Help shape what comes next:

Community Conversations

You are invited!

imagiNorthern invites artists, creatives, makers, storytellers, food producers, knowledge keepers, and community members living across Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan to come together for two open Community Conversations.

These gatherings are about listening, continuing relationship-building, and shared
learning. They are a chance to sit together—across distance and place—and talk
openly about what matters to us in the North, how we make decisions together, and how
imagiNorthern can grow in a way that reflects our Northern realities, challenges and opportunities.

This invitation is open to everyone living in Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We
especially welcome Indigenous participants to join, recognizing the majority of people in
the North are Indigenous and that Indigenous leadership, lived experience, and
worldview must be at the heart of how imagiNorthern moves forward.

Join the Conversation

Register in advance for one or both Community Conversations.

Registration details

You are welcome to register for one or both Community Conversations. Registration helps us plan, share materials, and ensure honoraria are distributed fairly. If you need help with registration or setting up Zoom, please contact us!

Community Conversation 1

Community Conversation 2:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about each meeting.

Documents

In-person gatherings

While sessions will be primarily be delivered and facilitated online, you are welcome to attend them in-person.

January 24:

Churchill — Churchill Creative Collective

Thompson — Mall of the Arts

Flin Flon — Flin Flon Arts Council

The Pas — White Feather Cree-ations

February 2:

Churchill — Churchill Creative Collective

Thompson — Mall of the Arts

Gather, listen, and take part in the conversation together. Snacks will be provided at these four locations locations.

Thank you to Creative Manitoba and the Northern Arts and Food project for making these in-person gatherings possible.

January 24, 2026February 2, 2026

About imagiNorthern

imagiNorthern is a Northern-led network supporting arts, culture, creativity, and food
entrepreneurship across Northern Manitoba. It has grown out of years of relationship-
building, gatherings, workshops, and shared work in communities across the region.
imagiNorthern’s purpose is to strengthen Northern creative and cultural life in ways that:

  • Reflect the lived realities of Northern and remote communities
  • Support artists, makers, and food producers to thrive
  • Honour Indigenous leadership and knowledge
  • Contribute to community well-being and a more resilient Northern economy

imagiNorthern is now entering an important next phase: clarifying how decisions are made, how leadership is shared, and how the network is governed as it grows.

Why these Community Conversations matter

Before decisions are finalized, imagiNorthern is creating space for open conversation
with the wider community. These gatherings are not presentations or one-way information sessions. They are conversations—grounded in respect, listening, and shared responsibility.

Together, we will:

  • Share perspectives on how imagiNorthern should make decisions
  • Talk about what feels right, what raises questions, and what needs care
  • Learn from one another’s experiences across communities
  • Help shape a governance approach that is practical, meaningful, and rooted in
    Northern values
  • What is shared in these conversations will directly inform imagiNorthern’s next steps
    and the work of its Governance Steering Committee.

Two connected gatherings

You are welcome to attend one or both Community Conversations.

Dates and Descriptions ↓ 

Community Conversation 1 - January 24, 2026, 10 am to 12 pm

This discussion introduced imagiNorthern’s direction and opened the conversation about governance, community, leadership, and decision-making.

Community Conversation 2 - February 2, 2026, 4:30 to 6:30 pm

This conversation will build on what we heard in the first gathering. We
will reflect back themes, insights, and questions, and continue the conversation
together.

You do not need to attend the first session to join the second, though attending both allows for deeper connection and continuity.

How the gatherings will take place

  • Both conversations will take place online via Zoom.
  • Individuals can join from their own devices, in their own homes, work places or community space.
  • Local groups are encouraged to gather in community spaces (homes, studios,
    community centres) and participate together in a hybrid way, if that works for
    them.
  • The process will be facilitated with care, creating space for many voices and
    different ways of participating.
  • For assistance, please email Fiona Rettie, imagiNorthern's Project Manager

Honorarium

To recognize people’s time and contributions, the first 30 registered participants who attend each session will receive a $30 honorarium.

  • This applies to both Community Conversations.
  • Online registration (free) is eligible.
  • Honoraria will be provided after the sessions take place.

Who should attend

You are welcome to join if you:

  • Live in Northern Manitoba
  • Are an artist, creative, maker, storyteller, food producer, or cultural worker
  • Are an Elder, youth, or a community member with lived experience to share
  • Care about arts, culture, creativity, food, and community life in the North
  • Want to listen, learn, and contribute in a respectful space

Please note that no governance experience is needed. What matters is your lived experience and your voice.

Guiding values

These gatherings are guided by principles of:

  • Respect and active listening
  • Sharing space and including many voices
  • Speaking from lived experience
  • Learning together
  • Being open to different perspectives

We ask that all participants attend with these values in mind.

By the North, In the North, For the North.