Community members pitch their ideas, people pitch in donations, the community votes, and the projects with the most votes get funded. Doing good things together as a community. Thanks to the generosity of the community, all nineteen wonderful little community projects that applied for Project Impact 2024 have been funded! Read the full results here. See pictures of the projects as they are completed here. Thank you to everyone who applied, voted and donated! Â
Project Impact has now funded 67 community projects all around Greater Sudbury! Watch for the next round of applications to open in fall 2025.
Projects
Here are all the wonderful projects funded by the community through Project Impact 2024
Read the results of the community vote here.Â
Healthy Food for All (New Roots Collective)
Community members used no-till gardening to grow healthy produce for low-income, undeserved and underrepresented communities. Regular ‘pay-what-you-can’ markets were held in the community of Wanup (where there is no grocery store). Food was also donated to Better Beginnings Better Futures. Â
Renewing garden beds at Minnow Lake Community Gardens -dog park site (Minnow Lake Community Gardens)
Garden members and other community members repaired and rebuilt garden beds at this thriving community garden.Â
York Street Tot Lot Pollinator Garden (Katie Hahn and Christine Caveen)
Trilingual plant markers were created for the native pollinator garden in the York Street Tot Lot. An educational sign will be added in the spring to connect families to plants, pollinators, food, and gardens
Herbology Garden – Learn to do by Doing (Sudbury 4-H Club & Westmount 4-H Club Community Garden)
A spiral Herbology Garden was created and planted within the Westmount 4-H Club Community Garden beside the cozy cedar greenhouse. This is a space for all to connect hands-on with the earth, seeds, plants, and water.Â
Ollas! Saving water and growing more (Delki Dozzi Community Garden)
After a trial last year that showed in increase in water conservation of over 75%, a reduction in time watering of 10-fold, and improved plant growth, 22 ollas were built for 11 community garden beds at Delki Dozzi. Delki Dozzi Garden Lead Nadine Law delivered a hands-on workshop building garden ollas to provide other Sudbury community gardens with the materials and expertise to trial ollas in their respective gardens. Westmount, Twin Forks garden, Wanup , Walden, Better Beginnings and Glad Tidings community gardens participated.
Windows for Wildlife: A Bird-Safe Campus (Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee)
A window mural by student artist Sam Bénard-Barry helps to reduce bird strikes against a portion of clear and reflective glass windows at the Vale Living With Lakes Centre. This art installation is a mingling of art and science, bringing awareness to the importance of bird species and biodiversity. Ideally, the artwork will inspire similar projects across campus.
Free Little Art Gallery (Sarah Moreau)
Inspired by the beloved concept of free libraries, our project aims to revolutionize access to art through a simple yet powerful idea: Take a piece of art, leave a piece of art. Our mission is clear: to democratize art and spread joy far and wide. The gallery is located in front of The Okalita (601 Kathleen Street), where there’s plenty of foot traffic and love for local art.
Manidoo Bineshii Dreams Plant Identification Project (Manidoo Bineshiinh)
This project is all about community connectivity. During this project you can help make plant markers for the Manidoo Bineshii Dreams garden and edible forest. We will take a tour through the edible forest to identify trees and get inspiration for the plant markers. We will learn the different names of plants in anishnaabemowin and any other languages each individual wishes to share. We will have deeper connection to ourselves, land, and each other by sharing our lived experiences. You will also have an opportunity to add to the dream catcher dedicated to the every child matters movement and tie an orange ribbon with your personal message.
Azilda CAN Community Bird House Project (Azilda Community Action Network)
This project will place hand-painted birdhouses around Azilda. This will bring some fun and colour to our community and a safe home for our small birds.
New Sudbury Historical Trail Fire and Ice Walk (New Sudbury West Community Action Network)
In collaboration with Rainbow Routes, successful lantern walks were held along the New Sudbury Historical Trail in March 2024 and February 2025. The aim was to build community through the events, and promote active living and trail use.Â
Birkdale and Camelot Village Community Beautification (Live Love Louder)
Interactive pavement games, art, murals, and other beautification were added to Birkdale and Camelot Village community neighbourhoods, with volunteers and community members.
Junk Mail Reduction  (Canadian Federation of University Women Sudbury-Environment & Climate Change Interest Group)
This project enhances awareness of a little known Canada Post program: by applying a red dot on a mailbox, Canada Post will no longer deliver unrequested or junk mail to an individual or community group mailbox. Presentations were made to Community Action Networks and red dots were distributed.
Twin Forks greenhouse enhancements (Ward 8 Community Action Network)
A potting table and drying table were built by community volunteers for the new greenhouse at the Twin Forks Community Garden. We envision a community gathering space that offers workshops and other learning opportunities which is a place to connect neighbours and the community, where people can come to lean how to grow food and connect with each other.
Camping Porta-Potties (Holland Marshall )
Twenty bucket toilets were built and distributed to encampments (with assistance from the Go Give Project).
2 in 1 compost- water barrel (BBBF Indigenous-led)
At the Better Beginnings Better Futures Community Garden, we will build a raised water barrel stand with a built- in compost on the bottom. A mural will be painted on the water barrel. This project will be used as a teaching tool to teach community members how to use resources in an environmentally friendly manner.
WIL’s Giant Pumpkins (Whinnying In Life)
We built raised garden beds at Whinnying In Life farm, where group homes and special need daycares planted and tended giant pumpkins. A Hallowe’en event and giant pumpkin contest was held in October, and everyone was a winner.Â
Four Lakes Community Association Garden Box Replacement (Four Lakes Community Association)
We replaced and planted the three-level garden box at the Four Lakes Community Association welcome sign (at Desmarais & Frenchman Lake Rd), to showcase a warm and welcoming community. Â
Birkdale & Camelot Tenant Association neighbourhood events (Birkdale Village & Camelot Drive Tenant Association)
A successful Hallowe’en event was organized for around 200 families in the neighbourhood, with pizza, pumpkin carving, a magician, and activities. Draws for gift cards were also made to encourage beautification of the neighbourhood by tenants. Â
Peace Pole (Violet Lanthier)
A hand-painted peace pole was erected at the Delki Dozzi Community Food Forest. The word peace is on the pole in 17 different languages. Each language was offered by individuals in the city. Over 55 people gathered for a unifying participatory ceremony to mark this symbol of justice-based peace. After the ceremony, food was shared, and a tour was given of the food forest by Sudbury Shared Harvest.

Manidoo Bineshii Dreams Plant Identification Project
Manidoo BineshiinhÂ

Healthy Food for All
New Roots Collective

Herbology Garden - Learn to do by Doing
Sudbury 4-H Club & Westmount 4-H Club Community Garden

2 in 1 compost- water barrel
BBBF Indigenous-led

Renewing garden beds
Minnow Lake Community Gardens

WIL's Giant Pumpkins
Whinnying In Life

Windows for Wildlife: A Bird-Safe Campus
Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee

York Street Tot Lot Pollinator Garden
Katie Hahn and Christine Caveen

Twin Forks greenhouse enhancements
Ward 8 Community Action Network

Ollas! Saving water and growing more
Delki Dozzi Community Garden

Garden Box Replacement
Four Lakes Community Association

Community Bird House Project
Azilda Community Action Network

Free Little Art Gallery
Sarah Moreau

Birkdale & Camelot Village Community Beautification
Live Love Louder

Peace Pole
Violet Lanthier

Neighbourhood events
Birkdale Village & Camelot Drive Tenant Association

New Sudbury Historical Trail Fire and Ice Walk
New Sudbury West Community Action Network

Camping Porta-Potties
Marshall Holland

Junk Mail Reduction
Canadian Federation of University Women Sudbury-Environment & Climate Change Interest Group
About
Project Impact supports small community projects that make a big impact, and involves residents in positive change where they live. Projects are pitched, chosen and funded by the community. To date, Project Impact has funded 67 community projects around Greater Sudbury.
Q: What is Project Impact?
A: Project Impact, led by the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, supports small community projects that make a big impact, and involves residents in positive change where they live.  Projects are pitched, chosen and funded by the community.
Q: How long has Project Impact been around?
A: Project Impact started in 2015. To date, Project Impact has supported 67 grassroots community projects.Â
Q: How does Project Impact work?
A: Individuals, friends, neighbours, schools, or community groups – ALL community members in Greater Sudbury – can fill out an application for a small community project that they would like to see implemented. Because Project Impact is all about community, the project ideas come from the community and a community vote decides which projects get funded. The funds also come from donations from the community.
Q: Is my project eligible?
A: Project Impact supports many diverse community-led projects that benefit the community. Your project may not be eligible if: the project is situated outside of Greater Sudbury; you are a business or a large institution; the project has a private benefit versus a community benefit; your project/organization has values that run counter to the values and Mission of Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury.
Q: What kinds of projects have been chosen in the past?
A: There are so many different types of projects! They range from: student built birdhouses, planting milkweed for Monarch butterflies, water buggies for community festivals, bike exchanges, planting and harvesting native plants and sweetgrass, mural painting, community gardens, harm reduction, community building events, and much more!
Q: What is the budget for each project?
A: Each community chosen project can request a maximum funding of $500. Funds can be used for small stand-along projects, or for aspects of larger projects for which other resources have already been secured.
Q: How are projects selected?
A: Once applications have closed at the end of January, and applicants have been notified that their projects have been accepted, there will be a community celebration at the beginning of March where applicants present and showcase their projects. This is a great way to connect with community. Attendees will vote on what projects they would like to see supported (using a participatory budgeting model). Projects continue to be displayed at the library and online giving community members ~2 weeks to vote. After voting closes, the number of votes are tallied to determine which projects will receive funding. The number of grants awarded will depend on the results of the vote, the funding required by the winning projects, as well as the total funds secured for Project Impact. Funds are given out in early April, and projects should be completed by November.
Q: What is Participatory Budgeting?
A: Participatory Budgeting is a community driven decision-making process using community funds. Residents of the community are encouraged to become engaged to decide together which projects will receive funding.
Thank you
Much thanks to everyone who applied to Project Impact 2024. We are so happy to be able to fund all the applicants, with bonuses for the four projects with the most community votes. Thank you for making such a positive difference in the community!
Thank you to everyone who voted, donated, and came out to events. Your generosity has made 19 small but mighty community projects possible, all around Greater Sudbury!
Thank you to all our donors big and small. Thank you to our Impact donors: Triple Impact Sponsor Sudbury Credit Union, Double Impact Sponsor Responsible Mining Solutions, Impact Sponsors The Nickel Refillery, Rachelle Niemela, Elaine Porter, and Frank Palkovitz.Â
Thank you to the Sudbury Community Foundation. Thanks to your partnership, charitable receipts were available for donations of $20 or more for Project Impact.
Thank you to the Greater Sudbury Library for hosting community voting, and the Project Impact results announcement.
Thank you to our perk donors: Bay’s Books, YES Theatre, Knowhere Public House, artist Lora Zombie, the Good Luck Store, Sudbury Indie Cinema, Click Fork, Amberhill Gallery, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, Alicia Irwin, Lilly’s Glassery, Northern Wildflowers, artists Laura-Leigh Gillard and Wallace Gillard.
Thank you to Better Beginnings Better Futures Indigenous-led, Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, and Greater Sudbury Library for including celebrating the Project Impact results at our Earth Day Celebration.