City funding brings sustainable initiatives to new audiences
Ten new community projects and initiatives will receive funding from the City of Charlottetown’s 2022 Community Sustainability Micro-Grant Program. Since 2011, the annual program has supported more than 90 community projects.
The City’s micro-grant program aims to support community groups, independent creatives, and non-profits as they explore new ways to engage and involve citizens in creating a more sustainable municipality. The City of Charlottetown provides up to $2,500 to various community groups for projects that further the goals and actions of the City’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.
“Micro-grants are a fantastic opportunity to directly support community champions and foster an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation,” said Councillor Mitchell Tweel, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Standing Committee. “We are pleased to support projects this year that think outside the box, meet people where they’re at, and encourage meaningful connections between the community and the City’s goal of becoming more sustainable.”
This year, the committee selected several innovative and unique projects that engage various audiences. These projects include an edible garden tour, which will promote food self-sufficiency; a food dehydrating initiative which will provide natural, healthy food options for individuals with autism; and professional learning opportunities to incorporate sustainable practices in early childhood education.
Residents can also look forward to many unique cultural activities funded through the Micro-Grant Program. These include a zine fest, which will provide a platform of expression for underrepresented voices and perspectives; a little free art gallery that will offer free miniature exhibition space for community engagement and exchange; and a new mural at the PEI Farm Centre.
The 2022 micro-grant recipients are:
Charlottetown Farmers' Market Co-op – $2,500 to reduce barriers for musicians to perform on stage at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market and provide much-needed audio equipment for use by local artists.
Early Childhood Development Association – $2,500 from the City of Charlottetown’s Water & Sewer Utility for a series of three professional learning opportunities in which early childhood educators will learn how to incorporate sustainable values into their programming.
Fusion Charlottetown – $1,300 for the production of Fusion’s Earth Week programming to educate, engage and inspire the people of Charlottetown on topics related to sustainability and the environment.
Jordan Beaulieu – $2,500 for the inaugural edition of the Charlottetown Zine Fest, a workshop and one-day zine fair event where creators will present independent publications and related materials to the public.
Monica Lacey – $2,500 to create a small 18 by 24 inch Little Free Art Gallery, modelled on the same principles of the Little Free Libraries, which will feature a rotating selection of small-scale curated professional exhibitions and community artwork exchanges.
Oshun Dance Studio – $2,000 to present “Journei to Paradise,” the third full-length dance production featuring original choreography and live music by PEI’s only Black-owned dance company.
PEI Farm Centre – $2,000 to create a legacy mural in the new greenhouse and on the exterior of the PEI Farm Centre’s new multi-purpose building as part of their new Therapeutic Horticulture program.
PEI Food Exchange – $1,000 for a walking and biking tour of food gardens in Charlottetown to promote greater self-sufficiency, encourage healthier food choices and elevate community food security.
Stars for Life Foundation for Autism – $1,200 from the City of Charlottetown and $1,000 from GO! PEI for the Foundation to teach clients how to dehydrate food items, teaching valuable life skills and promoting a waste-free lifestyle.
UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation – $2,500 from the Water & Sewer Utility to develop sustainable urban drainage strategies by highlighting flooding hot spots and proposing solutions to improve the City’s wastewater system capacity.
To learn more about the City of Charlottetown’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, click
here.