Every vibrant community needs a physical anchor a place where neighbours become collaborators, youth find purpose, and elders share wisdom. Right now, our neighbourhood lacks a safe, accessible, and dedicated space for people to gather, learn, and grow together. This absence isolates individuals, limits resource sharing, and holds back local grassroots initiatives.

We are changing that by creating The Heartwood Commons, a multi-purpose community hub and eco-garden designed by the community, for the community. Our mission is to transform a neglected urban lot into a thriving center for mutual aid, lifelong learning, and neighbourhood connection.

Our Land and Our Work

Our project centers around a neglected, half-acre plot of land in the heart of our neighborhood. Currently an underutilised open space, we are transforming this site into a green sanctuary and civic asset.

Our hands-on work bridges environmental sustainability with social connection:

The Living Pavilion: A physical, eco-friendly open-air shelter built from local materials, serving as our classroom, meeting hall, and cultural event space.
The Community Food Forest: A regenerative permaculture garden packed with fruit trees, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, managed collectively by neighborhood volunteers.
The Tool & Seed Bank: A physical resource library where neighbors can check out tools for home repairs or gardening, and exchange heirloom seeds for free.

Our Goals
We want to build a self-sustaining ecosystem of neighbourhood support. Over the next 12 months, this project aims to achieve:
- Host 50+ Free Workshops: Delivering community-led classes on practical skills, including sustainable urban farming, home repair, financial literacy, and creative arts.
- Grow and Distribute Food: Producing fresh, pesticide-free produce to be shared entirely with local families and neighbourhood food pantries.
- Empower Local Youth: Providing an safe after-school space for youth mentorship, digital access, and environmental education.
  
  Use of Funds
  We believe in absolute transparency with our backers. Every contribution goes directly into the soil and structure of this community space:
  - 40% - Site Infrastructure & Pavilion Construction: Buying sustainably sourced timber, eco-friendly building materials, and securing the physical safety of the pavilion.
  - 25% - Soil Regeneration & Garden Design: Purchasing organic compost, fruit tree saplings, perennial crops, and installing a drip rainwater harvesting system.
  - 20% - Tool Library & Learning Supplies: Stocking the community library with high-quality hand tools, building workbenches, and buying workshop supplies.
  - 15% - Permits, Insurance, & Initial Utilities: Covering the legal zoning permits, safety insurance, and initial water/utility connections to get the site operational.
    
    Our Challenges
    Our biggest hurdle is the current state of the land and long-term financial independence. The soil on the lot is heavily compacted and degraded, requiring significant physical labor and organic matter to bring it back to life. Furthermore, managing a physical space requires ongoing upkeep.
    We are overcoming the soil challenge through volunteer-led "soil building days," using sheet mulching and deep composting techniques to restore earth health naturally. To ensure long-term sustainability without relying on continuous charity, the hub will host low-cost weekend makers-markets and seed swaps. This allows the space to generate its own basic maintenance costs while keeping its core educational, social, and food programs 100% free for everyone.
    By backing this project, you aren't just funding a garden or a building you are investing in the permanent foundation of a resilient, self-reliant neighbourhood. Join us in bringing this space to life.