Our new project is called Documenters Canada, and it comes out of The Green Line’s philosophy that local news should be by and for community members. We’re building on the success of Documenters in 19 communities across the U.S., but designing it with a uniquely Canadian flavour.

Through the program, we’ll be training community members in Alexandra Park, Kensington Market and Chinatown to document public meetings. That means we’ll be helping them with the skills and confidence to head to City Hall and any of the dozens of other public meetings that happen in the city every week, from the TTC board to community councils. Our trained Documenters will work on creating a new public record of what happens in those meetings, focusing on what’s important to their community. Then we’ll distribute their work through our weekly Documenter newsletter (sign up here). Our team plans to amplify the Documenters’ work through partnerships with community organizations in our focus neighbourhoods.

The best part is that this is just the pilot project. In 2025, we’re hoping to grow this first effort into something larger across the entire City of Toronto, and in three other locations in Canada with our partners in rural Alberta, Montreal and the Atlantic provinces. In partnership with Concordia University, we’re applying for a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to fund this ongoing partnership, as well as to seek funds from The Green Line donors and members to pay Documenters in each community. Get in touch at hello@thegreenline.to if you’re interested in becoming a Documenter, partner or funder.