Bridging Divides: Voices and Visions about Homelessness in Mid-size Cities
A powerful documentary featuring voices from diverse backgrounds. Discover new insights on homelessness and explore solutions to build safer, more inclusive communities.
Join our documentary screening and panel discussion. A brokered dialogue to discover insights and solutions to build safer, more inclusive communities. Watch our trailer below.
Five individuals from diverse backgrounds were invited to participate in a Brokered Dialogue to share their perspectives about homelessness, public space and safety in their community. A brokered dialogue is a film making technique that brokers a series of conversations among people with different perspectives about a complex social issue to foster critical thinking. Using a case study of three mid-size cities in Canada, the film features a conversation among two people with lived experience of homelessness and housing precarity, a service provider, business owner, and a member of law enforcement about the causes and consequences of homelessness, public safety, and ways forward. The documentary provides a greater understanding about homelessness among diverse members of the community with the goal of helping to move towards positive, solutions-focused responses that help build feelings of safety and a sense of belonging for all.
For more information about a screening location near you, click below.
Location: Old Post Office 12 Water St S, Cambridge, ON N1R 3C5
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Register here
Panelist Bios
Jose de Lima – Community Advocate
José de Lima is a longtime, proud Cambridge resident that has dedicated his professional career to community advocacy, political organizing, and works in a local non-profit agency bridging gaps to services for vulnerable and marginalized communities. As a child, José and his family experienced homelessness, which led to José’s passion and understanding for public policy, community organizing and social services. Through a lens that recognizes the premise of ‘nothing about us without us’, José is proud to work in his home community in breaking down barriers, increasing civic and democratic engagement.
Marjorie Knight – Community Advocate
Marjorie has a lot of lived experience when it comes to the challenges and consequences of poverty. She has struggled as a member of the working poor, experiencing precarious work while raising a family. She is passionate about advocating for those who struggle due to inadequate income and services. In 2018 Marjorie took her first step into politics, remains active in the Riding of Cambridge for the NDP. She continues to be engaged in her community, a founding member of Rhythm and Blues Cambridge, working with community partners to create opportunities for our BIR communities. She may be found working as Community Faculty with the Lyle Hallman School of Social Work at the Wilfrid Laurier University where she engages with the upcoming social workers in our community. Marjorie currently serves on the boards of The Cambridge Shelter Corp, and ACCKWA. She is presently employed as a Family Outreach Worker with the House of Friendship in Cambridge.
Laura Pin – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
Dr. Pin (she/her) is a political scientist with expertise in Canadian politics, urban politics, housing policy and community-engaged research. Along with community partners, she is currently leading a project on municipal responses to encampments through a human rights lens.
Carrie Anne Marshall - Associate Professor and Director of the Social Justice in Mental Health Research Lab, Western University
Dr. Marshall’s research explores intersections between poverty and mental health, with a strong emphasis on identifying and evaluating strategies for homelessness prevention. Dr. Marshall advocates for approaches aimed at supporting thriving following homelessness, rather than focusing solely on tenancy sustainment. She has conducted research on a range of topics related to persons experiencing homelessness in urban and rural communities including substance use, community integration, and boredom.
Location: Research and Academic Centre West RCW002, Wilfrid Laurier University, 150 Dalhousie St, Brantford, ON N3T 2J4
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
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Panelist Bios
Livv Carrigan - Peer Support Specialist, SOAR Community Services
Livv has lived experience and four years of recovery. She has been an active member of her community and has focused on providing support to others by providing rides to and from 12-step meetings, completing outreach and being a strong support for women in recovery through sponsorship. She has been active in outreach both individually and as a member of community agencies. Livv demonstrates a passion for her supporting her community and for recovery with a focus on being kind, compassionate, and realistic.
Mary Musson - Senior Director, Community Services & Social Development
Mary Musson has over 18 years of municipal service experience in human services with the City of Brantford having started her career in 2006 in a frontline role as an Addictions Services Coordinator. She advanced to a supervisory role in 2013 and to a manager position from 2016 to 2022. Mary was promoted to Director of Housing and Homelessness Services in 2022 and is currently appointed to the temporary role of Senior Director of Community Services and Social Development.
A leader in community development, Mary has championed key initiatives locally including the City of Brantford’s coordinated encampment outreach team, overseeing the development of a 26-unit housing project at 177 Colborne Street West, Brantford and the most recently completed 41-unit housing development at Lucy Marco Place. Mary is passionate about breaking down silos and promoting collaboration among community partners to enhance housing and homelessness services
Mary strongly believes in community involvement and was recognized earlier in May 2024 with an Ontario Volunteer Service Award for 10 years of service with Girl Guides of Canada. Prior to her municipal career, Mary had over 13 years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces and continues to advocate for service members and veterans through her passion for running as a race ambassador with the Canada Army Run.
Mary’s academic credentials include an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Leisure Studies/Therapeutic Recreation Option - Psychology Minor and a Certificate in Supervision from the University of Waterloo as well as a diploma in Municipal Management from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO).
Bill O’Grady - Retired Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph
Dr. O’Grady is recently retired from the University of Guelph. Over his career, his research has mainly focused on crime, law, youth and homelessness in Canada.
Carrie Anne Marshall - Associate Professor and Director of the Social Justice in Mental Health Research Lab, Western University
Dr. Marshall’s research explores intersections between poverty and mental health, with a strong emphasis on identifying and evaluating strategies for homelessness prevention. Dr. Marshall advocates for approaches aimed at supporting thriving following homelessness, rather than focusing solely on tenancy sustainment. She has conducted research on a range of topics related to persons experiencing homelessness in urban and rural communities including substance use, community integration, and boredom.
Location: Guelph Farmers' Market, 2 Gordon St, Guelph, ON N1H 4G7
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Register here
Panelist Bios
Brendan Johnson - Executive Director of the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition
The Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition is a values-driven, grassroots, community-informed organization. The goal of the organization is to help create equity of access to services, supports, programs, and celebrations across the city.
Brendan lives in Guelph with his amazing partner Sarah and their two children, Mona and Vivian. He is constantly grateful to be surrounded by and work alongside a community of kind and passionate humans.
Barb McPhee – Community Advocate
Since 1953, Barb has lived in this place called poverty with the occasional but brief visit to the real world. Barb has dedicated over 50 years to the empowerment and enhancement of the quality of life for cross-cultural and poverty stricken individuals and families by using her extensive range of self-taught social work skills – volunteer and work experiences. Barb has earned her spot in society as a professional volunteering giving many hours to various aspects of community development by sharing her skills at boards, community collaborations, the creation of organizations, community projects and events based on issues needing the lived experience voice. Barb was able to make all this happen while raising 2 daughters, 3 stepchildren, two husbands and being a Nana to 12. Barb is now a champion for marginalized families around homelessness because of her lived experiences of homelessness and now sits on the Poverty Elimination Task Force of Guelph and Wellington–as a lived experience peer advocate on the steering committee and as a supportive housing advocate. Barb is the Market Manager for the North End Harvest market which provides free produce to low income families to help with food insecurity and sits on the Ontario Health team as a patient advocate to help deal with the health and mental health issues, supporting the wrap around services for better health care hoping to be the new health care system. Barb has also been a volunteering and staff member of the Guelph Neighbourhood Support Coalition to help address issues and provides programs to build community leaders.
“Living in Poverty and having a disability – not only strengthens me, but it inspires me, to strive for something more. I can’t get any less. You can disable a body, but cannot take away the human heart and spirit.”
Bill O’Grady - Retired Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph
Dr. O’Grady is recently retired from the University of Guelph. Over his career, his research has mainly focused on crime, law, youth and homelessness in Canada.
Laura Pin – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
Dr. Pin (she/her) is a political scientist with expertise in Canadian politics, urban politics, housing policy and community-engaged research. Along with community partners, she is currently leading a project on municipal responses to encampments through a human rights lens.
Supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this event is part of a collaborative project between University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University and York University. Learn more about the origins of this project.