“It’s more than just writing—I’m seeing these community members form personal connections with one another [in WCC workshops] and that’s a beautiful thing.”
– Richard Austerberry, Branch Head, Evelyn Gregory Public Library

October is Canadian Library Month. From Writers Collective of Canada’s earliest days, Toronto Public Library has played a role in helping us reach underheard voices from across the city. Since then, we have renewed and expanded our work with libraries – not just in Toronto, but in cities across the country. Today, some of WCC’s most thriving workshops are delivered through public libraries. In 2025 alone, we have offered powerful community writing experiences through public libraries in Toronto (14 branches), Ottawa (6 branches), and Mississauga ON. Our newest library partnerships are in Kelowna BC, and Montreal QC.

The missions of WCC and public libraries align well: offering accessible, community spaces to increase connection and expand our understanding of ourselves and one another. In the spaces we jointly create, neighbours find meaningful connection through story.

At a public library, the power of WCC workshops is amplified.

Connecting neighbours

“Every [WCC] workshop is the start of something. It’s the beginning of someone talking about an experience they may not have put pen to paper on. It’s also the beginning of a connection.”
– Ro D., WCC facilitator

Every public WCC workshop holds the promise of sharing your story and listening deeply to the stories of neighbours you may not otherwise encounter or get to know deeply. In a public library, WCC workshops welcome people from every community we serve: newcomers, caregivers, the underhoused, Veterans, youth, seniors, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC, women at risk, public safety personnel—the population at large.

When people are included and empowered to participate in their communities, good things happen. As neighbours unfold their stories in the courageous space of a WCC workshop, awareness grows, connections are formed, confidence is built, and voices are deeply heard. For many, finding their voice and claiming their story is a necessary first step to empowerment, healing, and belonging. Being seen, heard, and affirmed as a person of value and having the opportunity to share your story in community is transformational.

Independent studies and impact assessments confirm that WCC workshops provide many social and health benefits. But there is nothing quite like experiencing these things happening in real time. Every one of our public library workshops holds that possibility.

In the diverse space of a public library, we help make neighbours in neighbourhoods.

Facilitating deep connections

“It IS a magical thing when someone’s voice is validated, heard, appreciated. By partnering with WCC to deliver on-site workshops, libraries will remain necessary in the future. We live in a time when so much of our lives are online. We need this personal connection.”
– Peta-Gaye N., WCC library facilitator

Stories have the power to remove barriers of difference and to broaden perspectives. Inspiring authentic creative expression invites us to find connection with ourselves and with one another. By unlocking creativity, strength, and resilience, WCC writers positively shape their own lives, ignite human connection, and influence the lives of others.

No one knows this better than a WCC volunteer facilitator. WCC facilitators are community builders who inspire connection among isolated populations. Facilitators come from the communities we serve, reinforcing the workshops as peer-led, egalitarian spaces where everyone’s story is granted the same level of dignity and respect.

Due to their training and experience with us, our facilitators report enhanced skills in leadership, deep listening, and feedback that benefit them in their places of work and in how they advocate for themselves and their communities. It is not surprising, then, that we see a growing trend among them: when they relocate to communities where we do not have a Chapter, they frequently take WCC with them. As they seek opportunities to hold WCC workshops in their new communities, public libraries are often their first stop.

There is no better place to meet neighbours than a public library. There is no better way to make neighbours out of neighbourhoods than in a WCC workshop. We are thrilled to expand our impact through increased capacity to serve in—and with—our public library partners.

“The [WCC] writing group demonstrates what is possible when we cross social borders to collaborate with and listen to groups who are usually ignored. It kindles moments of dialogue that can transcend the barriers that usually divide us.”
– Andrew Mindszenthy, Community Development Housing Worker, Fred Victor