Aidan looks at horses while volunteering with the Saddle Up For Success program at Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding and Wellness Centre in Markdale, Ontario, Canada on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Hydro One has provided Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding and Wellnes

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2023
Fund
Recipients

See 2023 Fund Recipients

Energizing Life
Community Fund

We’re committed to supporting organizations and communities by funding projects that focus on the physical, psychological and emotional safety of Ontarians. By supporting organizations who energize life for so many, we are building safer and more resilient communities.

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Gateway Press Release

The 2023 Energizing Life Recipients have been announced!

“Bringing a community together in a social environment improves your quality of life. Gateway’s S.H.E.D. Talks expose us to conversations with people who share common problems with mental health, mental illness and strategies to overcome these challenges with the added benefit of social interaction.”

— Tom Melady, Retired Dairy Farmer
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2023 Fund Recipients

Recipients

SHED Talks Trail Care Niska Foundation Operation Actively Aging CK Fire Command Unit Food Literacy Program George Jeffrey GreenUP Save a Life Camp Maple Leaf Rainbow Mental Health Enliven Adult Day Programming 360 Kids Elephant Thoughts Wauzhushk Onigum Lac Des Mille Lacs Alderville First Nations Garden River First Nations Shawanaga First Nations Thames Centre Live Love Lounder Julien's House Northwestern Ontario Métis Child & Family Services Childrens Literacy Centre

SHED Talks

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health plans to expand its S.H.E.D. Talks program, a communal and collaborative space for farmers to gather, build connections and access mental health support.

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Trail Care

Each spring, thousands of volunteers undertake projects to ensure that everyone can safely access the benefits of outdoor recreation on the Trans Canada Trail. Trans Canada Trail’s Trail Care program provides funding to improve trail sections, carry out regular maintenance – to support the transition from one season to another, organize community cleanup and volunteer events, and much more.

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NISKA Park

Bordering on Lake Temiskaming in Haileybury, Niska Park is a one-acre green space being developed for the community in memory of entrepreneur, Nicole Guertin (1963 – 2021). Niska Park will be built in Nicole’s spirit of community connection, innovation and inclusivity, environmental empathy and sustainability. It will include a central gathering space, a community garden, conversation tables, pathways and bike parking, along with play equipment integrated throughout.

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Operation Actively Aging

Operation Actively Aging! is a pilot program initiative intended to reach the aging population in the municipality, helping people feel their best as they age.

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CK Fire Command Unit

Firefighters and their partners are committed to protecting their local community. The Command Unit is the only truck in the fleet that ‘protects the protectors’. The funding will support a safe system of operations for those who are dealing with an emergency, rehabilitating them so they can work safely and more importantly go home safely.

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Food Literacy Program

The RFDA helps to lift up the well-being of communities across Northwestern Ontario by providing programs and services working towards stronger food security and poverty reduction strategies. The Food Literacy Program will provide educational resources on heart and renal health to vulnerable youth and adults in an effort to reduce the high rates of diet-related chronic illnesses in rural and remote communities.

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Laptop Replacements

Laptops are vital pieces of equipment for the foundation's staff and clinicians. They are used to track appointments, chart client progress, communicate with clients and caregivers and, more recently, to provide virtual therapy. Last year 3,651 virtual therapy sessions were provided. Computers and their accessories are not supported by government funding, and donations are essential.

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GreenUP

Summer Ride Club is a new GreenUP program that will keep kids active and promote health by encouraging families to cycle together throughout the City of Peterborough. Participants who compete the Summer Ride Club passport get bragging rights and are eligible for a grand prize.

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Save A Life: Life Jacket Giveaway

Through the Save A Life: Life Jacket Giveaway program, the City of St. Catharines aims to prevent drowning by increasing the availability of personal flotation devices (PFDs) and life jackets at no cost to the public, while educating them on when and how to use them.

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Camp Maple Leaf

Camp Maple Leaf is a not-for-profit sleepover camp for children of Canadian military families, and for children with other shared unique life challenges, that fosters a sense of belonging and pride. Their “Increasing Access” initiative will enable more children from across Ontario to benefit from the fun and friendships of camp.

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Rainbows Mental Health Peer Support Project

Helping children and youth move from hurt to healing to hope after experiencing loss.

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Movement Matters: Living well with a cancer diagnosis

Enliven Cancer Care will be facilitating Movement Matters: Living Well with a Cancer Diagnosis, a year-long, integrated program for cancer patients. This program will enable them to experience greater fulfillment to safely engage with their community, and in so doing, to enjoy a more holistic approach to their well-being. The project will offer yoga and exercise classes to those of all ages living with cancer in Muskoka.

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Skills for Life - Adult Day Programming

Skills for Life - Adult Day Program was created to provide meaningful, daytime opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Participants in this program engage in a variety of education, physical, recreational, and creative activities in a nurturing environment.

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360Kids Queer Agenda Program

The Queer Agenda project is a peer-led initiative with the purpose of reducing barriers faced by youth when accessing housing and shelter supports. The Queer Agenda (QA) mission is to combat homophobia and transphobia by offering education, resources and programming in a hybrid format, for both staff and young people in shelter settings and within the community.

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The Zgaa-biig-ni-gan Bridge Program

Elephant Thoughts, in collaboration with Indigenous Sports and Wellness Ontario, have developed the Zgaa-biig-ni-gan Bridge Program; an empowering workforce development internship for 24 Indigenous youth from across Ontario. Youth will take part in two weeks of paid skill building and leadership development focused on Environmental Stewardship, Green Building, Agriculture and Culinary Arts all at Riverstone Education Campus in Durham, Ontario.

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Community Space Revitalization

The Community Space Revitalization Program focuses on revitalizing and upgrading a community roundhouse that has been a longstanding focal point and venue for ceremonies, community events, and gatherings for over 100 years.

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Learn to Swim

Lac des Mille Lac's Learn to Swim Program provides an opportunity for youth to gain confidence and build relational capacity; helping to develop water safety skills to prevent drowning and water related injuries through swim training programs.

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Black Oak Savanna

The Alderville Black Oak Savanna Initiative aims to preserve, restore and expand these rare grassland habitats, and educate and expand the environmental information about this ecosystem.

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Bringing our Children Home

The Bringing Our Children Home initiative will allow community services to come together to develop a Crisis Response Circle that can provide immediate, culturally based wholistic healing supports for those in the community who have suffered a traumatic event or loss.

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Medicine Walk About

Mshkiki Baamse - The Medicine Walk About project will revitalize Indigenous language and culture to youth. The project with host medicine walks and incorporate language and culture into them.

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Dorchester Inclusive Park

Dorchester Inclusive Park is an all-ages playground and community hub that is intentionally designed to be inclusive for all abilities. The first phase includes climbing, swinging and sliding equipment as well as communication boards in braille, sign language and non-verbal symbols. Phase 2 of the inclusive park will provide senior exercise equipment that will help strengthen muscles, balance and manual dexterity.

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Live Love Louder Community Mural Initiative

Live Love Louder is dedicated to providing inclusive beautification opportunities to marginalized communities in the City of Greater Sudbury. This summer, Live Love Louder is scheduled to roll out a number of projects that will contribute to the betterment of the community through the creation of interactive courtyard murals and public artworks that reflect residents' vision, participation, and pride for where they live.

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Restorative Activists Project

The project will revitalize Indigenous language and culture to youth by hosting two medicine walks led by a facilitator and two elders. It will take place on Shawanaga First Nation land and territory.

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YouPower and Nobody's Perfect Training

YouPower fosters healthy emotional and social development in youth across Canada. Nobody's Perfect is a parenting program aimed at young parents who are socially isolated, low income or have limited education.

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Childrens Literacy Centre

The Atikokan Public Library is creating a vibrant space for families to gather together, to learn new skills, share new ideas and make new friends. It's a place for community partners to share resources through literacy and programming.

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We're giving back to local communities.

Charitable organizations, Indigenous communities and municipalities seeking funding to support programming for Ontario communities are invited to apply for the Energizing Life Community Fund.

Supporting communities across Ontario

Learn more about past Energizing Life recipients

4 mins read

Lauren's headshot

Finding hope while saddling up for success

August 15, 2022

Markdale, ON

Hope Haven provides children and adults with disabilities a safe space to connect, have fun and find joy through equine-based programs and activities.

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Watch the video on Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre
photo of teens jumping off of a dock at summer camp

2 mins read

Andrea's headshot

Rainbow Camp teaches 2SLGBTQ+ youth lifesaving skills

July 4, 2022

Ontario-wide

Welcome Friend Association is creating safe spaces that honour creativity, individual choice and social justice.

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John Gibson at Re-cycles Ottawa.

4 mins read

Andrea's headshot

Getting up to speed with DIY bike maintenance

September 28, 2022

Ottawa, ON

The team at Re-cycles Ottawa has refurbished over 100 bikes for children and youth living in Ottawa Community Housing.

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Service dog being petted.

4 mins read

Lauren's headshot

Paw-sitive impacts for children with autism

May 19, 2022

Southwestern Ontario

Energizing Life recipient Autism Dog Services trains and places service dogs with families and their child with autism for immediate support.

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Funding criteria

Organizations must meet the following criteria:

  • Are an Indigenous community; non-political affiliation, Canadian registered charity or non-profit
  • Focused on improving community physical, psychological or emotional safety
  • Committed to cultural diversity in their communities through programs, services and funding
  • Have operations in Ontario
  • Able to report accurately and transparently on community investment activities and impact
  • Willing to collaborate on stakeholder and employee engagement opportunities
  • Meet other criteria as outlined in Hydro One’s Community Investment Policy.

Together, we’re building safe communities. For any questions about the Energizing Life Community Fund, please email CommunityInvestment@HydroOne.com

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See all 2022 Fund Recipients

Learn how we supported organizations through our Energizing Life 2022 initiative

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