Wilfrid Laurier University and the City of Brantford are teaming up once again to present the second annual Summit for Creative Community Solutions, a public event focused on celebrating grassroots innovation and strengthening community connections.
Taking place on Thursday, May 8, at Laurier’s Brantford campus, the summit will gather local residents, volunteers, and leaders from non-profit and civic organizations to share ideas, highlight changemakers, and explore strategies for building a more inclusive and sustainable future. This year’s theme, Bridging the Gap: Connections, Accessibility and Sustainability for Communities, focuses on connecting academic insight with practical solutions that meet local needs.
“Our inaugural summit in 2024 showed the power of community in inspiring positive change,” said Christina Han, director of the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions. “We are pleased to continue the momentum in 2025 with an event that will leverage creativity to tackle social issues and foster a deeper sense of belonging.”
Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis emphasized the importance of collaboration in driving progress: “The Summit for Creative Community Solutions highlights Brantford’s commitment to innovation, inclusion and sustainability. Partnering with the university allows us to bridge ideas and action, connecting community needs with creative solutions that truly make an impact.”
The day-long event will feature keynote speeches from Lucy Marco of the Grand River Council on Aging, Rita-Marie Hadley of Lansdowne Children’s Centre, and Laurier psychology professor Alexis Buettgen. The program will also include workshops, panel discussions and live artistic performances.
Organizers say the summit is part of a broader effort to align Brantford’s academic, municipal and nonprofit sectors in addressing challenges related to accessibility, sustainability and social connection.
The event is free and open to the public. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Research and Academic Centre, 150 Dalhousie Street. Registration details and a full schedule are available on the Summit for Creative Community Solutions web page.
The summit is made possible through support from Enterprise Brant, Laurier’s Sustainability Office, the Office of Research Services, Laurier Brantford Grants, the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association and the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant.
