VitalIdeas
®
Social Infrastructure and Black Communities
WATERLOO REGION’S
Territorial
Acknowledgement Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) is situated within the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The territory is within the Between the Lakes Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit and within the Haldimand Tract, lands granted to the Six Nations of the Grand River (Haudenosaunee) in 1784. We recognize that Waterloo Region today is home to a diverse population of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people. WRCF is committed to understanding the impact of settler colonialism on the Indigenous experience in order to envision and co-create collaborative, respectful paths together in mutuality and reciprocity.
Why Vital Ideas Vital Signs® tells us how our community is doing. It brings together data, research, and lived experience to highlight the conditions shaping quality of life across Waterloo Region. In 2025, Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) published a Vital Signs® Report focused on social infrastructure. But no single report can hold every story, question, or idea that emerges from the findings. As we talked about the report in community, many people asked us to explore specific themes in more detail and consider what they might mean for our shared future. Vital Ideas® responds to that call. It creates space to focus on selected topics raised by
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Vital Signs® and examine them through new lenses, voices, and perspectives. Each Vital Ideas® Report centres on one idea linked to social infrastructure, with the potential to shape connection, well-being, and belonging in our community. Vital Ideas® is not about prescribing solutions. It is about asking better questions, deepening understanding, sharing knowledge, and supporting thoughtful action. By continuing the Vital Signs® conversation, we can grow and strengthen the social infrastructure across our region.
Taijasa Jordan
Why Black Communities The question instinctively prompts a response of, “Why not Black communities?” Black communities have been present in Canada for more than 400 years. Through enslavement and then through the arrival of Black loyalists and successive waves of migration, Black communities have continually created social infrastructure to resist, thrive, and heal. This historical context cannot be removed from the experiences of Black communities today, whether historical Black Canadians or immigrant communities. While the presence of Black Canadians has a long history, systemic barriers, ongoing displacement, and discrimination have resulted in generations of Black communities having to ‘begin again’.
community care. Despite this resilience, Black communities continue to report lower rates of community belonging, safety, and quality of life compared to other racialized groups. Healing requires breaking the cycle. The work of healing is often hindered by systemic anti-Black racism.1 Research shows that the discrimination, barriers, and needs impacting Black communities are materially different from other racialized groups. True healing, and thriving, cannot occur without addressing these structural harms. For this report, lead author Teneile Warren gathered perspectives from community organizers and youth to understand how we build and sustain social infrastructure that supports Black communities in Waterloo Region, so they can thrive.
Yet, a burden has been placed on Black communities to produce data to justify the need for fundamental investment, even while history demonstrates generations of community-driven innovation and
…people tend to perceive the Black community as being a monolith, just because of our skin colour. Look at how many nations there are in the continent of Africa, how many islands there are in the Caribbean, or countries in South America that have historically Black presence. Imagine, if we had a space, especially for Black youth to come together and learn about each other, build connections, and be stronger across their commonalities while respecting their individualities. Imagine how magical that would be? Marcia Smellie, Congress of Black Women
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To Heal and Thrive: Cultivating infrastructures of permanence and belonging for Black communities in Waterloo Region By Teneile Warren
Contextualizing Black Communities The Black community is not a monolith. Black communities or people of African descent report the highest rates of linguistic (250 mother tongues), ethnic, and cultural diversity (approximately 371 groups) of all racialized groups in Canada. Thus, for this report, communities is pluralized to honour this rich heterogeneity.2 For newcomer communities, particularly those without a direct connection to the trans-Atlantic Slave trade, the term Black as a racial identifier may cause discomfort, as globalized antiBlack stereotypes have travelled further than the empowering dimensions of Black identity. However, connected by African ancestry, Black communities cultivate practices of gathering, relationality, and collectivism. Even within the violent conditions on the plantation, enslaved Africans forged bonds across tribes, new cultural expressions, 3
and community practices that anchor Black joy and resistance today. Fostering these resilient community threads requires recognizing that Black communities need support in accessing both ethnoculturalaffirming and broader Blackaffirming social infrastructure. Strengthening these interconnected cultural networks within the Black community directly improves overall wellbeing, personal resilience, and cultural capital. While Black people have called Waterloo Region home since the 1830s through the Queen’s Bush Settlement, no space exists for Black communities to gather and connect. Black communities have consistently been forced to ‘get in where they fit in’. This lack of social infrastructure significantly inhibits the ability of Black communities to lay a sustainable foundation for current and future generations.
Nationally, Black communities experience higher rates of unemployment,3 housing instability, food insecurity, and poor mental health and well-being.4 In the face of disparities, Black communities have always responded with solutions. Waterloo Region’s Black communities continue to grow, more than doubling in size between 2010 and 2021.5 The region’s growth in Black communities has been matched by the formation of grassroots organizations, community groups, Black-owned businesses, as well as local festivals and events. Black community leaders overwhelmingly view this as a pivotal moment for building dedicated community infrastructure in Waterloo Region, though substantial gaps remain. These systemic factors contribute to a lower sense of belonging, dignity, and public safety among Black
communities. The Pulse Check Report identified that among respondents, Black people with a strong connection to a community group reported more positive well-being, a higher sense of safety in public spaces, and were more likely to engage in broader community activities. These respondents also experienced a higher degree of safety when travelling on public transportation. Intersections of geographic location and identity must be considered when developing social infrastructure for Black communities in Waterloo Region. The region’s design and structure create localized barriers, particularly between the municipalities and rural townships. As Krysanne McLean, Executive Director of Rhythm and Blues Cambridge, points out, “Waterloo Region is big and each municipality is its own silo; the same resources and access are not available to Black youth especially in the townships, as they are in Kitchener or even Cambridge. We are breaking down those silos, but transportation and finances are definitely an issue
there.” This unintended siloing means that proximity dictates connection, leaving Black youth outside major urban cores with compounding transit and economic barriers to community connection.
Creating Community, Connecting Communities “We are the cultural hubs of the societies where we gather and build. That’s what the data shows. Others come and flock to the ways in which we’re building. In so many ways is what I see that we truly are arbiters of culture, art, creativity, and innovation.” – Dr. Ciann Wilson, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Community Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University. Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Communitybased Research, Ethics, and Well-being When her children faced antiBlack racism and needed a supportive environment, Krysanne McLean went in search of spaces where they could be
affirmed in their Black identity. With nothing available to her in Cambridge, she gathered a team and created the space her children needed. After relocating to Waterloo Region during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly De Fogain turned to the outdoor spaces for respite, only to notice a distinct lack of Black representation around her.6,7,8 This realization sparked the development of nature-based programming tailored specifically for Black and racialized communities through her organization, Afropolitan Canada. In another instance, a group of Black parents initially connected to share advice on navigating the education system. As they learned more about each other’s experiences within the education system, a group of educators within the group saw an opportunity to offer communitybased academic instruction and enrichment - and Building Brilliance was born.
Throughout this report you will see citations to sources. You can find the details at wrcf.ca/vi2-sources.
Taijasa Jordan
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Safety, Community, and Belonging “It’d be nice if we could have a space or a hub, where I can drop off my child and they can go do math, but they can also go to a program, and then they can… Maybe there’s a seniors event there, there’s a medical centre, there’s a connection as a whole unit, there’s organizational leadership happening in one space.” – Krysanne McLean, Rhythm and Blues Cambridge
Taijasa Jordan
‘It takes a village to raise the child’ is a popular African proverb. In a focus group with Black youth, they shared the impact of surveillance, antiBlackness, and a lack of spaces on their development. Every community leader connected with to create this report expressed a concern for youth
safety and spaces for youth to connect and engage. Currently, spaces available to Black youth are accessible through community-wide programming or community groups.9 These are considerations Black families must weigh as they decide whether to allow their children to participate in activities. Black youth, especially boys, experience higher levels of surveillance in public spaces
By the
Numbers You will find a list of the sources used to create the numbers in this section at wrcf.ca/vi2-sources.
53.4% of adult respondents agreed that Waterloo Region is welcoming for Black community members, and
57.5% felt safe expressing their identity in public. More than one-quarter selected neutral on both items.
BELONGING Belonging was strongest in close personal spaces:
About 3/4 of adult respondents reported strong belonging with family and friends. Faith-based groups were also important, with approximately 80% of youth reporting strong faith-based belonging. 5
Belonging was weaker in geographic and civic contexts:
Nearly half of adult respondents reported weak belonging to their local neighbourhood. Belonging to the city, local Black community, and ethnic or cultural group was also mixed.
then their racialized or white counterparts. “Black youth need a space to belong versus spaces where they are fighting to be themselves.” “Friendships happen and then sometimes I see one parent who comes in and picks up the kids of the other parent because they’ve built that relationship over the years, thanks to the swimming programming, and now they’ve created their own village.” – Kelly De Fogain, Afropolitan Canada The relationship between Black communities, land, and farming is deeply rooted in autonomy, healing, and collective survival. Historically, agricultural gathering allowed Black communities to build
independent support systems, cultivate culturally meaningful crops, and establish economic stability outside discriminatory systems. However, generations of displacement, and institutional barriers to land and capital have severed many Black residents from agricultural land. Reclaiming access to land and agricultural spaces today represents a vital dimension of Black social infrastructure. Community gardening initiatives, farming, and nature as a whole function as sites of intergenerational connection, cultural preservation, and physical well-being.
“So, in this garden, it’s, like, 90% new immigrants. People who just moved here. So, being here and finding other people from Africa or other parts of the world that are more like us, creates a community, a nucleus, like family. I’ve made friends with people that are here with me. I’m able to call them and just have a chat. We can exchange our produce; we exchange ideas. This, to us, is more like family. I see them as my sisters and brothers.” – Gladys Rosana, Waterloo Region Community Garden Network
EMPLOYMENT
11.1% Unemployment rate for Black Canadians nationally — more than double the non-racialized rate of 6.4%.
Taijasa Jordan
20% One in five Black young people are unemployed, nearly nine percentage points above non-racialized peers.
FOOD SECURITY
41.3% of Black Canadians were food insecure — 20 percentage points higher than White Canadians (20.4%).
IMPACT ON YOUTH Black youth were much more likely than non-Black youth to report discrimination because of race or colour (43.3% vs. 13.1%) and ethnicity or culture (30.4% vs. 15.2%).
64.7% of adult respondents had used a food bank or community food program at least once in the past 12 months, and nearly one-third used these supports monthly or weekly.
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Taijasa Jordan
What does social Infrastructure for Black People Thriving in Waterloo Region Look Like? “I’ve been gardening with my daughter ever since she was months old. Every time I come to the garden, she’s here, unless it is school days, that’s the only time she’s not here. The other day, I was surprised she went to one of my friends’ gardens, and she was pointing out, don’t remove this. This is a vegetable, we eat this. She went out teaching other farmers; this is edible. In her 20s, I believe she will have a vegetable garden, because I brought her here, knowing that we grow food.” – Gladys Rosana, Gardener, Waterloo Region Community Garden Network
With a legacy spanning nearly two centuries in Waterloo Region, Black communities deserve a space to call their own. Research and data show that dedicated, centralized hubs nurture positive Black identities. Such spaces create a sense of permanence and serve as anchors where communities can connect, preserve their stories, and pass something forward to future generations. At the same time, effective Black social infrastructure also requires wings: the mobility and adaptability to reach across the region and meet community members where they are. Blackaffirming infrastructure cannot be reduced to a single physical building or rigid framework. To support true thriving, it must be flexible, responsive, relational, and present. It must honour the
reality that experiences, barriers, and aspirations within Black communities are deeply varied rather than universal. Social infrastructure that responds to Black communities’ internal and external needs challenges monolithic stereotypes and supports autonomy, futuremaking, and a lasting sense of home.
Teneile Warren Black and Queer Community Advocate, Playwright & Educator
We don’t truly have an address, so it allows us to really feel connected more to the people versus the address and the location. And we’re not really serving a culture or only an island or a city, country code, we are just wanting Black and racialized bodies to feel safe in Cambridge and everywhere. Krysanne McLean, Executive Director, Rhythm and Blues Cambridge 7
Community
Stories
Building Brilliance by breaking down barriers Building Brilliance is about more than tutoring. It’s about ensuring that a child’s future isn’t determined by the barriers they face along the way. Through culturally relevant learning, mentorship, and community-centred education, the organization creates spaces where students can see themselves reflected, supported, and empowered to succeed. It shows how belonging can become a catalyst for confidence, learning, and opportunity. wrcf.ca/news/building-brilliance-story
“Being able to see that a teacher can look like you is a very powerful thing that resonates with students.” Brian Bernard, Director, Digital Experience, Building Brilliance
Nature is healing for Waterloo Region’s newcomer Black communities For newcomers across Waterloo Region, places like the Petersburg Community Garden and Afropolitan Canada’s recreation programs are about far more than growing food or learning new skills. They are places where belonging takes root. Where a plot of land, a swimming lesson, or a shared activity becomes a pathway to connection, confidence, and community. These spaces show social infrastructure at its best: creating opportunities for people to feel at home, build relationships, and thrive. wrcf.ca/news/garden-and-afropolitan-story
“We think that it’s critically important to be able to meet the needs of a newcomer community, so there’s that sense of belonging.” Doug Jones, Board Chair, Waterloo Region Community Garden Network
“There’s a desire from families in general to get their kids into swimming so that they can learn how to swim. They want it to be done in a community. When you know that you’re in the same space with other people who really do not have the skill set, then you become comfortable.” 7
Kelly De Fogain, Founder and Executive Director, Afropolitan Canada 8
Want to explore more ideas about Cultivating infrastructures of permanence and belonging for Black communities in Waterloo Region? Here are a few resources to continue the conversation. Pulse Check Survey – The Pulse Check Survey was a community needs assessment, led by Rhythm and Blues Cambridge in 2025/2026, to better understand the health, well-being, and lived experiences of Black residents across Waterloo Region. rhythmbluescambridge.com/s/RBC_The-PulseCheck-Report.pdf Race and Nature in the City – Engaging Youth of Colour in nature-based activities by Nature Canada. naturecanada.ca/race-and-nature-in-the-city Saede’s Story – Though focused on the school context, Saede’s story offers personal insight into the positive mental health impact of affinity spaces. smho-smso.ca/the-importance-of-affirming-spacessaedes-story Blackhurst Cultural Centre – It offers a model for what is possible in Waterloo Region. blackhurstcc.org Tropicana Community Services – Tropicana provides opportunities and alternative life choices that lead to personal success and positive life decisions for those we support, persons of Black heritage, and individuals in need. mytropicana.ca Black Public Joy – Written by Jay Pitter, sharing how “public space and the ways it can be designed to not only contribute to social equity, but also inspire joy for everyone.” penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/672022/blackpublic-joy-by-jay-pitter/9780771051913 Foundation For Black Communities - The Foundation for Black Communities is one example of philanthropic model that is dedicated to Black communities thriving. Learn more about the work they do. forblack.ca
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Black History Walking Tour – Participate in a local Black history walking tour as one way of learning about Black members of our community and the history of North American Black communities. History matters in understanding how Black communities experience space today and how you can help to reduce systemic barriers. strollwalkingtours.com/black-history-walking-tourkitchener Peel’s Black Health and Social Services Hub – Offers a blueprint for what is possible when longstanding organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association support Black communities to access culturally-responsive care. bhsshubpeel.ca Solid State Community Industries – Based in British Columbia, this organization supports racialized and migrant communities through a cooperative and solidarity economy model. solidstate.coop/co-ops Inhibited Growth – In 2022, the Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation released this report on public investment gaps in Black communities that makes a compelling case for community-led social infrastructure. infrastructureinstitute.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2022/12/SCCR-Brief-v4_Final.pdf Lanterna Black Innovation Hub - LBIH is a space that supports Black innovators, businesses and organizations in Waterloo Region through mentorship, funding and community. Donate money, time or additional resources to continue their crucial work. lbih.ca
Queen’s Bush Mural titled “The Song Continues” Lead Artist: Kalkidan Assefa (DRPN SOUL) Assistant Artist: Simone Patricia 10
Your next move:
Actions you can take Listen to Black communities. Don’t prescribe uniformity to Black communities. Advocate for public and private investment in a Black Communities Hub with community land, healthcare centre, learning space, social service opportunities, recreation space, and more. This space will centre Black communities while being accessible to all communities. Support Black-owned businesses. By injecting unrestricted capital into Black communities, it increases the capacity for Black communities to invest in sustainable Black futures. You can find a list of Black-owned businesses here. Become socially aware. Is inclusion visible in your community? How can your neighbourhood be more welcoming and supportive of Black residents? Donate to grassroots Black communities by supporting Black-led community organizations. Visit the Queen’s Bush Mural, Earthscape Play, located at 7215 Wellington Rd 86, Wallenstein, ON. Take a friend and learn together about the history of this once thriving community of almost 2,000 Black people. Consider what makes you feel safe in public spaces. Are you feeling an increased sense of surveillance? What does safety feel like to you? How can shared spaces be safer for Black communities? Is there a role you can play? Support Black-led media/storytelling (podcasts, local news features, oral history projects, plays) so the narrative of the region includes Black voices as tellers, not just subjects. Ask yourself: Am I promoting assimilation or integration? Assimilation demands uniformity and harms Black communities. Integration invites people to express their identity to the level of their choosing. Show up at Black-led cultural events as a participant, not a spectator. Attending is different from lingering, engaging, and returning. Then, when you return, bring others with you.
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Many conversations I’ve had about social infrastructure in this region eventually lead back to the same question: who gets left out when we build? This report, led by Teneile Warren and grounded in the voices of Black organizers and youth, answers that with clarity and care. What comes through most is that Black communities here are not waiting for permission to build. Grassroots groups and cultural programming have grown out of necessity and creativity, often without the funding or space to let that work take root for the long term. Black community leaders describe this as a pivotal moment, and I agree. Waterloo Region is growing quickly, and how we invest now will shape whether that growth includes everyone or leaves gaps that widen over time. Eric Avner, WRCF’s President & CEO
Thank You
Taijasa Jordan
Waterloo Region’s Vital Ideas® Report would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and the individuals who contributed throughout this document. Thank you.
LEAD AUTHOR AND RESEARCHER Teneile Warren
ADVISORS AND CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Eric Avner Brian Bernard Kelly De Fogain Doug Jones Krysanne McLean
Gladys Rosana Ian Shantz Marcia Smellie Dr. Ciann Wilson
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
DESIGNERS
Lynne Short
Rochelle Benoit Dani Siddique
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About Waterloo Region Community Foundation
Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) is focused on making it easy for people to do more good. WRCF collaborates with partners to ensure communities across Waterloo Region are equitable, connected, and sustainable; and people are thriving. We work with individuals, families and organizations to support the nonprofit organizations and issues they care about. WRCF drives measurable and sustainable impacts through Granting, Investing, Advising, and Mobilizing. Gifts are directed endowment funds, with the income generated being distributed in partnership with Fundholders through grants and investments that support a wide range of charitable causes that drive positive change within our community. We are growing our assets in a socially-responsible way and transitioning to a 100% mission-aligned portfolio. These investments include directing at least 10% of our portfolio to impact investments. WRCF advises Fundholders and donors, helping them design a customized giving plan built around their goals. With deep local knowledge built over more than 40 years, our team helps Fundholders and donors make informed, impactful decisions about their giving. As a leading community-building organization, we also work to amplify voices and issues of importance by mobilizing conversations and sharing information, which leads people to action, while approaching our work with an equity mindset. In 2026, WRCF continues to prioritize improving Waterloo Region’s social infrastructure. www.wrcf.ca
About Vital Signs
Vital Signs® is a community check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada that measures the vitality of our communities and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to quality of life. Vital Signs® is coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada. The Vital Signs® trademark is used with permission from Community Foundations of Canada.
SDG Idea Factory 200-2 King Street West Kitchener, ON N2G 1A3 WRCF.CA 519-725-1806 | info@wrcf.ca A member of:
Registered with Canada Revenue Agency (#132170994 RR0001). Waterloo Region Community Foundation issues official receipts for income tax purposes.
Cover photo by Taijasa Jordan
Making it easy for people to
do more good.