The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) is proud to announce the launch of the Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.) 4.0. This latest granting round will see us distribute a minimum of $8 million to support Black-led, Black-mandated, and Black-serving (B3) organizations across Canada.
B.I.G. 4.0 builds on the proven success of three previous rounds of this transformational program, through which FFBC has already distributed over $26 million to approximately 400 B3 organizations nationwide.
That level of granting has met only a fraction of what Black communities are ready to build. Across the first three rounds, FFBC received more than 4,000 applications requesting over $300 million, demonstrating a pipeline of community-designed work that far exceeds the resources currently available to it. The scale of demand also underscores the opportunity for governments, philanthropy, corporations and other partners to invest alongside FFBC in Black communities across Canada.
B.I.G. 4.0 moves more of that work from proposal to practice. By continuing this investment, FFBC reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the capacity, sustainability, and impact of Black organizations that are driving change in their communities.
The fourth iteration of the Black Ideas Grant will offer three strategic funding streams:
Core Stream: Up to $30,000 for essential organizational needs.
Catapult Stream: Up to $80,000 to launch new programs and initiatives.
Community Capital Stream: Up to $200,000 for physical space projects that offer long-term community benefits.
“What FFBC and our partners have built together is proof that when Black communities are trusted with resources, we deliver, not just for ourselves, but for all of Canada. The B.I.G. 4.0 is more than another funding round, it is an investment in the ideas, institutions and leadership already driving change in Black communities across Canada — and a reminder of what becomes possible when those ideas are backed with the resources they deserve.”
Kimahli Powell, Board Chair, Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC)
Applications Open Today
Starting September 15, 2026, FFBC invites eligible organizations to apply for B.I.G. 4.0. The application period will close on October 20, 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit https://forblack.ca/black-ideas-grant-b-i-g-4-0-2026/ for detailed information on eligibility requirements, application guidelines, and timelines.
Acknowledging Our Partners
The Black Ideas Grant is made possible through the generous support of our partners, including the Government of Canada’s Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, Chagnon Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Definity Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Calgary Foundation, Sun Life, Suncor, Canadian Tire, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Balsam Foundation, Dragonfly Ventures, and many other partners committed to investing in Black communities across Canada.
The Foundation for Black Communities is Canada’s first philanthropic foundation dedicated to Black-led, mandated and serving charitable and nonprofit organizations. Entrusted with stewarding the historic $200 million Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, funded by the Government of Canada, FFBC works to eliminate systemic barriers and advance the socio-economic outcomes of Black communities through sustainable funding and strategic partnerships.
About the Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.)
The Black Ideas Grant is FFBC’s flagship granting program, providing funding to B3 organizations working to strengthen Black communities across Canada. Through a community-driven selection process, B.I.G. invests in projects spanning health, education, arts, economic development and community building.
For media inquiries, please contact: Jenny Meya Communications Manager [email protected]
For many Black medical students in Canada, the journey into medicine is defined not only by opportunity, but also by absence; too few mentors who reflect their lived experiences, limited peer support grounded in shared understanding, and financial pressures that force focus away from academic excellence toward basic survival. Strengthening pathways into medicine means acknowledging these gaps and actively investing in the people who transform the system.
The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) Black Medical Student Bursary was created to close these gaps. Through a $10,000 bursary combined with structured mentorship and a strong peer network, the program equips first-year Black medical students to enter the profession and provide the support to thrive in it. The bursary is offered in partnership with Dalhousie University, McGill University, and Toronto Metropolitan University, with Black Physicians of Canada as our implementation partner.
Why does this investment matter? How does representation shape the experiences of Black medical students and ultimately the clinical care for Black patients across the country? This short and final blogpost of this series will answer these important questions. Read on.
Medical school is one of Canada’s most expensive professional programs, but for many Black medical students, the barriers to becoming a physician go beyond the high cost of tuition. Being one of the few Black students in a classroom means navigating medical training in environments where they rarely see themselves reflected among their peers, mentors, or physicians.
This underrepresentation often translates into isolation within their cohorts, reluctance to speak openly about their experiences, and the challenge of finding mentors who share or understand their journey. In classrooms, labs, and clinical settings, being one of the few often means carrying the weight of visibility and feeling the pressure to represent or advocate for their entire community while also searching for a sense of belonging. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that Canadian medical schools often looked to Black medical students to lead and shape institutional responses to anti-Black racism in 2020. While their contributions were instrumental, many students reported that the added responsibility was burdensome and placed an unfair emotional and professional strain on them. These realities demonstrate that representation is not simply a matter of diversity, but a critical factor in fostering belonging, mentorship, and student well-being. For many students pursuing a career in medicine, representation matters because it can make the difference between merely navigating medical school and truly thriving within it.
The bursary addresses both challenges simultaneously. The $10,000 bursary helps ease immediate financial pressure, while the mentorship and peer support components enable recipients to build the relationships that sustain them throughout their medical careers.
Representation shapes how care is given, and received
The case for supporting Black medical students extends well beyond the individual students, it reaches into every exam room they’ll one day serve.
Black communities in Canada experience disproportionately high rates of chronic disease, a reality that cannot be separated from the ongoing impacts of anti-Black racism. Beyond individual experiences of discrimination, racism shapes key social determinants of health, including access to quality health care, education, stable housing, employment opportunities, social support networks, and safe living environments. These systemic inequities not only create barriers to maintaining good health but also contribute to chronic stress, which has been shown to worsen a range of chronic conditions. The effects are evident in healthcare settings, where research from BMC Public Health found that anti-Black racism can lead Black patients to delay or avoid seeking care because their symptoms are dismissed, their concerns minimized, and trust in the healthcare system undermined. The long-term consequences of these inequities are reflected in health outcomes. According to the Black Health Alliance, diabetes rates among Black women in Ontario doubled from 6 to 12 per cent between 2001 and 2012, while hypertension rates increased from 20 to 27 per cent. Together, these findings demonstrate how systemic barriers and the cumulative effects of societal and interpersonal racism contribute to poorer health outcomes, highlighting the importance of physicians who understand these broader factors and can provide culturally responsive, equitable care.
The Black Physicians Association of Ontario offered a clear example of this during the pandemic. Through a partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the association operated 326 community-led clinics and administered more than 75,600 vaccine doses, reaching communities historically underserved by public health outreach. Their success was rooted in trust, the clinics worked because they were led by individuals from the very communities they served.
A bursary is the start of a longer arc
A first-year bursary is an early investment in a future physician that helps set in motion a long and impactful trajectory. Today’s recipients become tomorrow’s residents, attending physicians, researchers, and departmental leaders. They will help shape admissions decisions, influence who enters the profession, challenge long-standing assumptions in clinical practice, and mentor the students who follow.
Several Canadian institutions are already demonstrating what this trajectory looks like in practice. McGill University’s Black Candidate Pathway saw a fourfold increase in incoming Black medical students in Fall 2022, with 24 students joining the cohort compared to fewer than five in previous years. Dalhousie’s Black Learners Admissions Pathway is advancing similar work, using a holistic review process that recognizes lived experience, service, and community ties often overlooked by traditional admissions criteria. Toronto Metropolitan University’s new School of Medicine, which welcomed its first cohort in 2025, takes this approach further. As Canada’s first new medical school in over a decade, TMU had the rare opportunity to design its admissions process from the ground up, embedding equity, community accountability, and a clear mandate to train physicians who reflect the populations they will serve into the very foundation of the institution.
Within this ecosystem, the bursary plays a critical role. Admissions pathways open the door while financial support, mentorship, and community sustain students through to graduation, enabling them to build careers, and in time, reshape the institutions that trained them.
Funding the system, not the moment
The strength of the FFBC bursary lies in its clear role within a larger ecosystem. Rather than a one-time award, it is a strategic investment that is reshaping both who is delivering care in Canada and the ways in which that care is provided.
For donors, that distinction matters. While a scholarship supports a single student, a coordinated investment in Black medical leadership has far-reaching impact. From benefitting the patients that physician will care for over a forty-year career, to the colleagues they will mentor, the policies they will help shape, and the children in their community who will grow up seeing a Black physician as a visible and expected part of everyday.
Liban Abokor, co-founder and former CEO of the Foundation for Black Communities, captures this shift succinctly: “Black communities are no longer asking to be reflected in the system, they are building the system itself.”
Supporting the FFBC Black Medical Student Bursary is one way to advance this work, ensuring that the students it reaches today will carry its impact forward for decades to come.
Efforts to address the underrepresentation of Black physicians in Canada are not only about increasing numbers, but also about reshaping the culture of care itself. Through the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) Black Medical Student Bursary, now in its second year, a new generation of medical students is being supported to carry both academic ambition and community-rooted perspectives into their training. This feature highlights Aaliyah Arab-Smith, whose path into medicine reflects a deep connection between personal experience, community history, and a commitment to equitable healthcare.
“I’m from Halifax, Nova Scotia, with familial ties to Africville and North Preston, and I’m currently in my first year of medicine,” Aaliyah explains. These communities carry a legacy of resilience shaped by generations of systemic displacement and resistance on the East Coast. As an inaugural recipient of the Black Medical Student Bursary Program, Aaliyah’s presence in medicine reflects that legacy, bringing it forward into spaces where it has long been underrepresented.
The program is a response to a “diagnostic failure” in the Canadian medical system (the persistent underrepresentation of Black physicians). Through $10,000 bursaries and long-term mentorship, the FFBC is investing in students pursuing medicine while carrying the community contexts that shape health outcomes.
Turning the pain of family loss into a commitment to clinical representation
For Aaliyah, the motivation to address these gaps is rooted in a profound family loss. She identifies the passing of her grandmother from colorectal cancer as a defining inspiration, highlighting the lasting impact that health outcomes can have on a family’s trajectory.
“Medicine offers a unique opportunity to meaningfully impact a patient’s quality of life,” she says. “I recognize that not everyone is afforded the chance to pursue this path, which makes it even more meaningful to me. I cannot pinpoint a single defining moment, but rather a collection of experiences that reinforced how important this path is to me. Seeing someone leave an interaction feeling heard or supported and being present for people in moments of both wellness and vulnerability, remind me why this work matters.”
This awareness of who is centered in the healthcare system shapes her training. She is intentional about the responsibility that comes with being in spaces where Black voices have historically been excluded. Aaliyah notes that her identity “shapes how I move through healthcare spaces and how I think about representation in Canada.”
“I had to contain myself from jumping with joy”
The notification confirming her selection for the FFBC bursary arrived during a busy lecture, bringing a sense of relief that extended beyond the immediate financial support. This investment also offered a vital sense of belonging in a program that can often feel isolating.
“I was in the middle of class when I received the email,” she recalls. “I had to contain myself from jumping with joy in my seat until the class ended. It was an amazing, reassuring, and motivational feeling to have that financial burden relieved and to also know that the FFBC Black Medical Student Bursary committee believes in me.”
Knowing a community believes in her potential “makes the journey not feel alone or isolated,” she says. This connection is especially important for a first-year student navigating the “hidden curriculum” of medical school. She looks forward to the mentorship components of the program, both as a mentee and as a future mentor, while remaining grounded in community perspectives.
Building a path from the basketball court to community-based advocacy
While many view the path to medicine as purely academic, Aaliyah’s journey has been shaped by both varsity basketball and a strong commitment to service. Before entering medicine, she worked with non-profits in Black communities across sectors such as the green economy and sports.
“Community involvement means a great deal to me. I would not be where I am today without my community, whether that is the resilience of the people and communities I descend from or the community members in my life now. I hope to continue community involvement that is not limited to health spaces but extends more broadly into social and community-based settings. I hope to use my voice to advocate for patient needs at the individual, community, and policy levels, while also working alongside patients to help them find and use their own voices to advocate for their wellbeing.” Aaliyah says.
This interest in advocacy aligns with her draw toward family medicine. She is inspired by the idea of being a consistent presence and a navigator for families across different stages of their lives. For communities that have historically felt overlooked by the medical establishment, having a physician who understands their context is a clinical necessity.
Empowering the next generation through a mindset of radical possibility
Aaliyah’s message to the students coming up behind her is grounded in radical belief. She acknowledges that while the path isn’t always easy, the possibility of success begins with seeing yourself in the role. Her words offer a powerful reflection for the next generation of Black medical students.
“What you believe about yourself shapes what becomes possible,” Arab-Smith advises. “Mindset shapes possibility. When you change your mindset and allow yourself to believe in what is possible, you make space for it to happen. Things may not unfold exactly as you envisioned, but when you stay aligned with your values and keep moving forward, things will work out in the way they are meant to, even if that path looks different from what you expected. If you can see yourself in medicine, that possibility is already there.”
Through her dedication to the families of Halifax and her roots in Africville, Aaliyah Arab-Smith carries forward the legacy of her community through health and healing.
What does it really cost to become a doctor in Canada, and who gets pushed out before they even begin? Medical school is often described as demanding, expensive, and deeply competitive. But for many Black students in Canada, the barriers start long before they step into a classroom or begin clinical training.
It begins with a system that consistently places obstacles in their path. Long before acceptance letters arrive, many students are already navigating barriers that talent and hard work alone cannot overcome. These challenges accumulate, shaping not only who gets into medical school, but who is able to remain there.
The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) is responding to this reality through the Black Medical Student Bursary, a strategic intervention designed to support students while also addressing broader structural inequities in medical education.
By providing a one-time $10,000 bursary to first-year students, alongside mentorship and wrap-around support, the program targets a critical moment when steep entry costs can derail promising careers. More than a one-time investment, the bursary represents a coordinated national effort to expand access to medicine and strengthen the future of healthcare in Canada.
The representation gap in Canadian medicine
Current healthcare data in Canada shows that approximately six million Canadians lack access to a primary care physician. At the same time, Black communities remain significantly underrepresented in the physician workforce. In Ontario, for example, Black residents make up 5.4% of the population but only 2.3% of physicians. This disparity is not the result of limited ability or ambition. It reflects institutional barriers that make it harder for Black medical students to enter the profession and stay on course. This representation gap in Canadian medicine has real consequences for patient care and health outcomes. The gap reflects the way institutions quietly filter people out over time.
As Liban Abokor, co-founder and former CEO of FFBC, explains, Black communities have long identified a healthcare system in which they experience poorer outcomes while rarely seeing themselves reflected within it. As he puts it, “this lack of representation is no accident. It’s the result of specific, identifiable hurdles that have historically shaped medical education into a system of exclusion. Addressing these barriers is the first step toward a clear mandate for equitable access.”
Underrepresentation begins before admission, but it is often reinforced by the financial realities Black students face once they arrive. Hidden costs, in particular, can determine whether students are able to continue. These include clinical equipment, certification fees, textbooks, technology, professional clothing, and daily living expenses.
The University of Dalhousie’s Backing Black Futures report spotlights two FFBC bursary recipients who identify financial strain, lack of mentorship and representation and feelings of isolation as major barriers to graduation for Black medical students. Tuition is only one part of the burden, as many students must also navigate broader economic instability that disproportionately affects Black households.
These challenges are not as isolated financial difficulties, but part of a broader pattern of structural systemic inequities. Their effects extend beyond students, shaping the quality and accessibility of care across the country. They reduce diversity in the physician workforce, limit culturally informed care, and weaken patient trust in ways that impede the system’s ability to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population.
In this context, the Black Medical Student Bursary program does more than provide financial aid, it helps more students persist, graduate, and contribute to a more equitable healthcare system.
The statistical case for healthcare reform
The need for this kind of intervention becomes even clearer when viewed through the lens of healthcare outcomes. Data consistently shows that Black Canadians face significant barriers to accessing preventative and primary care.
For example, Black Canadians face average wait times of 16 months for mental health care which represents double the national average. They also experience the highest rates of avoidable hospitalization in the country.
These disparities are closely tied to the representation gap in medicine. When patients move through a healthcare system where they do not see themselves reflected, trust can weaken, delays can increase, and health outcomes can worsen.
In this context, the story of who becomes a doctor is inseparable from the story of how care is delivered.
How the bursary drives systemic impact
FFBC views equity as a foundational requirement, not an optional addition. By combining strategic financial support with mentorship, the program is building the foundation for meaningful, long-term, structural change.
The Black Medical Student Bursary program provides essential resources while also fostering professional networks that help address the sense of isolation many Black students experience in predominantly white medical institutions.
With greater financial stability and stronger support systems, students are better positioned to move through their education with confidence, graduate, serve their communities, and inspire future generations.
In this way, the program helps create a sustainable cycle of equity that strengthens the healthcare system as a whole. As Dr. Teresa Chan, Dean of Medicine at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine, explains, “from the very beginning, equity wasn’t something we decided to ‘add on.’ It was the foundation upon which we needed to build this medical school.”
A national imperative for representative care
The Black Medical Student Bursary is more than a funding program; it is an investment in a healthcare system that is more representative, more equitable, and better equipped to serve all.
By helping Black medical students enter and remain in the profession, the bursary supports a future in which physicians better reflect the communities they serve.
It recognizes that equity is not optional. It is a national imperative for a healthcare system grounded in dignity, access, trust, and respect.
For decades, the stories of Jordantown-Acaciaville have been shared through family gatherings and historic milestones. Today, they’re finding a new resonance in the clinical corridors of Dalhousie University. Nathan Barton, a first-year medical student, represents this shift in Canadian medical education. As one of the twenty-five inaugural recipients of the Black Medical Student Bursary Program, he is part of a national effort by the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) to address a systemic gap that has existed for generations.
The program is more than a financial award; it is a clinical investment. By providing $10,000 to its first cohort, the FFBC is opening pathways to mentorship and research opportunities that have historically been out of reach. The numbers are not just data points; they reflect a healthcare system in need of recalibration. While Black Canadians make up nearly 5 percent of the population in regions like Ontario, they represent less than half that percentage of the physician workforce. This disparity has direct impacts on patient outcomes: when patients see themselves reflected in their doctors, the quality of care often improves.
For Barton, this commitment to medicine began not in a textbook, but in the lived experience of navigating the healthcare system alongside those he loves.
“I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare from a young age due to witnessing the healthcare challenges of my family,” Barton says. “I remember going to specialist appointments and thinking that one day I would like to be a physician to help people like my family. As I got older and learned about the historical injustices against people of colour within the medical system, my commitment deepened.”
The resilience of the athlete and the advocate
The path to a medical degree is rarely linear, especially for first-generation students navigating a “hidden curriculum” of professional networking and institutional norms. For Barton, a former varsity basketball player with the Dalhousie Tigers, the discipline of the court built his stamina, but the African Nova Scotian Strategy provided the map.
This mentorship has been vital as he reconciles his academic training with the systemic gaps he has observed throughout his life. He understands that a physician’s role extends beyond the exam room and into the realm of community trust.
“Representation in medicine is important on a population level,” Barton explains. “My family didn’t always receive culturally competent healthcare, and those negative experiences stuck with us. Being able to relate to the patients’ experience and help deliver culturally competent care means a lot to me.”
Investing in a cycle of community excellence
In medical education, systemic barriers often take the form of financial gatekeeping. When the cost of entry is prohibitively high, it not only blocks aspiring students but also deprives the medical community of voices essential to advocacy work. The FFBC bursary serves as a critical intervention, shifting the conversation from charity to long-term clinical investment.
For Barton, the support did more than pay a bill; it gave him the time and mental energy needed to lead at a national level.
“Getting into medical school was a dream come true, but it wasn’t until after the acceptance that I fully appreciated the significant financial burdens,” Barton says. “Receiving this bursary has helped significantly relieve that financial stress and allowed me to take on unpaid extracurricular opportunities that I would not have otherwise.”
One of these opportunities includes serving as the National Research Director for the Black Medical Student Association of Canada (BMSAC). In this role, he is co-creating a systematic literature review course designed to ensure that the clinical data of tomorrow is built by, and for, the communities it serves.
The ten-year horizon
The full impact of this inaugural cohort may not be realized for another decade, when today’s learners become the next generation of physicians, mentors, and policymakers. Barton is optimistic about the shifting landscape at Dalhousie and what that progress means for the future of patient care in Nova Scotia.
“As a physician, I want to be someone who works well with the team around them but also isn’t afraid to push the status quo to advocate for change,” Barton says. “I am excited for Black patients and future students to see the change of representation in the workforce. In my class at Dalhousie alone, there are about 30 Black medical students. I think there will be a real change in 10 years in what healthcare will look like.”
Despite the hurdles that remain, Barton’s message to those following in his footsteps is one of grounded hope. He understands that while the work is rigorous, it is the strength of the community behind each student that makes the journey possible.
“I would say to ignore the noise and remember that you are capable of pursuing medicine,” Barton advises. “During my journey, there were times I doubted myself, but the people close to me kept me anchored and helped me believe in myself. Try to find someone who is at where you want to go (whether that be a medical student, community leader, or physician). Their advice will be invaluable.”
Through his work with the BMSAC and his commitment to culturally competent care, Nathan Barton is helping ensure that the healthcare challenges his family once faced will not be the same ones faced by the next generation in Jordantown-Acaciaville.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Toronto, Ontario, March 31, 2026
The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) is pleased to announce the selection of this year’s Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.) 3.0 recipients. FFBC is investing $8 million to support 132 Black-led, Black-mandated and Black-serving (B3) organizations across Canada.
“We are proud to support these wonderful organizations that are stepping up to support their communities. When Black-led organizations are resourced, entire communities benefit — and that is what B.I.G. is all about,” said Liban Abokor, Foundation for Black Communities Co-CEO.
Since 2023, our Black Ideas Grant has invested $26 million to support over 400 organizations across Canada that are delivering impactful programs and services to their communities across a host of areas, including housing, health care, mental health, arts and culture, and so many more.
“These investments will translate into meaningful change, strengthening local services, expanding economic opportunities, and supporting organizations that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. When Black communities are empowered to lead, the impact is felt across the country,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.
FFBC continues to uphold its community-driven, participatory granting model, where the community itself selects grant recipients. This year, we benefited from over 325 Community Selection Circle (CSC) members who stepped forward as peer reviewers and trusted stewards of the process. Their leadership was tremendous, and we could not have done this without them.
FFBC proudly congratulates this year’s B.I.G. 3.0 recipients. The Foundation is inspired by the transformation that will unfold as bold ideas take shape and long-held dreams become reality.
A full list of B.I.G. 3.0 recipients and their projects is available here.
The Black Ideas Grant is made possible through the generous support of our partners, including the Government of Canada’s Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, Chagnon Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Definity Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Calgary Foundation, Sun Life, Suncor, Canadian Tire, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Balsam Foundation, Dragonfly Ventures, and many more.
About the Foundation for Black Communities
The Foundation for Black Communities is Canada’s first philanthropic foundation dedicated to Black-led, mandated and serving charitable and nonprofit organizations. Entrusted with stewarding the historic $200 million Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, funded by the Government of Canada, FFBC works to eliminate systemic barriers and advance the socio-economic outcomes of Black communities through sustainable funding and strategic partnerships.
About the Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.)
The Black Ideas Grant is FFBC’s flagship granting program, providing funding to B3 organizations working to strengthen Black communities across Canada. Through a community-driven selection process, B.I.G. invests in projects spanning health, education, arts, economic development and community building.
For media inquiries, please contact: Jenny Meya Communications Manager [email protected]
When we think about the trajectory of the road less travelled, we often account for the risks we might face, the connections we may lose, and the culture we leave behind. Seeking asylum is never easy. But when it offers the possibility of safety, dignity, and a place where a better life can take root and sustain a home, the risk becomes a necessary act of hope. Stories about venturing off often feel fairytale-like. They begin as a dream, take shape as a plan, and move forward through action. There is always conflict, sometimes betrayal, but no matter how the journey unfolds, there is always a hero.
Centre Communautaire Vie Transformée (CCVT) began as a space rooted in transformation. Its inspiration emerged during President Donald Trump’s first term, when a significant number of asylum seekers fled the United States in search of refuge in Canada. Many arrived without awareness of the resources available to them. CCVT stepped in to support individuals facing hardship, including unemployment, low income, housing insecurity, childcare needs, and transportation barriers. Through community events, the organization worked to help newcomers feel valued and at home. Its initiatives prioritized action plans shaped by community needs, including information sessions, awareness campaigns, and forums that surfaced the resources people were seeking.
“At the beginning, we were five young students originally from Haiti, driven by a strong desire to help these individuals find food, clothing, kitchen supplies, and to assist them with completing their immigration documents,” said Donald Alexander, Treasure of CCVT.
By 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic made things more challenging. The more people needed the help, the less resources CCVT could help with. It became clear that their efforts of community-building needed to scale. By October of 2020, CCVT solidified the following points: create a group of volunteers who shared the same values and goals; establish a more formal structure to strengthen our activities ; respond to the needs of newcomers on a larger scale; develop partnerships and identify opportunities to improve daily life while optimizing operations.
“The mission of our initiative is to welcome newly arrived individuals, support them, and assist them through the process of settling and fully participating in social, economic, and community life. We aim to provide them with the tools they need to take charge of their integration and become autonomous, active citizens.”
With the support of the Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.) 1.0 in 2023, CCVT assisted nearly 100 individuals and families that led them to establish themselves in a new city and country, rebuild their confidence, become active in the community, and pursue other passions.
Transparency Is in a Name
While CVVT were offering services for newcomers in Montreal, they connected with the Saint Hyacinthe Economic Forum, who guided tours for newcomers to encourage them to settle and work in Saint Hyacinthe. In fact, several beneficiaries and volunteers relocated to Saint Hyacinthe through this initiative.
“After conducting a market study, we realized that the need for newcomer integration was far more pressing in Saint Hyacinthe than in Montreal.”
By July 2023, CVVT relocated their homebase office in Saint Hyacinthe, a city in southwestern Quebec just east of Montreal. With this change their name changed from Centre Communautaire Vie Transformée to the Centre d’Orientation et d’Intégration des Personnes Immigrantes. “This new direction allowed us to support not only asylum seekers, but also new residents who had been in Canada for fewer than five years,” Donald affirmed.
Strengthening Integration and Belonging for Black Immigrants in Saint Hyacinthe
Donald described receiving the grant as the best thing that happened to their organization – Centre d’Orientation et d’Intégration des Personnes Immigrantes (COIPI).
“It was like fresh water poured onto dry land.”
The initiative led to a growing number of newcomers from diverse backgrounds seeking support. Many arrived from regions impacted by conflict, natural disasters, and economic crises, carrying the hope of rebuilding their lives in Saint Hyacinthe. The grant strengthened the organization’s ability to respond by modernizing its reception space and securing essential equipment and furnishings. These improvements increased accessibility, created a more welcoming environment, and allowed the organization to operate with greater stability and professionalism.
Since receiving the grant, the future looks promising. COIPI is the only Black led organization in Saint Hyacinthe, positioning it as a vital support system for the community. According to Statistics Canada, immigrants in Saint Hyacinthe represented 7.5 percent of the population between 2016 and 2021, underscoring the growing need for culturally responsive services.
COIPI aims to grow a community with childcare centre, youth community space, street basketball which will be their first basketball event in Saint Hyacinthe in August 2026. As well as recreational outings: black history month events, annual BBQs in the summer and christmas celebrations.
“These activities aim to break isolation, encourage intercultural exchange, and create spaces rooted in solidarity and respect.”
COIPI takes pride in combating systemic discrimination and prejudice through training on intersectionality and inclusion. Many former beneficiaries go on to become mentors, recognizing that lived experience is a powerful tool for career exploration, growth, and leadership development.
“We play a strong social role in the Douville neighbourhood. With the growing number of Black newcomers settling in Saint Hyacinthe, we aim to contribute to economic diversification and growth through workforce development and entrepreneurship support. We also highlight the cultural contributions of Haitian, African, and Afro Caribbean communities through arts, literature, and gastronomy at our events,” Donald explained.
Rebuilding a Life, Reclaiming Leadership
Transformation is not just a word for COIPI. Donald recounts the journey of their current president, Pamela Jolifils:
Ms. Jolifils fled Haiti with her daughter in an emergency due to the insecurity in the country. She had been working at a prestigious institution and had a promising career ahead of her. As a single mother arriving in Montreal with no social network, she felt lost and hopeless.
She was desperate, poorly advised, and beginning to lose hope. A mutual acquaintance who had heard about our organization connected us. We supported her throughout her integration process and helped her regain confidence. We connected her with others from the community who had similar backgrounds and who had succeeded.
Today, her asylum claim has been accepted by Immigration Canada, she holds her Quebec Selection Certificate, works as an internal auditor for the Government of Quebec, and has been president of our organization since 2024.
Happy endings take root when a community shows up to build a better future for the generations to come in a growing city. The road less travelled no longer lingers in uncertainty when immigrants know where to turn for guidance and support. The Centre d’Orientation et d’Intégration des Personnes Immigrantes is perhaps the town’s hero. They remain committed to providing concrete support to asylum seekers and newcomers as they find their footing.
“Inclusion is not declared, it is built daily through relationships, trust, and consistency.”
Black doctors remain vastly underrepresented in Canadian medicine. A first-of-its-kind national bursary aims to close that gap.
This past fall, in a quiet corner of Brampton, first-year medical students, their families, and representatives from the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC), McGill University, Dalhousie University, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and Black Physicians of Canada (BPC) gathered to celebrate. The gathering was small. What it launched was not: a first-of-its-kind national bursary built to usher Black Canadians into medicine.
The program awarded $10,000 bursaries to 25 inaugural recipients, along with access to mentorship networks and clinical research opportunities. The Foundation for Black Communities, which led the initiative, plans to expand to medical schools across the country in the coming years.
Liban Abokor, co-Founder and CEO of FFBC, frames the bursary not as charity but as investment in better health outcomes for Black Canadians.
“We’ve heard the same thing again and again,” Abokor says. “Black communities have spoken about health disparities and poor outcomes that they face as they engage with the medical system. They often complain that they don’t see themselves reflected in their care providers.”
What this lack of representation costs us
The numbers bear this out. In Ontario, according to the Canadian Medical Association, data shows Black people comprise 4.7% of the population—but only 2.3% of the province’s physicians. That’s half the representation they should have. Nationally, comprehensive data on Black physicians doesn’t exist, which is itself a diagnostic failure.
This gap has direct clinical consequences. When patients see themselves in their physicians, they’re more likely to trust their diagnosis, follow treatment, and return for preventive care. For Black Canadians navigating a system where anti-Black racism persists, that trust is often absent—and the health outcomes reflect it.
For Black Canadians, this translates to higher rates of chronic illness, worse maternal mortality outcomes, and a deep, justified wariness of medical institutions. During COVID-19, the scarcity of Black healthcare providers contributed to vaccine hesitancy—a gap that community organizations scrambled to fill.
“Representation in medicine saves lives,” Abokor says. “Patients are more likely to trust, to follow treatment, and to feel understood when they see themselves reflected in their care providers.”
We need to break this vicious cycle
But representation is a vicious cycle to break. Fewer Black physicians means fewer role models to inspire Black students, and little guidance on the grueling path to medicine.
In a 2025 Canadian Medical Association article, Dr. Onye Nnorom, a Toronto-based family physician and past president of the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario, described the experience bluntly: “Getting into medical school is incredibly competitive…and once students are in the system, mentorship is so important—learning how to navigate medical school, write essays, and gain experience.”
The experiences of Black physicians across Canada reinforce why initiatives like the FFBC bursary are so urgently needed. As BPC puts it,
“Most Black medical learners are the first ones in their families to attend medical school. They face significant financial and systemic barriers in medical education.”
In the same article, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a psychiatry resident and author, spoke of the psychological toll. “I felt that I had to hide my Blackness in a lot of ways,” she said. “It took me a long time to get to the point where I no longer felt uncomfortable with being Black and being in my skin and being in medicine.”
What saved her, she said, were mentors—”predominantly female physicians who have really taken me under their wing… They always made sure that I could reach out and talk to them and unpack the experiences because they know exactly what it feels like.”
Dr. Oriuwa found mentorship by chance. The FFBC bursary is designed to ensure the next generation won’t have to.
Built with community at its core
Fatma Hassan, Director of Strategic Initiatives at FFBC and the staff lead on the bursary, is careful to define the program’s ambitions beyond tuition relief.
“Success looks like more than dollars in students’ pockets,” Hassan says. “It looks like a network. These bursaries come with mentorship, research and clinical opportunities, and connections to community health projects—so that learning is always grounded in service.”
A key eligibility criterion is community involvement. The bursary isn’t designed to extract exceptional individuals from their communities. It’s designed to deepen their roots.
“We’re not just helping individual students succeed,” Abokor says. “We’re creating a cycle: students enter, they graduate, they serve, and they inspire the next generation. That’s how a system shifts.”
Institutional partners
Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine is the first new medical school in Ontario in over a century. Its Dean, Dr. Teresa Chan, sees that timing as providence.
“Being the first new medical school in Ontario in over a century gives us a rare and precious opportunity,” Dr. Chan says. “We get to build the system from the ground up. That means weaving equity into everything we do.”
The partnership with FFBC, she explains, emerged from a shared diagnosis: talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.
“Representation saves lives,” Dr. Chan says. “When patients see themselves reflected in their healthcare providers, trust increases, communication strengthens, and outcomes improve. Long-term, increasing the number of Black physicians will improve access to culturally safe care, reduce stigma and bias in medical encounters, and strengthen community trust in the healthcare system.”
At Dalhousie, where the Black Learners Admissions Pathway has worked to diversify medical classes, Program Manager Timi Idris frames the bursary as part of a longer reckoning.
“We know that increasing representation in medicine is essential to building trust, improving health outcomes, and creating a healthcare workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve,” Idris says. “By reducing financial barriers, we are taking meaningful steps toward equity—and ultimately, toward better care.”
McGill’s Assistant Dean of Admissions, Dr. Joshua Chinks, echoes this. The bursary complements the university’s existing Black Candidate Pathway.
“Every aspiring physician should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of financial circumstances,” Dr. Chinks says. “This bursary fosters a future where our healthcare system better reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.”
Measuring our early impact
Dr. Chan has already seen the impact.
“Students tell us that this award offers not only financial support, but affirmation—the sense that they are seen, valued, and supported by their community,” she says. “Even in its early days, the impact is profound.”
Interest is surging from other medical faculties. Mentorship networks are forming across universities. Dr. Chan’s message to potential partners is direct:
“This work is both urgent and possible. Every institution has the responsibility—and the ability—to examine its structures and remove the barriers that keep talented learners from entering medicine.”
This is just the Beginning
Twenty-five students across three medical schools is a start. The Foundation for Black Communities intends to expand the program nationally, bringing more institutions into the fold.
The current climate makes this work more urgent. As equity and diversity programs face increasing resistance, ensuring Black medical students have the support to thrive—and to eventually serve their communities—becomes all the more critical.
Abokor frames the stakes in generational terms.
“This isn’t just a scholarship,” he says. “It’s a commitment to building a healthcare system where Black Canadians can trust the care they receive—and to investing in students whose success will ripple across generations.”
The Foundation for Black Communities is inviting universities, foundations, and individuals to partner in expanding the bursary program.
The Velma Carter Centre, based in Edmonton, Alberta, is a healing centre for African Canadian women created with the intention of transformation, education, and self-actualization. It operates from a clear understanding that trauma does not exist separately from economics. Health and financial stability are deeply intertwined, particularly for Black women navigating violence, displacement, caregiving responsibilities, and systemic precarity.
The Centre emerged from Black Women United YEG, a grassroots advocacy collective that for years supported women experiencing violence through accompaniment, referrals, and community-based care. As the scope and urgency of this work grew, the Velma Carter Centre became a formal home. A place where healing could be sustained, resourced, and shaped intentionally for survivors.
Healing Is Survival
At the Velma Carter Centre, mental health and financial stability are treated as inseparable. Women experiencing trauma often struggle with income and decision-making capacity. At the same time, healing is difficult, and often impossible, without long-term economic insecurity. When one is addressed without the other, recovery is partial.
By integrating mental health practices with financial guidance, the Centre supports women in reclaiming agency over their lives. Participants are not only encouraged to process trauma, but to plan, earn, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
One woman arrived at the Centre following a devastating personal loss that left her deeply depressed and disconnected. She joined a one-day retreat for survivors of violence, entering a space shaped by Afrocentric care and collective presence. That single day did not resolve everything, but it opened a door. For the first time in months, she felt seen, held, and understood. It marked the beginning of a different relationship to her healing, one grounded in community rather than isolation.
Turning Capacity into Care
The Velma Carter Centre itself was also experiencing the need for capacity building. For years, the organization relied on unpaid labour to sustain its work. This reality increasingly led to burnout. However, support from the Foundation for Black Communities marked a turning point in the Centre’s sustainability.
The Black Ideas Grant (B.I.G.) 1.0 enabled the organization to fund a salaried Executive Director and Project Coordinator for the first time. Compensating leadership brought stability, legitimacy, and continuity. It allowed the Centre to move out of survival mode and into strategic planning, aligning more closely with its long-term vision for care through increased organizational capacity.
The grant also supported essential infrastructure. Software subscriptions such as QuickBooks, Adobe Pro, and Zoom Pro strengthened financial management and internal workflows. A membership at the Worknicer co-working space moved operations out of kitchens and cafés into a professional environment for meetings and collaboration.
“The FFBC Core Funding Grant is a response to decades of Black organizations advocating for their communities on shoestring budgets,” said Executive Director Junetta Jamerson. “We know what we need and how we need it. This grant supports the unique capacity requirements that vary from organization to organization. It’s a gamechanger.”
Governance as a Form of Care
With increased stability came greater clarity. The Centre developed a stronger understanding of the skills required for future administrative roles and the importance of governance structures that are both professionally competent and culturally grounded.
Board development is now approached intentionally, prioritizing members who can relate beyond their professional titles and remain accountable to the community being served. Governance is not treated as bureaucracy, but as stewardship and an extension of care.
This shift has reduced burnout, supported healthier leadership practices, and allowed staff to focus more fully on program quality rather than constant resource scarcity.
Planning for What Comes Next
Looking ahead, the Velma Carter Centre is focused on sustainability that does not compromise care. The organization is working with a professional grant writer and fund developer to secure ongoing funding for leadership roles and to support the launch of new public-facing programs.
In light of shifting political landscapes and increasingly uncertain funding priorities, the Centre is also exploring the development of a social enterprise to diversify revenue streams and reduce reliance on short-term grants.
Still, the organization remains attentive to risk. Staff burnout, funding volatility, and limited infrastructure remain real challenges. The response has been deliberate and strategic. Diversified funding approaches, wellness-centred staffing practices, strengthened partnerships, and continued advocacy.
What Remains in Place
The Velma Carter Centre is not only delivering programs. It is building a model of care that acknowledges Black women’s realities without diminishing their power.
By investing in leadership, infrastructure, and governance, FFBC’s support affirmed that this work is not supplementary to community health. It is foundational.
What the Centre offers is not simply healing, but the conditions for women to stabilize, imagine, and move forward with dignity. In doing so, it contributes to a broader system where Black women are resourced not just to recover, but to lead.
Crescendo as Care: How ZTF Music Academy is Building Capacity Through Music
Author: Merlin Uwalaka
In St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, ZTF Music Academy is offering something many young Black and immigrant children rarely get to experience in a structured way: a creative home. Through Crescendo, its Music Skills Development Bootcamp, the Academy has grown into a vital outlet for learning, community, and emotional release. For families carrying the weight of migration, adjustment, and financial pressure, creativity through music becomes a form of stability.
Taejha Young, one of the founders of the Newfoundland chapter of ZTF Music Academy believes that music can shape a child’s inner world. It builds confidence, discipline, and belonging.
“I’ve been playing since I was five, music became my bridge to the world.”
For her, Crescendo is not simply a program, but a way to ensure young Black and immigrant children can access that same bridge to confidence, leadership, and connection.
Designed With the Community
From the beginning, Crescendo was shaped with the Black community. ZTF Music Academy gathered feedback through virtual roundtables with parents, students, and local educators, speaking openly about what the program needed to feel accessible, culturally grounded, and realistic for busy families. It also circulated a survey to aspiring instructors and community entrepreneurs, asking what it would take for music teaching to be sustainable: fair hourly rates, reliable schedules, and meaningful earning potential.
That input shaped everything: how long sessions should run, how to support access to equipment, how to structure teaching, and how to ensure instructors could count on stable income rather than inconsistent gig work.
During the grant period, 40 children applied to the bootcamp. With a budget limit of 30 participants per cohort, ZTF Music Academy made the difficult choice to cap enrollment to protect the quality of instruction and student-to-teacher ratios.
Social Growth You Can See
ZTF Music Academy measured social outcomes through interviews with parents and children, collecting qualitative insight on confidence, social development, and belonging. Thirty participants reported improved social outcomes, including increased self-expression and comfort in community settings.
Parents saw the impact quickly. “I saw my children develop greater discipline because they had to practice every day,” said Nancy Anidi, a mother of participants. “It was a commitment and discipline on the side of the parents as well.”
Some children began as quiet observers, but later volunteered to lead, perform, and help coordinate recital sessions. In a community where Black children may not always be reflected in leadership roles, those moments matter.
Economic Impact and Community Circulation
The economic impact of Crescendo was also tangible. Fifteen individuals applied for the program’s economic or entrepreneurship-focused services, and fifteen reported that their economic situation improved as a result.
Instructors gained income stability, and several participants increased their household earnings through supplemental teaching stipends and paid opportunities connected to the bootcamp. In addition, four of six instructors were hired by another local organization serving over 50 children, showing that Crescendo didn’t just teach skills, it strengthened employability and credibility.
The program also created a ripple effect within a Black-owned ecosystem. Partner vendors, including a costume designer and a sound-equipment provider, gained additional contracts after supporting Crescendo. In this model, economic empowerment wasn’t abstract. It was local. It circulated.
How the FFBC Black Ideas Grant 1.0 Built Capacity
Crucially, the FFBC Black Ideas Grant 1.0 played a direct role in making this capacity possible. The grant strengthened ZTF Music Academy’s organizational infrastructure and improved program delivery in practical ways: purchasing instruments and equipment, supporting programming needs, and enabling a more efficient structure for coordination and instruction.
When the team realized younger learners needed more individualized support in music theory, the grant allowed staffing adjustments, including hiring a second theory instructor to improve learning outcomes and student support.
Instructors felt the impact too. “I had an amazing time working with the students,” said Zakiya Young, the program’s Theory Teacher. “It was incredibly rewarding to see their progress, and I’m especially proud of getting them to the point where they were ready for the Grade 1 ABRSM exam.”
For ZTF Music Academy, the grant didn’t just support a bootcamp. It helped strengthen the systems needed to deliver music education as a consistent, community-rooted offering.
What Comes Next
As Crescendo continues to grow, challenges remain. Wide age ranges, different learning paces, and scheduling conflicts during the school term have all required thoughtful adjustment. What remains most powerful is the clarity of direction.
Looking ahead, ZTF Music Academy envisions Crescendo as more than a bootcamp. It is becoming a foundation: a place where young people grow into confident creators, where instructors find sustainable work rooted in their gifts, and where families see what is possible when creativity is met with structure and support.
