaq is a Mi’kmaw term meaning, “All my relations”. It signifies a respect for the interconnectedness that exists among us, with our surrounding environment, and with the sacredness of Mother Earth and all the gifts of creation. We invite all our partners and contributors to consider Msit no’kmaq as we move forward together in creating healthy and sustainable communities that support an ecosystem of participation and foster mutual respect and understanding.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Contents The Land We Are On....................................................... 2 The Ambition..................................................................... 5 Purpose & Pathway...........................................................7 Circle of Change............................................................... 8 A Truth and Reconciliation Initiative.......................9 Learning and Understanding.......................................10 Unique Pathways & Approaches................................12 Communicate & Demonstrate.....................................16 Support Platform.................................................... 20 The Neighbourhood Shop...........................................24 Community Build Trailer...............................................26 How Residents are Engaging......................................30 A Growing Network of Participation.................... 34 A Growing Network of Projects..................................38 Community resilience and cohesion.........................42 Collaborative Business.................................................46

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Team Learning.................................................................48 Sustainability and Scale........................................ 52 Aligning with the Wije'winen Centre.........................52 Shape This Space: Wije’winen...................................54 Facilitating Support & Shared Infrastructure...........56 Inclusive & Regenerative City-Building....................58 Lessons Learned............................................................60 Closing Statement..........................................................62 Acknowledgments.........................................................63

Photo: Sunrise over the Annapolis Valley from the Look Off, Canning, Nova Scotia

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

The Ambition Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax has a big ambition: To build a new system of neighbourhood participation that is reconciliation focused and inclusive to all—where a new foundation for civic and social infrastructure is built upon relationships between people, nature, and place, and where residents can actively contribute to a more reconciled future for all. To measure the value that is co-created by growing a network of participation and establish its viability as a long-term pathway for building neighbourhoods and cities that are happier, more resilient, and socially connected. Weaving Truth & Reconciliation into the design of civic and social infrastructure. The journey of Reconciliation is rooted in relationships and honouring processes of truth and healing. So, we must create systems designed for this very thing—relationships between residents, organizations, and governments—first to build understanding across our ways of being and knowing, and to shift mindsets, systems and structures to not only account for these differences, but also to honour them through the ways we live and learn in society together. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax creates opportunities to bring Reconciliation to life across neighbourhoods— through enhancing Indigenous identity and belonging in the urban context, and building new relationships that are about learning, and fostering harmonious interactions with each other and the places we call home.

Creating conditions for people and institutions to collaborate. Every One Every Day is creating robust social infrastructure that has potential to transform people’s lives and the neighbourhoods in which they live. The urgent challenges of our time require new systems and structures that empower local people to contribute local solutions, as they are uniquely positioned to do. And with an ecosystem of local, national and international actors, to nurture new models of stewardship and shared ownership that make way for cities not designed for populations, but for generations- past present and future. This work can’t be done alone; But rather, it will take the minds and hearts of many—there is no other way. Placing people at the heart of neighbourhood development. The relationships we build everyday matter; And what we do together everyday matters too. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax creates infrastructure for weaving the diverse threads of our communities together, through spaces designed for bridging—where neighbours can meet based on shared interests and build new relationships with one another and with place. It puts residents at the heart of decision making, where they have the tools and supports necessary to work together daily on practical and creative projects that help to shape the kind of neighbourhoods they wish to live in and are about thriving in a more prosperous future for all.

Left: Resident Julie works on a Talking Stick. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Purpose & Pathway Purpose Co-created & cooperative communities that invite the participation of everyone and create opportunities for building shared lives. GUIDING QUESTION: How can we build a support platform that cultivates social cohesion and creates opportunities for building shared lives? The Every One Every Day support platform creates opportunities for residents from diverse cultures to encounter others and share common experiences by engaging in everyday meaningful participation. As a result, feelings of similarity across lines of difference are cultivated and residents become more open to connecting around more inclusive shared identity, such as coming together around shared values and active citizenship. Engaging in opportunities for building shared lives requires disparate communities to work together; Communities that may otherwise have little support to cooperate, to identify and work towards larger shared goals, and participate in collaborative action on issues of shared concern. Bridging differences and fostering positive intercultural relationships over time will establish and support co-created and cooperative communities, for the long term. Circle of Change The Circle of Change demonstrates the pathways identified to achieve the shared goals and overall impact of Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax, ‘Co-created and Co-operative Communities’.

The circle represents a cycle that flows continuously and reminds us that if we put out good energy, it will come back to us. Nukumi, the grandmother of Kluscap (a cultural hero of the Mi’kmaq), is placed at the center of the circle, signifying the Indigenous knowledge and wisdom needed to surface truth and center our work in the process of reconciliation and healing.

Pathway Building & connecting inclusive social infrastructure that cultivates social cohesion and facilitates action towards Truth and Reconciliation at the neighbourhood level. GUIDING QUESTION: What new forms of social infrastructure can enable processes of decolonization & be a catalyst for Truth & Reconciliation at the neighbourhood level? Social cohesion is not an endpoint but rather a dynamic state that fluctuates with relationships and attitudes. Creating space and opportunity for residents to interact and gain knowledge of other cultures, perspectives, and practices is a critical step in establishing and maintaining social cohesion. Connecting these spaces across neighbourhoods and communities creates a sense of interdependence and allows for greater civic engagement. Further, these interactive spaces can facilitate transformational learning for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents when it comes to understanding personal and collective action towards Truth & Reconciliation.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Circle of Change

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

A Truth and Reconciliation Initiative Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax shows potential to embed Truth and Reconciliation learning and action into neighbourhoods, and across communities. Thus far, our exploration into this potential has surfaced three areas of focus: • Building shared understanding across the team and grounding our efforts in learning. • Understanding our unique pathways & approaches—developing ‘Kokum’: A Truth & Reconciliation framework for ‘Every day’ action. • Identifying ways to communicate & demonstrate Every One Every Day as a Truth & Reconciliation initiative.

Photos, top to bottom: A map of Mi'kmaq place names, sacred medicines, fiddleheads, a felted medicine wheel, a host makes Haudenosaunee strawberry drink during a session, sewing a medicine bag during a session, Operations Manager Richelle teaches about land acknowledgments. 8

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Learning and Understanding Grounding our efforts in learning and building shared understanding across the team Understanding Every One Every Day as a Truth and Reconciliation Initiative starts with building coherence around what that is and how, as a team, we can act together and confidently communicate this with others. To do this, we began by exploring how we define Reconciliation in the context of Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax. Ongoing team learning is essential in building a shared understanding of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit culture and history, and how we play a role in supporting a more reconciled future. Over the course of 6 months, our team participated in assigned weekly readings from the book ‘True Reconciliation’ by Jody Wilson-Raybould. This included sharing reflections and gathering insights to carry forward into our work and personal lives. As our Truth and Reconciliation learning journey continues, we are consistently asking ourselves how we might embed this learning into our ‘Every Day’ actions and share our learning with the North End community and beyond.

How does Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk define and interpret Active Reconciliation? • Raising awareness about colonization in “Canada” and exposing the ongoing injustices and harms towards First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. • Disrupting oppressive and inequitable spaces and processes that are woven deep within our civic and social infrastructure through meaningful actions. • Reclaiming individual and collective identity, not just of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, but of everyone. • Restoring harmony with kin, the land, the 4 waters, and all of nature. • Reviving and reclaiming treaty relationships. • Acknowledging and valuing Indigenous knowledge systems and paradigms.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Left: The Every One Every Day team poses with the book ‘True Reconciliation’ by Jody Wilson-Raybould. Photos, top to bottom: Melanie teaches about smudging, Kieran of OSO planning + design facilitates a consultation to plan a garden at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, a jingle dress dancer at the Festival of Everyone, neighbours work together on beaded orange shirts. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Unique Pathways & Approaches Developing Kokum: a Truth and Reconciliation framework

Kokum “big old tree”, a Reconciliation Framework for ‘Every Day’ Action A planning resource for discovering and adopting decolonized learning and practice while maintaining accountability for our actions. By design, the framework applies a Reconciliation lens across the roles and responsibilities of the Every One Every Day team. The framework includes an open access document and a large visual that inspires dialogue and shares the work of Every One Every Day as a Reconciliation initiative more broadly, while holding us accountable to our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the impact of our actions and inaction. Another important function of the framework is to deepen our connection with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (MNFC) and its programs. Having a large visual to demonstrate our current course of action towards Truth and Reconciliation helps to initiate conversations around potential program collaborations and align our efforts with the purpose and pathways of the overall vision of the future Wije’winen Centre. Kokum translates to “big old tree” in Mi’kmaw. The large tree image is used as a planning resource and an interactive tool to assist our team with implementing and evaluating actions that we take towards Truth and Reconciliation. It also helps to keep us accountable to one another, to the community, and to our First Nation, Métis, and Inuit kin.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Breaking Down the Framework The Ecosystem: Nurturing the Framework Niskam (Spirit) Acknowledging the Presence of our Ancestors In Mi’kmaw culture, we acknowledge our shadow as the spirit of our ancestors. We are linked to our ancestors, where Grandfather Sun meets Mother Earth. Our shadow is connected to the spiritual world and the physical world. One foot in the world of our ancestors and one foot looking to the future. When we honour our ancestors, we honour ourselves. Samqwan (Aquifer) Sustenance for Being of Good Mind Many Indigenous cultures make space for healing using ceremonies with water and sacred medicines which nourish and replenish the mind, body, and spirit. The Aquifer provides sustenance and healing to Kokum. Maqmikew (Land) Surrounding Networks and Shared Resources The land and natural elements surrounding Kokum extend to the deepest parts of the forest, sharing and interconnecting the abundance of unique gifts and understanding they possess with Kokum and all those they encounter. Respectful relations rooted in reciprocity and shared understanding provide Kokum with the support needed to continue to make an impact.

Naku’set (Sun) Surfacing Truth From sunrise to sunset, the sun shines fissures of light onto Kokum, forever seeking truth- asking questions, and discovering and revealing the unseen. The sun urges Kokum to stretch farther and encourages Kokum to never stop growing. Mnqwan (Rainbow) Hope & Aspirations for our Youth The rainbow is brilliant and beautiful as it confidently stretches across the sky overhead, never-ending. The rainbow represents the path of the next seven generations and demonstrates the hope and aspirations for our youth that Kokum possesses.

Parts of the Tree: Components of the Framework

Jokom (Base of the Tree) Guideposts to Keep Us Aligned with Our Values and Intentions Guideposts constitute the base of the tree, at center, and weave into every branch and every leaf, providing Kokum with the structure needed to stay consistent throughout the work in aligning with her values and intentions. • Considering our impact on the First Peoples of this land, and with the same lens, taking care to eliminate the on-going harm and oppression of racialized and marginalized communities. • Building Indigenous identity and belonging in the urban context. • Acknowledging and defending Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination through purposeful action.

Wjipiskl (Roots) Sharing Knowledge as a Sacred Gift through the Generations

• Creating space for truth and honouring the process of healing.

The roots of Kokum are strong! They are the knowledge carriers and living wisdom that care for and pass on sacred and traditional ways of life. They are our Elders & traditional teachers, singers & dancers, crafters & storytellers, Warriors, Water Protectors & Land Defenders, and our harvesters, hunters, fishers and trappers. The roots provide Kokum with the cultural richness and traditional knowledge and understanding needed to stand strong and unwavering in her efforts, always knowing why she was created and where she sprouted from.

• Recognizing the interconnectedness of all living things and being a good relative.

Weji-sqalia'timk “where we sprouted or emerged from” – Mi’kmaw 14

• Thinking and acting for future generations.

Wkamulamun (Heart of the tree) Reconciliation “Peace and Friendship” At the heart of Kokum is true Reconciliation represented by a heart-shaped strawberry. The strawberry teaching speaks to forgiveness and peace. For Kokum, it signifies the power of change and healing in building peace and friendship, together, in a good way. The Branches Branching Out Strategies to Widen Our Scope of Understanding of Truth & Reconciliation in Action at the Neighbourhood Level

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Each of the six branches signify the over-arching roles the Every One Every Day team is responsible for, where strategies towards reconciliatory action have been broken down into categories. They are Leadership and Strategic Planning, Operations and Management, Learning and Development, Relationship Building and Interactions, Research and Evaluation, and Design and Messaging. The Leaves Actions: Interventions, and Decolonized Practices The leaves represent the agreed upon actions we take to advance Truth & Reconciliation in our work, and in our relationships and interactions with people, our environment, and all kin. These actions are identified by our team through cycles of individual and group reflection, collaborative analysis, and shared learning, with support from MNFC staff, Indigenous community leaders and knowledge holders, and residents from the North End community. They serve to solidify our learning-into-action and make us accountable to doing what we say we are going to do.

Above: Leaves showing actions the team is taking, would like to take or revisit, or stop from Kokum. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Communicate & Demonstrate Identifying ways to communicate & demonstrate Every One Every Day as a Truth and Reconciliation initiative Truth & Reconciliation Project: ‘Every Day’ Action Project Every One Every Day invites residents into new opportunities for collaborative learning and relationship building among Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members. This project aims to build greater understanding and awareness of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit presence, and lived experience in the urban context, and provides spaces for Indigenous residents to share their skills, talents, and culture with neighbours. This project emerged from a growing interest from residents to learn more about First Nation, Métis, and Inuit culture. During our seasonal programs, Indigenous-led sessions with cultural content and activities are among the most attended. Some examples of these sessions include ‘Land Acknowledgments’ where 32 participants learned how to develop a personal land acknowledgment; The initiation of a Truth and Reconciliation Lending Library; And, ‘Tea & Luski’, an open invitation from Indigenous hosts inviting residents to come for tea and traditional bread, to listen to stories, and feel safe to ask questions they may otherwise feel uncomfortable to ask. In addition to collaborative learning opportunities, this project functions to explore and identify potential actions residents can take to accelerate Reconciliation in their neighbourhood, across the North End, and beyond. To make certain these actions are well informed, and make a difference in First Nation, Métis, and Inuit realities, guidance from Indigenous participants is essential. Their feedback enhances the evaluation of these actions, the Project, and, to some extent, the degree to which EOED contributes to Reconciliation more broadly.

“The foundation of any relationship is story sharing.” –Elder Albert Marshall, L’nu Residents who have participated in Indigenous-led sessions have experienced moments of transformation that have shifted their thinking and created new opportunities for continued life-long learning and active participation in reconciliatory action. This is the story of one resident's experience participating in an Indigenous-led session. The knowledge she gained, and her overall experience broke down barriers of misunderstanding and opened the door to a new way to experience First Nation, Métis, and Inuit culture, the Powwow. Imagine every resident had a similar experience by participating in one of our projects. Every One Every Day offers transformational learning experiences to support the weaving of Truth and Reconciliation into neighbourhoods and across communities.

Photos, top to bottom: Sketching ideas for the Shape This Space project, Operations Manager Richelle teaches how to make a sacred medicines salve at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, learning how to make dreamcatchers during a session, collaboratively designed plans for a garden and gathering space outside the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, MNFC's 2023 Mawita'jik (powwow), host Jesse teaches about her regalia at her "Powwow Etiquette" session.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

“I went to ‘Powwow Etiquette’ because I’ve never been to an actual powwow. I told myself it was because I didn’t want to act like a tourist or invade space. I didn’t really believe the dancers wanted “outsiders” there, why would they, why would anyone? (This kind of thinking is as old as the ass in assume and about as helpful.) By way of contrast, the session host, Jesse, bowled us over with her enthusiasm and encouragement, while gently making a few key points. The respectful term for what the dancers wear is regalia. It’s not a costume, a powwow is not theatre, and nobody is playing dress-up. She spoke from her own experience so we would really get why you do not try to examine or touch the regalia without permission. It was useful to learn that a group of chairs might be reserved for Elders (so check), that Elders eat first, and that the powwow announcer will guide you through the gathering, including when everyone is welcome to dance. Because of this session, and the joy Jesse emanated when she talked about dancing fancy shawl, I will, gratefully, go to a powwow this summer.”

–Julie, Resident

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Luskinikn or Luski is a Mi'kmaq word for bannock or fry bread.

Sharing Circle

Neighbourhood Shop Friday, Oct. 6 · 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 · 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Come along for tea and snacks as we share our hopes and learnings for Mi’kmaw History Month and any realizations and new practices that have come to light. A traditional smudge will be offered at the beginning of each session.

‘Truth & Reconciliation: Every Day Action’ is a first step towards healing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Kjipuktuk.

We Invite You on a Learning Journey

We acknowledge the call for non-Indigenous peoples to show up, make positive change, and commit to building equitable futures for generations to come. Together, we can forge new pathways for shared understanding, and grow in appreciation for one another and the many lived experiences that define the North End. Join your neighbours in exploring the ways you can take everyday actions towards Reconciliation.

What do you want to learn about? How are you contributing to the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation? Stop by the Neighbourhood Shop, start the conversation, and turn learning into action!

Medicine Wheel Teaching

Neighbourhood Shop Friday October 13 · 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Have a cup of tea and engage in teachings about the Mi’kmaw Medicine Wheel, a powerful Indigenous symbol. Bring your questions as we learn together!

Bead & Stitch: Medicine Wheel

Neighbourhood Shop Every Friday · 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Learn to make a beaded medicine wheel pin with the four traditional colours: black, red, yellow, and white. Information about the Mi’kmaw medicine wheel will be provided.

FALL 2023 • EVERY ONE EVERY DAY KJIPUKTUK / HALIFAX

Mi’kmaw Curated Sessions The Fall Program began on September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and extended into the month of October, Mi’kmaw History Month. In the weeks leading up to the Program opening, and throughout the month of October, residents had an opportunity to contribute their questions and learning interests via a Truth and Reconciliation wall located at the Neighbourhood Shop. Based on themes that emerged from residents’ contributions, curated sessions were planned and implemented during Fall Program as an opportunity for specialized learning for both North End residents and the team. A session on ‘Treaty Education’ had eighteen participants including three team members. Working in small groups, participants were asked to respond to questions regarding the intention of a “treaty”, and as a larger group, listened to various experts from historical documents that shared a different way of understanding treaty, and oral histories, that provided insight into how the Mi’kmaq understood the spirit of the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Moving beyond the Fall Program, opportunities to participate in shared learning will continue, and is a great example of deepening our understanding, together, in a good way. Residents provided positive feedback, and particularly enjoyed the collaborative nature of the group activity and storytelling. 18

Tea & Luski with Charlotte

Neighbourhood Shop Friday, Oct. 13 · 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Enjoy a piece of homemade luskinikn while chatting about Mi’kmaw culture with Charlotte. We’ll bring the luski and the fixings!

During the Summer residents visiting the Neighbourhood Shop had an opportunity to add ideas and questions around Truth and Reconciliation learning and action to our wall display. In response, curated experiences are being offered during the Fall Program and you are invited to join our team and community on a very important learning journey.

CURATED SESSION: Treaty Education

Neighbourhood Shop Friday, Oct. 13 · 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. As treaty people, we are all called to learn about and understand the treaties of the territories where we live, work, and play. Come and learn about the Peace and Friendship Treaties that govern Mi’kmaq-Euro-Canadian government relations and why they are so important.

WWW.HALIFAXISEVERYONE.CA

CURATED SESSION: Sports and Reconciliation

Neighbourhood Shop Friday, Oct. 27 · 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Come and learn about the many Mi’kmaw athletes who have been inducted into the Mi’kmaq Sports Hall of Fame and their contributions to the world of sports. Sport plays a role in the celebration of Indigenous culture and our nation-wide effort to reconcile. Did you know that Calls to Action 87 to 91 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report relate to sport and reconciliation?

“I’m learning about Mi’kma’ki in the sessions and also outside of them, when I pursue more understanding by reading on my own and generally paying more attention to my surroundings.” –Resident Newspaper for Sharing and Celebrating Mi’kmaw People and Culture The Fall newspaper provided an opportunity to share Mi’kmaw culture and celebrate the Mi’kmaq who live in Kjipuktuk. From cover to cover, inserts of Mi’kmaw culture and ways of life can be seen and appreciated, and photos of several Mi’kmaw individuals, along with their thoughts on Mi’kmaq History Month and how they celebrate, are shared. Although the seasonal newspapers always contain Mi’kmaw and other Indigenous content, this Fall’s newspaper really demonstrated an overall theme of Indigenous culture in the North End and amplified Mi’kmaw voices. Photos, top to bottom: spreads from the Fall 2023 newspaper, youth designing the Shape This Space project, Elder Deb hosts a sharing circle, learning to make dreamcatchers, Mi'kmaw drummers at the Neighbourhood Shop, a participant at the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Support Platform The Every One Every Day support platform consists of inter-connected elements that create the conditions for inclusive participation, woven into everyday life. Its purpose is to support a growing network of projects that over time, contribute to a new system of neighbourhood participation that is highly inclusive while creating conditions for Reconciliatory action at the scale of neighbourhoods. A platform team provides two primary functions: structural support, and project co-design. Support team members lead the design and development of essential activities pertaining to strategy, team learning, research and development, communications and design, and operations. Neighbourhood team members work closely with residents to design and develop a range of neighbourhood projects while helping to find new opportunities to connect and expand neighbourhood assets.

Photos, top to bottom: Beads, working with beads as part of a Mi'kmaq History Month session, drumming at the Festival of Everyone, Neighbourhood Project Designer Kate holds the Spring 2023 newspaper, a resident sews a banner spelling 'love grows here', Every One Every Day promotional postcards. 20

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Support Platform A growing network of neighbourhood infrastructure works to increase inclusivity across spaces and projects. Anchored by the Gottingen St. Neighbourhood Shop, this collection of spaces continues to grow and deepen based on our expanding relationships with local organizations. A range of open invitations, shared through diverse communication channels including regular cycles of newspapers that get distributed door-to-door. The newspapers play a valuable role in helping

to communicate the many ways to contribute and take part, while also sharing stories of different people, and the projects that are emerging. This year we distributed 29,000 newspapers to households across the North End of Halifax. Newspapers have become an important tool for communicating the broader vision of the work and for sharing Mi’kmaw culture and teachings in accessible ways.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

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An evolving system of operations to enable the team to streamline collaborative processes and maintain high levels of organization and communication across team members and with residents. A growing collection of equipment & supplies that is developing based on residents' needs and interests for a growing range of projects that vary in scale. This year we expanded our sewing area and added a plastics station, a mobile printing-press, and a maker’s area for building & woodworking.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

"One thing I found really helpful is being able to pass along the newspaper. Previously it felt challenging to say, 'come on into the space' without having something specific to offer, but the newspaper is a great way to engage folks.” –Neighbourhood Project Designer

The Neighbourhood Shop The Shop on Gottingen Street is 2270 square meters (about four times the area of a basketball court), located on a busy main street in Halifax North, and open to the public during set hours on weekdays and weekends. It serves as a creative hub, where residents can learn about the work, interact with the team and other residents, and be inspired and get involved. The Shop has large, street-facing windows which allow people to see the activity inside and invite them to come in. The interior of the space is in a continual state of re-design – where equipment and supplies get added or changed based on the evolving interests of residents passing through and using the space.

“I’m drawn to the Shop because it’s an active space where there’s always things changing and moving”

When the Shop is open, a team of Project Designers is always around to chat with residents, introduce them to the space, and connect them to different people and projects. Since its’ opening, the team continues to make important observations that are helping to inform needed adaptations based on how residents interpret and interact with the space and its ability to be welcoming and inspiring.

“It’s the first time I’ve been here, and it’s felt like a meeting place, a real meeting place to find out who I am in community and who I could be in community; Who we are as a community. That’s where my interest is— and I appreciate these very intimate, very open, anything goes kinds of opportunities. –Resident

–Resident

Meeting Space

Kitchen Area

Team Office

Supply Storage

Precious Plastics Gottingen St. and Sidewalk

Seating Area

Flexible Space

Children's Area

Quiet Room

Sewing & Fabrics

Atrium

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Photos, top to bottom: The Neighbourhood Shop from Gottingen St., Neighbourhood Project Designer Shawnna using the sewing machine, residents making talking sticks in the main space, the sidewalk outside the Neighbourhood Shop. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Community Build Trailer The Community Build Trailer supports a range of projects across the North End and inspires fresh ideas around how residents can work together to shape different spaces in their own neighbourhoods. It can travel just about anywhere and is equipped with all the tools necessary to build or fix basic things like shelves or tables, or create new structures in the neighbourhood, like gardens and gathering spaces. This mobile expansion of the support platform emerged as a tangible way to connect different spaces across the neighbourhood and work with local organizations on a wider range of projects; many of which create ways for residents to help shape the built environment. As projects emerge, the trailer continues to spark new ideas and interest around how people and organizations can work together to bring creativity and connection into the public realm.

"Our feeling is that people need to be involved in a participatory way, and be continuously involved in order to build that sense of ownership... It's so exciting...the joy of seeing people see that they can change the way our city feels." –Michael Maclean, OSO planning + design Expanding Participation The Community Build Trailer is a specialized form of infrastructure that supports skills development and sharing, focused on a range of design-build projects. For residents interested in building, greening, repairing, designing, or other specialized activities, the build trailer opens the door to a wider variety of projects, creating new invitations to attract residents who may otherwise not visit the

Neighbourhood Shop or participate in programs. There are two main pathways in which the build trailer is helping to expand participation: Through community partnerships: A major factor in growing diverse resident participation in neighbourhood build projects has been through the inclusion of residents who are involved with other local community programs that attract similar interests in art, build and design. Utilizing cross promotions and working on collaborative projects with other organizations has demonstrated the significant role community partnerships play in growing a diverse network of participation in the North End. It is in this way that EOED continues to draw in new residents and extend into new areas of the neighboruhood. For example, during our Summer Program the ‘Let’s Make Paint Stencils’ session in partnership with Wonder’neath, drew in eighteen new residents who learned of the session and EOED through their connection to Wonder’neath.

“A very thoughtful thought-out approach to building bridges...the various communities who are living right next to each other, but not necessarily interacting or only interacting very minimally and this I think will change because of Every One Every Day...the more people I meet and get to know through these programs...the more I will know these people as neighbours and not as strangers that happen to live next to me.” –Resident Through diversified project activities: As the range of projects expands, new entry points are created that can attract participation among diverse audiences. During the Summer and Fall Programs, Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

observational input from the EOED team indicates an upturn in family participation among projects at the build trailer. This correlates with the introduction of activities that are more kid-friendly such as the ‘Mural Painting’ sessions held in the summer, or the ‘Building Benches’ sessions which create relaxed and informal ways for families to work together and get comfortable using hand tools.

"So great to have so many kids at the trailer learning to use tools. We got to meet lots of new faces. One man who was recently in a car accident came with his daughter because she was so excited. He said this is the first event he has been to since his accident, and he had a really nice time" –Neighbourhood Project Designer

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

This seating area and planter was installed just outside of the Shop was designed by OSO planning + design, in collboration with youth from the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre. In this way, their ideas and creativity will live on in the neighbourhood. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

How Residents are Engaging An invitation to learn about Indigenous cultures, together, in a good way The Neighbourhood Shop provides an inclusive space for Indigenous-led learning hosted by residents from the urban Indigenous community and Friendship Centre staff. Both the space and the team provide a safe and welcoming space for anyone wanting to learn and ask questions about First Nation, Métis, and Inuit culture, while creating opportunities for urban Indigenous residents to share their talents, skills, and knowledge in social settings.

confident I can contribute to others feeling that way.”

“Community keeps asking what can we do to contribute in a bigger way?

During our Summer Program, Rayshed, a North End resident, who was introduced to EOED through an employee of Wonder’neath, participated for the first time, contributing to the ‘Let’s Make Planters’ project. Inspired by this experience, Rayshed met with a Neighbourhood Project Designer and shared his interest in starting a community quilting project for the Fall Program. As they worked on the design and planning, another resident, Noreen, was brought in to assist with sewing, as she had previously expressed her ability to share her sewing skills with others. Following the success of this project, Rayshed is now working with our team and other residents to co-design a build project, making easels that can then be used by others in the Shop.

–EOED team member Activities that support intimate dialogue and getting to know your neighbour ‘Kindness Cards’ emerged to stimulate a simple form of making useful and meaningful items from reusable materials. It’s become popular as a low-commitment activity that creates opportunities for residents to focus more on building friendships and connections through conversation, while doing things with their hands. Introducing the space to others and inviting them to join in As returning residents become more familiar with the space, they can introduce others to the equipment and opportunities, while confidently explaining the vision of Every One Every Day in their own way.

“I value the way my experience deepens each month. The Shop is now so familiar to me, I am completely at home there and I’m 30

–Resident Starting and contributing projects of interest As awareness of Every One Every Day grows, residents are increasingly turning up with unique project ideas of their own, connecting with other residents who share similar interests, and contributing to seasonal programming in new and exciting ways; At the same time, deepening their comfort and connection to different spaces and projects.

Photos, top to bottom: Kindness cards in the Shop, The Seedbarrow loaded with plants for Curbside Blooms, residents making soda together, a resident adds the word 'Mi'kma'ki' to a shirt, the children's area set up for Drag Storytime. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

A sense of community care and ownership Often a sense of connection and ownership is expressed by residents taking on certain activities, such as making a hot drink for themselves and others, creating labels for things, or helping to build and install furniture. It can even mean washing the windows! Fostering life-long learning There’s a growing response of appreciation from residents for the opportunities to share and take in the knowledge, skills, and talents of others in their community. According to many returning residents, these opportunities have been the catalyst for their personal learning journey - to learn, grow, and evolve over a lifetime.

Photos, top to bottom: The Community Build Trailer parked in a lot on Gottingen St., a resident teaches how to use a sewing machine, talking about our Circle of Change at the Community Build Trailer at Wonder'neath, modelling a toolbox made in partnership with the Halifax Tool Library, a resident cleans the Shop windows. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

“For me personally, I had so much fun during the Fall Program...so engaging and fun, and I personally got a lot out of it. But one of the things I valued the most is some of those sessions woke up a part of my brain that had kind of gone a bit dormant and because I learned the things that I didn't know, and I learned in such a way that it made me want to keep learning.” –Resident 33

A Growing Network of Participation The Every One Every Day platform is all about expanding the range of entry points for individuals and organizations to contribute and take-part in on-going ways. In practical terms, this might mean creating opportunities for people to contribute their ideas, share a talent with others, loan a piece of equipment, or promote activities on social media. Through rigorous experimentation and practice, we are honing our skills around the process of co-design and the importance of communicating many different invitations—through the newspapers, shop installations, and on-going interactions with residents. As time passes and we continue to refine these practices, we are seeing participation grow in new and varied ways.

Photos, top to bottom: Upcycling jewelery, playing games from around the world, cooking tortei di patate together, making reusable beeswax food wraps, snacks at Korean Culture Night, making natural paints, neighbours making and learning about talking sticks from Elder Deb Eisan.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Building neighbourhoods for everyone, with everyone

A Growing Network of Participation

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2 202 SPRING

Spring 2022 New: 115 Returning: 94 Total: 209 Sessions: 28

By the Numbers From June 2022 to November 2023 ■ Total: 1689 ■ Returning: 1006 ■ New: 683

A note about summer program: Based on reflections emerging from a team development camp, the summer program was intentionally designed to be shorter and more invitational in nature. This design shift reflected the team’s proposed strategy to create more ways for residents to actively help shape a larger program for Fall, while also testing whether a shorter summer program would alleviate capacity pressures within the team. While total participation was lower over the summer, the team reported a positive effect of having increased space and time to connect with residents about emerging projects for an extended Fall Program. 36

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Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

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Building neighbourhoods for everyone, with everyone

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North End! Join in! Summer 2023 July 27 – August 25

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New: 95 Returning: 124 Total: 219 Sessions: 30

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New: 128 Returning: 90 Total: 218 Sessions: 31

New: 211 Returning: 402 Total: 613 Sessions: 72

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Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

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Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

A Growing Network of Projects With participation on the rise, so too is the number and variety of projects that are emerging. The initiation of new projects, or adaptation of existing ones, occurs through on-going processes of co-design taking place between the Neighbourhood Team and a growing network of residents. Emphasis is placed on working shoulder-to-shoulder to brainstorm ideas, fostering inclusivity, and connecting people to each other and with existing spaces and resources. Throughout the journey of project creation, the team works together to connect emerging ideas to a larger vision of how the project could benefit individuals, and the neighbourhood.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Language Connect 'Language Connect' emerged through a co-design process with staff and community members connected to Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). It invites residents to foster new connections with people living nearby, through teaching and learning the basics of different languages. In doing so, Language Connect creates a fun and practical way to build familiarity and connection across the many cultures that make up the neighbourhood.

“Language Connect had folks sharing languages with each other. We had a couple of folks come in off the sidewalk to charge their phones in the shop and they ended up staying for the session and taught some German. There was also an interesting discussion because there were multiple French speakers at the table but from all different places (Acadian French - Chiac, Quebecois French, and Parisian French). They had fun comparing the same phrase across all their different kinds of French to see the differences."

Print, Press, Learn! 'Print, Press, Learn!' was initiated in partnership with OSO planning + design and includes weekly printmaking sessions at the Neighbourhood Shop. Residents are invited to learn the age-old craft of printmaking using our brand-new relief printing press. Participants are invited to learn a range of skills that include operating the press, carving a block, and printing on both fabric and paper. This project is an example of introducing new infrastructure that is attracting new interest and participation. In one instance, a resident (Hanna) came to the Shop after hearing from others about the printing press. While there, she taught others, including a Neighbourhood Project Designer, how the machine functions and how to properly use it.

The first iteration of Language Connect was bursting with participation and excitement. On average, thirty-two participants gathered to teach and learn across ten different languages.

–Neighbourhood Project Designer 40

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Community Quilting The ‘Community Quilting’ project invites residents to bring in used clothing and join others in upcycling fabric by creating a community quilt. The idea for this project came from a resident, Rayshed, who did not know how to quilt but wanted to learn. The EOED team connected Rayshed with Noreen, a resident who has experience quilting and was eager to help. Together they co-hosted three sessions during the Fall Program. After the final session, residents continued to visit the Shop on their own to complete it.

"Rayshed and Noreen are a great example of connectivity by co-hosting the community quilt sessions. Observing how they work together and how others observe how cool it is. Both have learned from different backgrounds but are an incredible team together"

Bead and Stitch 'Bead and Stitch' is a reoccurring session that invites residents to learn the craft of beading while learning local cultural knowledge. It is among the most popular sessions of the ‘Truth and Reconciliation: Every Day Action Project’ and continues to build a significant following of returning residents who arrive at the Shop each week during programs to work on their beading projects. This is a great example of one-way residents can engage with Mi'kmaw / Indigenous craft, that is guided by an Indigenous host, and provides teachings along with the activity, making it an accessible everyday way for residents to engage with Truth and Reconciliation.

“They [participants] are honouring the experience as much as the actual takehome or the thing that they're working on.” –EOED team member

–EOED Team Member

Photos, left to right: A Fall 2023 Language Connect session, carving a block at Print, Press, Learn, the finishing Community Quilting project, beading popsockets.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Evidence of stronger community resilience and cohesion Making connections and building long-standing friendship. Residents who met through their participation with EOED are regularly interacting independent of EOED programs and project activities. More and more, residents are describing their experience with EOED as a great way to meet those living in their neighbourhood, seeding new friendships that may have not had a chance to sprout otherwise. Similarly, they describe actively meeting up or greeting one another by name as they pass on the street.

“Because I met Nessy during the summer program, and she mentioned her mural on Grafton Street, I went down there to find it. It’s a terrific piece and it means something to me that I met the artist and can connect the style in the piece to the mural wrapping the Community Build Trailer. Similarly, I ran into Tomas on Agricola Street (he led the Tortei Di Patate session during the spring program and he sat next to me during a Talking Stick session) and we were both happy to talk about EOED. The more neighbours we know, the better off we all are.” –Resident Helping those who feel isolated connect with a community. Initiated by a returning resident, our Neighbourhood Supper is a great example of residents connecting with others and wanting to collaborate and co-host a session together. No one came to the supper just to eat, everyone played a part in making the evening special, from cooking and prep work, to setting the table (using candle holders created from a previous session) 42

and clean-up, everyone gladly took on a task and shared conversations the entire time. Residents expressed gratitude, sharing that the Neighbourhood Supper was accessible and that it was nice to not eat alone.

“For the Neighbourhood Supper we celebrated Noreen’s birthday! Jayme-Lynn and I made her a cake, Celine brought her flowers, and Rayshed made her a card. It was such a lovely afternoon, and Noreen was so excited to be celebrated.” –Neighbourhood Project Designer “Celine spoke with me during the Neighbourhood Supper and said she's been setting down roots in the area and started to feel more connected and comfortable here. She mentioned she will start volunteering with Phoenix House and that EOED has been great at making her feel welcome.” –Neighbourhood Project Designer Building a greater understanding of other cultures and peer groups; as a result, empathizing more with neighbours. Residents are increasingly sharing feedback on their experiences, learning more about others living in the North End through their participation during program activities. For participants, these opportunities generate insights into the livelihood of others and continue to cultivate a sense of trust and belonging.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

According to the 2021 Canadian Census, 36.1% of North End residences are one-person households. EOED provides opportunities for those living alone a chance to connect with others over conversations of shared interests, during meals and collective learning experiences, and by contributing their skills and talents to collaborative project ideas. This helps to alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation and works to satisfy a strong desire, reported by a growing percentage of residents, to become more sociable in the places and space in and around their neighbourhood.

“It was really lovely. There was a whole walk of life. There were elderly people and young families. There were people of colour...all these kinds of connections being made...it was really inspiring to see the diversity come to it [Seed Barrow session] ... I was thinking about, like how unifying seeds and planting is, it kind of transcends language, it transcends culture.” –Student at NSCAD University, host

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

“This is why I love this Every One Every Day—because it brings community together. It’s not the Friendship Centre here, the black community over there, the Portuguese or Italian community over there community there. It’s all of us together in one space, no matter what our ancestry is, no matter what color our skin is, no matter what we do for a living, no matter how we live our lives. We come together as one.” –Elder Debbie Eisan, Anishinaabekwe

“When I make a connection with a much younger person and hear that perspective, I feel more plugged into the circle of life. This is an ongoing gift that EOED provides.” –Resident A Welcoming Invitation for Newcomers. It is important that our Neighbourhood Shop and other shared EOED spaces are welcoming to different ethnic groups and lived experiences, and that our activities are culturally responsive to the growing diversity of the North End. Co-designing sessions that offer opportunities for newcomer residents to share their cultures and traditions with others has been one form of invitation that shows promise to making newcomers feel a connection to community.

“First time when I got here, they welcomed me, they appreciated me...they wanted me to share my viewpoints with people. I got touched, you know?” –Newcomer resident “It is a place [Neighbourhood Shop] to call home with a diverse community coming together under one roof with love” –Newcomer resident Helping residents realize their strengths and influence in shaping their neighbourhood. Many times, projects result in having something tangible that can be seen and experienced outside, in North End neighbourhoods. From storytelling art to physical elements that serve communities through one function or another, such as street benches and planters, these products of collective ideation and collaborative effort highlight what is possible in North End neighbourhoods when residents come together to change and improve the spaces and places, they call home.

"Let's make planters was a blast, and we had such a great group. One trio had such a fun time that they all signed the inside of the planters that they made because they were so proud. One person wrote inside 'Anything is possible! I made this!'" –Neighbourhood Project Designer Project collaboration between residents independent of the EOED team. Follow up interviews with participants and stories shared through casual conversations between residents and EOED team members indicates that residents are meeting up to discuss and collaborate on project ideas independent of the EOED team. This reflects an increase in resident comfort level, with others and in accessing and using EOED tools, resources, and spaces. More often, residents are taking the lead in project development and implementation, leaving EOED team members to take on more of a supporting role, which is a key milestone in growing an ecosystem of meaningful participation. Spaces and activities that support positive interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous resident. Non-Indigenous residents are identifying their involvement with the ‘Truth & Reconciliation: ‘Every Day’ Action Project’ as an essential starting point in building stronger relationships with residents from the local urban Indigenous community, some describing it as a transformational experience. For Indigenous participants, EOED offers a safe space where they can contribute to the sometimes-difficult conversations, at their own discretion, and feel supported by other Indigenous residents and EOED team members in the process. For instance, a mother, daughter, and grandmother continue to participate in program activities with increasing regularity, attributing this to feeling welcome and respected in the Neighbourhood Shop. This required a level of trust that was developed over time. For the EOED team, being aware of, and utilizing trauma-informed approaches to community care and relationship building has proven to help maintain safe, inclusive, and inviting spaces, where new relationships can form despite differences in lived experience and perspective. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

“We asked you know, our community members that are non-Indigenous to respect the protocols that we have like, asking for consent before you take pictures...ask questions, because we are always about sharing our culture with our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters.” –MNFC staff member “Because of my conversation with Elders and community members during tea, I gained a deeper understanding of other’s experiences” –Resident

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Photos, top to bottom: Rayshed sewing at Community Quilting, notes inside a planter made at Wonder'neath, traditional Korean knotwork art, Janine talks about our Circle of Change at a Community Engagement session.

Collaborative Business Launching We Can!

The first Collaborative Business Program, called We Can! was launched during the Spring Program. Over the course of 5-weeks, North End residents were invited to work together to turn their favourite recipes into jarred food products, which they could then test-trade with community. Collaborative Business Programs are designed to be collaborative, emphasizing and strengthening teamwork and shared responsibilities to lower the personal risk, and build stronger collectives. Fostering Connection & Collaboration An essential element of Collaborative Business Programs is to bring people together from all walks of life, to meet, share common interests and business ideas, and draw on each other for support to test emerging products or services. The We Can! Program included opportunities for residents to engage in collective skills mapping, organizing a food tasting event together, and making decisions as a team.

“One of the things that really pulled people in was that she [Business Program Designer] started with her story...she talked about her role as a community builder, an entrepreneur and artists. And that opened the floor for other people to start sharing about their unique talents and skills and what they're bringing to the table.” –Resident “When everyone started to share their own story and interests, one by one participants began to open and ask each other

questions about their experiences and what they hope to get out of the program.” –EOED team member Establishing Networks of Learning & Support As part of the program, local specialists and small business owners were brought in to facilitate a range of topics and connect participants to an existing network of practitioners and entrepreneurs. Sessions focused on diverse topics including safe jarring practices using the water-bath technique, making ingredient lists, exploring sustainable packaging, buying local ingredients, and designing product labels. Testing Products & Services in Low-Risk Environments For many people, the idea of starting a business can feel overwhelming, if not impossible. The purpose of Collaborative Business frameworks is to design opportunities for people to build confidence and skills as they develop and test their ideas in low-risk environments. Over the course of We Can! five participants worked together to batch cook their recipes, create ingredient lists and labels, and test trade their products at the Every One Every Day closing event. The first Collaborative Business Program provided an opportunity to understand how EOED infrastructures can support a more structured environment for participants to learn together and develop ideas over an extended period of time. At the time of its completion, we recognized a need to take a pause before launching a second program, to focus development efforts on the Neighbourhood Program, and identify opportunities to weave collaborative business opportunities into existing projects.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Team Learning Approach to Program Evaluation Our approach to program evaluation integrates Indigenous methods and resources for story capture and interpretation with developmental evaluation practices. This dualistic approach to evaluation offers a more inclusive and comprehensive way of thinking about, designing, and conducting research and provides unique contributions to solving important problems together, in a good way. As the foundation grounding our evaluation efforts, the Circle of Change not only provides structure to our evaluation framework using an Indigenous lens, but also serves as a learning tool for the EOED team, deepening our understanding of what residents value in community, and helping to identify what approaches are most culturally responsive to the North End. Development Camps & Facilitated Team Training Development Camps provide concentrated periods of reflection, learning, and planning within seasonal cycles of program development and evaluation. They occur after every program, ranging from 1-2 weeks and have become foundational in how the team works together to analyze program data and use processes of sensemaking to inform the design of new programs and adapt ways of working on the team. This year the team engaged in 3 development camps and a 2-day team retreat, in addition to a range of opportunities that supported team learning & development. Practice Tools for Learning & Sharing As the work grows, the team is working to build a set of practice tools that can help to build structure and consistency around different aspects of the approach. We also foresee the creation of these tools as being an essential element of how we will be able to articulate and share the work with others who wish to learn about the approach and 48

possibility adapt different elements of it to their own unique context. Project Co-Design – A primary tool used by Neighbourhood Project Designers and frequently applied in team settings, with partners, and with residents. Its’ purpose is to guide the design and development of projects through key questions and prompts that consider key elements us as inclusivity, sustainability, and practical ways to support Truth and Reconciliation. Kokum: Reconciliation Framework for ‘Every Day’ Action (see pgs 12-15) – This large tree image is used as a planning resource and an interactive tool to assist the whole team in implementing and evaluating actions towards Truth and Reconciliation. It also helps to keep us accountable to one another, to the community, and to our First Nation, Métis, and Inuit kin. As a planning tool, Kokum is used to guide certain practices within the team, but it has also been developed with a narrative and imagery that enables team members to use it as a tool for communication with residents and for practitioners to learn and take inspiration from.

Photos, top to bottom: team collaborative process during Development Camp in Spring 2023, a whiteboard from weekly developmental evaluation, the team codesigns a fresh layout for the Neighbourhood Shop, Aimee and Tammy discuss Kokum.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Learning Partnership

Participatory City Foundation (East London, UK)

Beginning at an early pilot phase and further into the launch of Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax, Participatory City has been a core learning partner. Senior staff from the Every One Every Day project in East London (Barking and Dagenham) have supported our work to develop and grow through: in-person training camps, virtual trainings, and a range of resources related to project design, program planning, newspaper production, space and infrastructure design, and the recruitment and training of staff. This guidance has provided invaluable support in the initiation of Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk, and acceleration of what is now a growing network of participation. At the same time, collaboration

across countries and contexts has posed challenges in relation to deepening mutual connection and understanding across distance, and the adaptations required for unique geographies, particularly with Halifax’s central aim to advance learning & action around Truth & Reconciliation. In 2023, the Every One Every Day project in East London entered its final year of activities after six years of implementation alongside residents. While this was a surprise for many and mainly driven by changes within the funding landscape, the timing has also aligned with a winding down of relevant support for the team in Halifax. The inspiration and guidance that has been offered through the Participatory City Foundation and their work in Barking and Dagenham has been invaluable; And it is with so many of these insights and lessons learned that the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre has built Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax—which is unique in both its aspirations, and emerging impact. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Learning Partnership

design-build projects that emerge from resident ideas and interests.

Halifax, NS

Over time we’ve come to share space, tools, equipment, and knowledge, in support of on-going engagement with residents and collaborative learning across teams. This includes working together to develop the Community Build Trailer and a mobile Print-Making Cart—two specialized pieces of infrastructure that are helping to nurture new collaborations and expand participation in exciting ways.

OSO planning + design Our partnership with OSO planning + design was initiated during an early phase of the work and has continued to grow ever since; Their experience with processes of participatory design, technical building skills, and extensive engagement with First Nations communities across Nova Scotia, has positioned them as ideal collaborators for this work. As relationships have deepened, OSO continues to contribute valuable support, connections, and expertise to what has now become a mutually beneficial partnership. We work closely with OSO staff and students on the design of projects that are helping to bridge new relationships across the Friendship Centre and build capacity for new

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Photos, left to right: Neighbourhood Project Designers at a Neighbourhood Shop in London, sharing about treaties with the Every One Every Day London team, building planters in the Neighbourhood Shop, printing at the Shop for the Future Fragments art project with OSO plan + design. 51

Sustainability and Scale Our approach to sustainability and scale is captured across three emerging strategies: 1.

Aligning with the vision, values, and program strategy of the Wije'winen Centre.

2. Facilitating support and shared infrastructure across civic & social spaces in Halifax North. 3. Illuminating wise practices & imaginative futures for inclusive and regenerative city-building.

1. Aligning with the Vision of the Wije'winen Centre The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre is embarking on a new journey, to realize the vision of a landmark facility that will expand supports and services for a growing urban Indigenous population and be a beacon for Truth & Reconciliation

across Kjipuktuk/Halifax. To date, the Friendship Centre has secured close to $50 million in investments to initiate development in the coming year. This building is called the Wije’winen Centre – meaning “Come With Us” in Mi’kmaw. With deep connections to community, the new Centre is well-positioned to support a growing network of participation across the city and as such, will be a central anchor for Every One Every Day infrastructures and programs. We are laying this foundation now. Since its’ inception, Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax has consistently evolved and demonstrated progress towards alignment with the vision of the Wije’winen Centre while illuminating new pathways to extend this vision beyond any one place, and into the social fabric of the city.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

What it looks like on the ground

Initiating the journey of an Indigenous Guide Group Seeking guidance from First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Elders, traditional teachers, and community members on emerging questions and focus areas, to integrate Indigenous insights into EOED and ensure we develop in a good way.

Cultivating Indigenous Identity & Belonging in the Public Realm Creating vibrant civic and social spaces that reflect and honour the culture and identity of First Nation, Métis and Inuit people.

Expanding connections with First Nations, Métis and Inuit community members Deepening connections to staff and community members across Friendship Centre programs and building new partnerships with Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving organizations and initiatives.

Growing opportunities for Truth & Reconciliation “Everyday Action” Curating new pathways for on-going relationship building, learning, and action related to Mi’kmaw history, culture, and our treaty relationships, woven into everyday life.

Printmaking & Future Fragments Nocturne Exhibit with Millbrook First Nation Weekly print-making sessions introduced Millbrook youth to the Neighbourhood Shop to learn the art of printmaking while contributing to a participatory art installation as part of Nocturne Art Festival.

The concept for the Indigenous Guide Group is inspired by the Mi’kmaw River Guides who led British settlers down the Mersey River, providing food sources and protection for their journey along this ancient highway, one of Nova Scotia's 42 main rivers. Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

What it looks like on the ground

Shape This Space: Wije’winen Shape This Space Wije’winen started out as a greening project, with a vision to re-imagine public spaces across the city as joyful places to meet, play, gather, learn, and have fun together. With leadership from Friendship Centre staff and community members, the concept inspired an adapted project framework that aims to embed Indigenous leadership and wisdom in the design and creation of public space. In the city of Halifax, there are few signs to illuminate the presence and identity of the Mi’kmaq and their vital contributions to the city—past, present, and future. This project is action towards creating civic and social spaces where First Nation, Métis, and Inuit residents can see themselves represented, know they aren’t alone, and feel more connected to the city.

“Just think about the power of what that means to have representation and how that uplifts people who come from Indigenous communities.” –Elder Debbie Eisan, Anishinaabekwe Project Approach The approach that guides Shape This Space Wije’winen is reflected through four inter-connected pillars: • Centring Indigenous Wisdom & Experience: Creating pathways for urban Indigenous community members to lead and help shape each aspect of the design-build process. In this way, facilitating unique opportunities to reflect the presence and identity of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in the public realm and nurture a sense of belonging in the urban context.

• Cultivating Youth Leadership & Capacity Building: Working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth to develop knowledge and skills related participatory design and practical building projects. In turn, cultivating new possibilities for Indigenous youth in community planning and design, and urban placemaking and place-keeping. • Creating Vibrant Public Spaces to Gather & Learn: Bringing to life creative activations of public space that invite new connection between people and the lands they inhabit; Through the addition of art, greenspaces, cultural installations, places to gather, and more. • Facilitating Participatory Design-Build Processes: Designing engagement processes that enable emerging projects to reflect the ideas, values, and dreams of the people who bring them to life. Staff, Elders, and community members at the Friendship Centre are participating in the transformation of their front entrance. Once complete, it will be a space for people to gather and engage in cultural activities, while serving as an invitation for the broader community to enjoy nature in the city and connect with Friendship Centre staff and community members. To date, the ‘Shape This Space Wije’winen’ project journey has highlighted the complex and highly emergent aspects of taking on a unique & visionary project that involves multiple contributors, requires on-going community engagement, and applies a collaborative approach to design and building.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Along with many learnings, the project has also illuminated a larger vision to carry forward; One that can transform a network of public spaces across Halifax into vibrant civic landscapes that reflect and honour the culture and identity of First Nation, Métis and Inuit people. These projects and the processes to create them, are about re-imagining how city-building happens, whose voices are centred, and the stories that get told through the built environment – collectively contributing to who sees themselves reflected in the city and ultimately who belongs.

Photos, top to bottom: youth build seating for a retaining wall at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, Michael Maclean of OSO plan + design guides Elders in a design session for Shape This Space, a neighbour levels the planters at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre.

“Our cities can be places of truth-telling and Reconcili-action—when Indigenous values, stories and experiences become integrated into processes of city-building and the many forms and structures that shape the city.” –EOED Program Director

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Sustainability and Scale 2. Facilitating Support & Shared Infrastructure As Every One Every Day grows, we continue to do so in close connection with local organizations & businesses, in ways that can nurture mindsets of mutual support, reciprocity, and abundance. This way of working is both essential in our neighbourhood-building approach and also a key marker of success for creating value in the long-term. These relationships are always evolving, and take different forms such as sharing infrastructure, introducing residents across spaces, or co-designing new sessions or projects. By connecting community assets through collaborative projects of mutual benefit, we are creating the conditions to support shared lives and connected futures across the neighbourhood. At the same time, this intention to work collaboratively and across mandates is rarely incentivized in traditional funding models. Most organizations face tough choices when it comes to prioritizing resources, particularly when urgent needs for program delivery are pitted against more systemic approaches that move in different scales of time, trust, and relationality. Every One Every Day is working to counteract these systemic imbalances, while acknowledging the time and trust needed to build and connect neighbourhood infrastructure. By nurturing these relationships and finding new opportunities to collaborate with nearby organizations, we are laying the groundwork for networked approaches that can deliver a range of benefits for organizations and residents.

What it looks like on the ground Sharing Space & Resources Where possible, we are working to make Every One Every Day infrastructures available for local organizations and groups who share similar values and 56

are working to support inclusive civic participation in varied ways. These requests & opportunities are on the rise, where local groups recognize the unique nature of what we are building and see it as a place to support connection and participation among diverse community members. As we grow, increasing access to shared spaces and equipment is an important strategy for neighbourhood ecosystem building. R.I.S.E Program A community program led by ‘Apathy is Boring’, which works to support and educate youth to become active and contributing citizens in Canada’s democracy. The Rise Program team ran a community engagement session at the Neighbourhood Shop and will be returning. This presents an ideal opportunity to connect with local youth and expose a new audience to the space with the potential to build connections across efforts. Conversations on participatory communitybuilding Over the Spring, a student researcher conducted a 9-week research project, interviewing participants from 13 community-based organizations across the North End. The research demonstrated the similarities in what participants envision for the North End community; specifically, expanding shared spaces and other shared assets, increasing representation of the Urban Indigenous and African Nova Scotia communities in the built environment, and cohesiveness among North End organizations based on clear and consistent communication and partnerships rooted in reciprocity and shared values.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Co-Designing Projects of Mutual Benefit Identifying specific projects that provide mutual benefit are often the starting place for deepening our working relationship with partners, and subsequently being able to identify new opportunities for collaboration. In moving through the process of co-designing projects together, we are uncovering many unique ways in which these relationships can evolve to strengthen and connect the network of spaces, skills, and resources across the North End. Peer-to-Peer Mentorship & Learning An important element of our approach is fostering support and learning among peers. As projects diversify and grow, we are identifying new pathways to strengthen support for peer-to-peer mentorship and skills-sharing. Host Engagement Gatherings These gatherings provide an opportunity for new and returning hosts, and residents interested in hosting, to connect. They are offered 1-2 weeks before the start of a program and are growing in attendance. The gathering provides information on hosting, introduces foundational pieces of our work like ‘Kokum’ and our Circle of Change, and Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

explains the participatory approach. It also offers space for hosts to get to know one another, learn about the sessions that others are hosting, and share experiences. Specialists in Residence While many residents join a session or come into the shop to learn something new, we have recognized a need to have people on hand who have specific skill sets, or a higher level of confidence using specialized equipment. In some cases, this may be a project designer, but as participation grows, more skills and capacity are required. Examples that surface often include skills related to sewing and fabrics, building and wood-working, and printmaking. Based on this observation, we aim to develop a more structured approach to working with “specialists in residence” who can offer time and skills in exchange for coordinated access to EOED spaces and equipment.

Photos, left to right: RISE participants meet at the Neighbourhood Shop, neighbours build toolboxes in a session co-hosted by Every One Every Day and the Halifax Tool Library. 57

Sustainability and Scale 3. Illuminating Wise Practices for Inclusive & Regenerative City-Building The journey to build Every One Every Day has been one of discovery and learning; And it has taken time for the team to deepen their understanding of this approach and to uncover together what it means to become a Truth and Reconciliation initiative. In the past year we have built and reflected upon a number of tools and frameworks that are helping us to both make sense of the work in real time, while sharing emerging insights and promising practices with others. In this way, we are contributing to a larger community of field builders, who are imagining and implementing new possibilities for regenerative city-building that is both radically inclusive and future-fit.

What it looks like on the ground Sharing Knowledge & Field Building This year, team members have presented at a range of local, national, and international gatherings to share aspects of our approach and learn from others who are seeding systems transformation work across a range of practice areas. UNDRIP Working Group (Canadian Evaluation Society): The UNDRIP Working Group is mandated by the Canadian Evaluation Society Board to provide direction on how to uphold the principles and contribute to the implementation of UNDRIP. As a member, EOED’s Manager of Learning and Evaluation is working to introduce culturally responsive evaluation practices and approaches into the on-going development of our evaluation framework. Placemaking Canada (Toronto) & Art of City Building (Halifax): Gatherings which brought together place-makers and public space advocates from across Canada and the world to share 58

stories, successes, tactics and aspirations. Canadian Institute of Planners (Halifax): EOED team members hosted 25 delegates from across Canada on a walking tour that highlighted the Neighbourhood Shop & Community Build Trailer as unique forms of social infrastructure that work to centre resident participation in neighbourhood and city planning. Writing & Story-Sharing Story-sharing plays an essential role in communicating unique perspectives and stories of impact; All together, helping to shape new narratives about the value of social cohesion in creating strong and resilient neighbourhoods, where everyone belongs and can contribute. When possible, we are working within the team and with external storytellers to illuminate these stories: Transformational Story-Telling Series: This 4-part series was a collaboration between Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax, 7GenCities and Community Foundations of Canada’s Transformation Storytelling Fellowship program. It uses written and audio formants to illuminate Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax as a practical example of inclusive social infrastructure that’s rooted in Truth & Reconciliation. Interviews & Podcasts: As more people hear about the work, we are responding to requests to share elements of the approach and what we are learning. One such conversation was recorded for the Beyond Consultation Podcast, produced by business lab in New Zealand. Team Reflections & Blogs: Since the work began, team members have contributed their own insights and reflections to a series of blogs that tell unique stories of the work from different perspectives.

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Photo: Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre Executive Director Pam Glode-Desrochers and Every One Every Day Program Director Aimee Gasparetto at the 2023 Evergreen Conference.

Short Film: Who & When: Over a 6-month period, a local videographer captured the emerging narrative of Every One Every Day through interviews with the team and residents. This film captures an important moment in our journey and as the work grows, so do the stories and relationships that are being nurtured along the way. Access the film on the home page of our website. 7GenCities Learning Community 7 Gen Cities is a new collaborative fostering transformative thinking and action for future cities, community building, and Earth stewardship. Many of the principles, teachings, and real and imaginative futures have been outlined in a publication called Sacred Civics: Building Seven Generation Cities. The soon-to-be built Wije’winen Centre and Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax are presented in the book as one example of a civic-system demonstration of 7GenCities. The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, along with Dark Matter Labs and the Evergreen Foundation have been early collaborators in this work. It is guided by a central exploration to uncover the physical, digital, and social infrastructures needed for city dwellers—human and more-thanhuman—over the next seven generations to thrive, in just, radically inclusive, caring, and regenerative communities. Currently, the work of 7GenCities is unfolding across three main bundles, which our team has been actively learning from and contributing to over the past year: field building; hosting a learning community of Indigenous-Municipal-Civic city cohorts; and exploring the future of social and civic infrastructure finance.

gathering of the learning community which was attended by several team members.

“The wisdom and experience in the room felt palpable. I kept thinking to myself how wonderful it was to be surrounded by folx who recognize the complexity of the work ahead yet can visualize something better and different for how we live in harmony with each other and the natural world. It’s always felt like a challenge working with and across different levels of government, but to sit with Indigenous leaders who are doing the work from inside municipal structures that are deeply colonial, left me with a sort of reverence. We need to be in this work together and the ability to learn from different teams across Canada who are grappling with similar questions and challenges and visions, is a big opportunity.” –EOED Program Director

As part of the Evergreen Conference: Making a Case for Place, 7 Gen Cities hosted the first

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Lessons Learned & Navigating the Way Forward Creating Tools and Frameworks that are Culturally Responsive It became evident early on that the tools and frameworks first introduced to the EOED team through our partnership with the Participatory City Foundation, would need to be adapted to ensure that they were reconciliation-focused and culturally responsive to Kjipuktuk. We began by creating our own story of impact (Circle of Change) using an Indigenous lens that integrated local Indigenous wisdom and captured the ideals of a ‘Dream North End’ from residents. It was important to get this story right and not rush the process. Measuring What Matters To put into action ‘Kokum’ and identify meaningful indicators of progress towards Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous voices must be interspersed through decision-making and feedback on both the framework, and the actions. To accomplish this, there is a focus on growing Indigenous participation through current partnerships with MNFC and by establishing new connections within the urban Indigenous community and other Indigenous circles within Kjipuktuk-Halifax. Co-Designing for Neighbourhood Level Change For many residents, each visit to the shop, or session they attend, is a chance to connect with community and share or learn something new. What may not always be obvious is how these many different activities, done by many different people, can over time create impactful change across a whole neighbourhood. When engaging in co-design with residents, the project design team is learning how best they can honor the ideas and ambitions of individuals, while also working to connect many different ideas into a larger project vision; One that demonstrates how many small actions can lead to big change. This requires on-going effort to refine the practice of project co-design within 60

the team, and the development of relevant tools and resources help to build consistency over time. This is particularly challenging in the face of staff transitions, as it takes significant time and practice to hone this unique element of our approach. To invite residents into the larger vision more directly, our host engagement gatherings offer an opportunity to dive deeper into our Circle of Change, and how participation works towards building a better and brighter future for the whole neighbourhood. Creating Conditions for Relational Systems Design This approach calls for deepening relationships at every scale and acting on the notion that what we design can and must consider the inter-connected nature of the challenges we face, at every level of society. However, the systems and structures we work within are ill-equipped to deal with the degree of relationality and the need for solutions and ways of working that are multi-solving. Considering this context, we continue to learn how best to identify and act upon relevant structures, timeframes and opportunities that support meaningful collaboration across sectors; Particularly those that extend beyond short-term projects towards systems-building approaches that that are about acting now, for the long-term. Cultivating Space for Learning, Healing, and Rest To truly honour the journey of Truth & Reconciliation, the work calls for deep learning to be integrated at the personal, team, organizational, and cross-organizational levels – in culturally appropriate ways and with respect and care for processes of healing. And yet, these learning cycles rarely align with the pace and timelines related to factors such as community needs and circumstances, the desire to collaborate with others, or the expectations of funders and partners. With each new program Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

cycle, we recognize the effects of urgency culture and its role in perpetuating cycles of work that can, at times, feel unsustainable. And yet, the pace at which we move to co-create seasonal programs is driven by direct learnings around how the programs drive participation. To address this, we continue to keep a careful eye on the flow of work cycles across the year and are moving towards the creation of an established learning framework that can integrate time and space cyclical learning and rest as a core practice. Growing at the Speed of Trust In a neighbourhood where systemic oppression, displacement and gentrification are well known to the residents who live here, our connection to the Friendship Centre has offered a solid foundation for building trust with residents; However, it is also true that many residents do not recognize our association with the Friendship Centre, or feel skeptical generally of new spaces and projects coming into the neighbourhood. The only way to Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

address this is with time, and through the one-onone relationships that are being built by the team daily. Each new program creates an abundance of opportunities to build these relationships and as participation grows, relationships and trust are growing too. It is important to honor the speed at which these trusting relationships can grow, and how this must inform future development and growth.

“It's like putting yourself in as a community member, giving yourself time to engage and enjoy alongside other people, removing any power dynamic of the role and the work [EOED team].” –EOED team member

Photo: the Every One Every Day team in November, 2023 61

Closing Statement Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax aims to inspire a way of life in neighbourhoods and communities where the things that we value, like relationships, culture, or connection to nature, are reflected in the places we live and the things we do together. And, where Reconciliation can be practiced daily, through welcoming opportunities to learn about Indigenous culture and history, spending time together, and sharing across cultures to create a new path forward.

While we hope this is just the beginning, the vision for Every One Every Day rests in the hands of no single individual or organization, but rather, is an invitation for all of us to take part in creating a future society that centres connectedness, healing, regeneration, and where the creative potential of everyone, can be realized.

In the short time that Every One Every Day has been operating in Kjipuktuk, we have seen a glimpse of many different residents working sideby-side to bring ideas to life in the neighbourhood while supporting others to take part. We have sparked excitement and curiosity around what life could be like if everyday, there were inviting spaces for neighbours to easily connect, share, learn, and create. At the centre of all of this, we have initiated a journey towards reconciliation in neighbourhoods, sparking our collective imaginations around what’s possible with spaces and opportunities to be together in new ways.

Photo: Artwork made by a resident as a 'thank you' gift for the Every One Every Day team at the end of Spring 2023 Program

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax

Acknowledgments We are grateful to the many people who have contributed to bring Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk/Halifax to where it is today. A special thanks to: The residents and neighbours of North End Halifax/Kjipuktuk. Pamela Glode Desrochers (Executive Director, Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre) Tessy Britton (former Chief Executive Officer, Participatory City Foundation) Jayne Engle and Tanya Chung-Tiam-Fook (Mission Co-Holders for 7GenCities, Dark Matter Labs) Michael Maclean & Kieran Stepan (Founding Partners, OSO planning + design)

Every One Every Day Project Team Members (Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre): Aimee Gasparetto, Program Director Richelle Kantor, Manager of Operations Tammy Mudge, Manager of Learning and Evaluation Jocelyn Spence, Coordinator of Communications & Design Ted Morris, Neighbourhood Project Designer Kate Sunabacka, Neighbourhood Project Designer Shawnna McGowan, Neighbourhood Project Designer Layla Fadhil, Neighbourhood Project Designer Adria Maynard, Neighbourhood Project Designer Jayme-Lynn Gloade, Collaborative Business Program Designer Janine Annett, Researcher With on-going support from staff from staff and community members at the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Funders McConnell Foundation Emera Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Province of Nova Scotia Our warmest thanks and appreciation to everyone who has contributed space, inspiration, ideas, and resources, and engaged in the vision of inclusive participation and Reconciliation in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Wela’lioq!

Every One Every Day Kjipuktuk / Halifax