Welcome to Bridge Hill
The care, services, programs, and resources provided by Ontario’s diverse nonprofit sector are vital to our communities. Millions of Ontarians depend on nonprofits that work every day to meet the needs of Ontarians from all walks of life.
Ontario’s 58,000 nonprofits contribute $65 billion to the province’s GDP - they create jobs for nearly 844,000 people, deliver critical services, and bring communities together.
You are already a part of the nonprofit ecosystem. Visiting the local food co-op, volunteering for the street festival, and using the local library are all active ways that people participate in that ecosystem, whether employed or volunteering in a nonprofit, or not.
ONN created this resource as an illustration of the impact nonprofits have on our communities, including the realities of disinvestment and devaluation faced by real Ontario nonprofits. Although Bridge Hill is a fictional place, communities all across Ontario are encountering the issues depicted in the map.
Take a day trip through this interactive community map and visit different locations to learn more about the importance of nonprofits in our neighbourhoods and to Ontarians.
This map was created in 2025 and the specific types of issues depicted in the map may vary over time.
Community Menu 
Welcome to Bridge Hill
Child care
Name of organization: Little Dreamers Daycare
Name of worker: Maryam D. (she/her)
Worker’s role: Maryam is an Early Childhood Educator with expertise in early learning and development who provides care for children under four-years-old.
This daycare is a licensed nonprofit child care centre participating in the $10-a-day care program.
Access to low-cost, high-quality daycare operated by nonprofits enables parents and guardians in Bridge Hill to go to work, school, and contribute to their communities in many ways while their children learn and play in a safe environment.
Parents and guardians rest easy knowing that licensed professionals like Maryam are helping their little dreamers prepare for school, while meeting provincial regulations, and are committed to centering care and development, not profit.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Long-term care
Name of organization : Bridge Hill Retirement Community (BHRC)
Name of worker : Denise H. (she/her)
Worker’s role: Denise is a Personal Support Worker (PSW) with expertise in caring for seniors, including those with complex care needs, both in long-term care and in their homes.
Bridge Hill Retirement Community is a nonprofit long-term care home.
With more elders in need of care than ever before, access to qualified PSWs like Denise ensure families in Bridge Hill have the caregiving support they need. BHRC enables family members to continue working, go to school, or volunteer, while trusting their loved ones are being cared for.
Nonprofit long-term care provides desirable working conditions for caregivers, meaning there is less staff turnover, lower rates of hospitalization, and better control of infection and disease. This also means Denise is not juggling two or three jobs at different long-term care homes or accessing food banks and other supports herself.
BHRC offers programming in multiple languages, celebrates many worldly festivals, and has a menu that accommodates many religious and cultural diets, catering to the diverse needs of their residents. As a nonprofit, surplus funds are reinvested into evidence-based new elder care models rather than corporate profit.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Film festival
Name of organization : Bridge Arts Collective
Name of worker: Dawn D. (she/they)
Worker’s role: Dawn is the Director of Programming for the annual Bridge Hill Film Festival, which showcases films by local and international creators.
Bridge Hill Film Festival is hosted and run by the Bridge Arts Collective, a nonprofit organization.
Attracting many people from all over the world, the annual Bridge Hill Film Festival boosts the local economy and contributes to a thriving cultural scene.
The festival, run by a local nonprofit arts collective, creates jobs for the Bridge Hill community, increases foot traffic for local businesses like restaurants and shops, and provides volunteer opportunities for youth and seniors.
The collective also owns a building and rents out space to local groups and other nonprofits to use for programming, meetings, and events. During the off-season it runs accelerators to support young artists
Community members love this festival, now in its twelfth year, because it provides entertainment, a sense of pride as local artists are showcased, fosters creativity, and helps people of all ages and backgrounds come together. Ingrained in the community, the collective and festival are not just culture hubs but an important part of the local ecosystem.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Soccer club
Name of organization: Bridge Hill Football Club (BHFC)
Name of worker : Remy K. (he/him)
Worker’s role : Remy is a certified Head Coach, and provides leadership and guidance to develop athletic skills of boys ages 12-14 enrolled in BHFC’s youth program.
BHFC operates as a volunteer-led, community-based club and hosts annual fundraising events to ensure the sport remains accessible to all children in the community.
As a former semi-pro athlete, BHFC was thrilled to have Remy join as the Head Coach; the local youth program is flourishing under his care. Access to nonprofit sports programming like BHFC ensures affordability and accessibility of high-quality recreational programming for all families, regardless of their socio-economic status. Community-rooted principles and sport-development frameworks underpin BHFC.
Games bring together the entire community as Bridge Hill residents gather to cheer on the local and visiting teams. This programming also functions as an after school program and third space for children, keeping them safe, developing their social and leadership skills, and enhancing their physical and mental health.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
2SLGBTQI+ helpline
Name of organization: Queer Youth Helpline - Bridge Hill
Name of worker : Maurice S. (they/them)
Worker’s role: Maurice is a Shift Supervisor for staff and volunteers who provide support, information, and referrals via phone, chats, emails, and text messages for local youth who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Queer Youth Helpline is a youth-led nonprofit that provides year-round support to queer youth.
Queer Youth Helpline helps create a safe, thriving environment for young 2SLGBTQI+ people in Bridge Hill by taking a strong stance on combating hate, discrimination, and misinformation. Because of the helpline, 2SLGBTQI+ youth in Bridge Hill and surrounding areas have access to free and confidential services like peer support groups, counselling, program referrals, and evidence-based information to help combat hate and misinformation. They also offer safe spaces for youth to express themselves through art and host a youth-run marketplace that contributes to local mutual aid.
During Pride month last year, the helpline hosted additional programming for the whole community to dispel myths around gender-identity and sexual orientation, as well as training on how to become an ally to support youth who may be experiencing homophobia or transphobia. Their public education work over the years has created strong relationships between their clients and the broader community, improving Bridge Hill's liveability and encouraging more people to move into the region.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Settlement agency
Name of organization: Bridge Hill Community Connections (BHCC)
Name of worker : Sam R. (he/him)
Worker’s role : Sam is an Intake Coordinator for Bridge Hill Community Connections, providing information and resources for newcomers to Canada to support adjusting to their new homes.
Bridge Hill Community Connections is a nonprofit charity that was started by a group of refugees, aiming to empower newcomers in their new homes through settlement services and fostering a sense of belonging.
Bridge Hill's thriving education, childcare, and cultural landscape has made it a beacon for new immigrants and refugees, quickly growing into a multicultural hub. Since the establishment of BHCC decades ago during an earlier wave of immigration, it has become a one-stop shop for people from all communities for language classes, settlement counselling, education opportunities, referral services, interpretation, resources and navigation support, and more.
People receive not only settlement services and connections, but a sense of belonging and community through different events and initiatives that are frequently stewarded by community members. Strong relationships and mentorship mean that these traditions are organically passed through different generations and communities.
BHCC's work, which is supported by a surrounding community that invests in housing, arts, sports, and social services, ensures that people who arrive in Bridge Hill are able to thrive in their communities
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Children’s mental health organization
Name of organization: Sunflower Sprouts Resource Centre (SSRC)
Name of worker : Ariel E. (she/her)
Worker’s role: Ariel is a registered Social Worker and provides specialized services for kids with autism as staff at a children's mental health organization.
Sunflower Sprouts Resource Centre is a nonprofit charity initially founded by parents as a specialized service provider, which has since expanded to broader community, autism, developmental and mental health support, services, and referrals.
The Sunflower Sprouts Resource Centre (SSRC) provides a range of programming and services to support children's mental health and well-being in Bridge Hill.
Ariel and her team at the Centre work in partnership with children with autism and their families or caregivers to engage them in broader programming, while tending to specialized care. They provide early childhood programming, accessible recreation activities and summer camps, transitional supports, learning support, and therapy sessions that are person-centric and trauma-informed. Parents and caregivers can access resources and programs like support groups, referrals, and respite services.
The centre's customized and long-term approach means there is less pressure on the local hospital and other parts of Bridge Hill's care systems. SSRC's approach of providing specialized and nuanced care while reducing barriers and fostering belonging contributes to a sense of togetherness amongst children and youth with diverse needs. Disability justice and mental health are woven into peoples' understandings of neighbourliness and civic life.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Sexual assault center
Name of organization: Bridge Hill Place
Name of worker : Pritpal S. (she/her)
Worker’s role: Pritpal is an Intake Coordinator and a member of the front-line staff team at the centre. Pritpal provides critical support and immediate care to clients, including crisis intervention, shelter support, and more.
Bridge Hill Sanctuary is a nonprofit charity supporting survivors of violence and assault from across the region, providing short-term and emergency support through programs, services, and referrals.
Bridge Hill Place (BHP) provides free 24/7 emergency services in the region for survivors of sexual assault and violence. It is also part of a regional coalition that engages in advocacy and mobilizing to combat domestic and community violence.
Pritpal’s work focuses on organizing emergency supportive services through the intake process. This includes a compassionate and confidential assessment of the individual's needs that starts with a conversation to gather information, where individuals can share as much or as little as they are comfortable with through the process, and be guided through next steps whatever they may be.
In collaboration with other team members, supportive programs and services may include: healthcare, temporary and free housing, legal support, support for children, harm reduction, and counselling. BHP also provides public education and awareness building in schools and other settings about sexual and domestic violence to help prevent and mitigate ongoing violence and harm. As a result, pressure is reduced on emergency rooms, family doctors, or income support programs as BHP provides a place for survivors to turn to.
BHP’s social procurement policy bolsters local small businesses as it focuses on procuring goods and services they need to fulfill their mission, including clothes, food, and supplies. Local businesses support the centre through donations of goods and services and contributing to the centre’s annual gala.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Community housing
Name of organization: Bridge Hill Nonprofit Housing (BHNH)
Name of worker : William V. (he/him)
Worker’s role: William is a Community Services Manager at the local community housing building.
Bridge Hill Nonprofit Housing is a bustling nonprofit housing provider that owns three buildings with 112 units available in total, providing a mix of affordable and supportive housing options to seniors, individuals, local families, and those who need additional support (for example, those who have been unhoused and are recovering from mental health challenges). The units are a mix of below market and rent-geared-to-income rental rates.
As a nonprofit housing provider, Bridge Hill Nonprofit Housing prioritizes affordability over profit because it does not need to extract profits for shareholder dividends. The purpose, governance, and ownership structure of nonprofit housing ensures that they can offer affordable rent in perpetuity that adapts to tenants’ circumstances rather than function solely as a landlord. It also means that BHNH can focus on the wellness of tenants by stewarding a healthy housing ecosystem, engaging in collective advocacy to reduce stigma and work with the municipality, food banks, the safe consumption site, and other organizations. This helps ensure that less people in the community are dependent on emergency services and instead have sustainable pathways to housing.
William’s role focuses on working with tenants to understand their needs, connecting tenants to other local services, and coordinating community events at the building. William works with tenants, local leaders, and local agencies on a daily basis to advocate for the needs of residents.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
Supervised consumption site
Name of organization: Bridge Hill Supportive Neighbours
Name of worker : Levi G. (he/him)
Worker’s role: Site Manager, providing oversight of programs and services and training to staff.
Bridge Hill Supportive Neighbours is a nonprofit that works in collaboration with local health agencies to provide a safe supervised consumption site.
For almost 10 years, Supportive Neighbours has provided a safe, clean, supervised space for people who experience addiction that help prevent overdoses and engage in harm reduction.
Levi ensures that staff of the site are trained and always on hand to respond to the needs of individuals, provides harm reduction education and supplies, and connects people to other services and care.
The site follows the principles of harm reduction, which includes providing programs and services to lessen harms related to substance use and drug policy, including disease or death, criminalization, and stigma. With a focus on human rights, Supportive Neighbours also works with local housing and healthcare agencies to provide a human-centric approach to housing and wellness. Looking at the bigger picture, staff at the site understand that spaces like Supportive Neighbours are only necessary due to a lack of services and resources that approach wellness and addiction in a holistic and dignified manner.
Curious about what’s really happening in Ontario? Click here to learn more.
You and the nonprofit ecosystem
ONN encourages every Ontarian to strengthen and champion the nonprofit ecosystem.
1. Get involved in your communities:
Learn more about how nonprofits are supporting your community, from providing care to creating wellness and connection. There are so many types of nonprofits: local theatres, art galleries, museums, and sports leagues, service clubs and faith groups, child care and elder care centres, nonprofit housing cooperatives and shelters, food banks, and gender-based violence support groups, and community health centres and summer camps, and more.
2. Support nonprofit advocacy:
Community nonprofits are locally run and supported. They have local volunteers and board members. Many are entirely volunteer operated. They need communities to support them and advocate for their sustainability so they can continue their critical work.
3. Participate in democratic processes:
Democracy is not only activated through voting or canvassing, though those activities are great examples of civic engagement. Knowing about your local neighborhood association, participating in community consultations, and connecting with your local elected officials (e.g. mayors, local councillors, MPPs, MPs, or school-board trustees) to raise community concerns are also ways to participate.
