Alone we can do so little;

Together we can do so much

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

Introduction

We all come from different places. Different backgrounds, different politics, different ideas about how the world should work.But if you're here, chances are you agree on at least one thing:
Something has gone wrong. And the people in charge don't seem to be in a hurry to fix it.The North Bay Commons exists because divided people don't make change. United people do. We're organizers. We bring together the people and groups in this community who want their voices heard, on common ground, louder than they could be alone.No party affiliation. No ideology test. Just common cause.

Mission Statement

The organizations, unions, neighbours, and individuals in Northern Ontario who are fighting for healthcare, housing, and accountability aren't that different from each other. They're just scattered.We connect them. We coordinate alongside them. We show up with them.Our actions take many forms: peaceful protests, workshops, write-a-thons, petitions, creative vigils, coalition campaigns, and more. Whatever it takes to make the voices of ordinary people in this city too loud to ignore.Change starts with one step. One person. One common cause.
We are not powerless.

Protests

Last Protest
Our last protest was our local leg of the Province-Wide Fight Ford Protests on June 28th. We had approximately # participantsUpcoming Protests
To be decided!
We will be joining the continuing Province-Wide Fight Ford protests on TBD;
Time: TBD
Location: Vic Fedeli's Office 219 Main St EastHope to see you there! Just bring yourself and hope for a better tomorrow. We can provide signs if needed.

Workshops

Last Workshop
Our last workshop was the May 17th Fight Ford Sign-Making Workshop located at the North Bay Public Library. Hosted graciously by part of our team at the North Bay Commons, Noah! Here they're working on part of the display for protest day.It may not have had much of a turnout, but we believe hope can start small. So we refused to let it get us down. We made signs, started our protest project, and showed up for each other. We laughed, we worked, we held the line for everyone who couldn't make it.That's what this movement looks like sometimes. Not a crowd. Just a few people who refused to let a setback mean defeat.Upcoming Workshops
TBA

Know Your Rights

All protests and actions done by this group are following bylaws protecting peaceful political expression protected under Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.We do not cause damage, obstruction, or threat to any person or properties during any events and do not cause any mischief under Section 430 of the Criminal Code which requires willful damage.We do not engage in trespassing, we only hold events on publicly accessible properties for lawful purposes.

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.

About Us

We are not a political party. We are not affiliated with one. We never will be.We're not asking you to change what you believe. We're not asking you to agree with us on everything. We're asking you to look at what's happening right now, in this province, in this city, and ask yourself one honest question:
Is this what we were promised?

We're not really a group.

We're organizers.The North Bay Commons exists to do one thing: find the people in this city who are fed up, figure out what they have in common, and get them moving in the same direction.That's it.We don't hold a particular ideology. We don't care which party you voted for. We're not here to convince you of anything you don't already know.

Here's what we know you already know.

Your pension is being eroded. Someone's disability support got cut. A student can't afford rent. A family is on a healthcare waitlist that keeps getting longer. Housing costs keep going up and wages don't.These aren't left-wing problems or right-wing problems. They're our problems. All of ours.We all have different reasons we're angry. But if you look underneath the anger? We're angry about the same things. Leaders who made us promises. Governments that took our taxes and our trust, and handed both to corporations."The economy," they say.
Then why are we all suffering?

We're on the same side. They just don't want us knowing that.

It's an old trick. Keep people divided, keep them fighting each other, and they never look up long enough to ask who's actually making the decisions.Conservatives blaming immigrants. Progressives dismissing conservatives. Everyone mad, no one organized.The Commons is the antidote to that. Not by telling you what to think. By getting you in the same room as the person you thought you disagreed with, and letting you discover you want the same things.Your grievances? Valid.
All of ours are.

So what do we actually do?

We organize locally. Protests, workshops, petitions, campaigns, write-a-thons, creative actions. We work alongside other groups and organizations who are already doing this work (check our Affiliates page). We don't duplicate, we amplify.We're not the news. We're not the think tank. We're the people who book the room, make the call, and show up.Right now our focus is provincial accountability, starting with the Ford government. Long term, we're building something that outlasts any single campaign: a place in Northern Ontario where people can come together on common ground and make their voices too loud to ignore.

That's 'The Commons'.

Not a building. Not a brand.
Just people who got tired of being divided and decided to do something about it, together."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
...Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.

Page Coming Soon

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.

Page Coming Soon

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.

Join The Team

We could use your help.The North Bay Commons runs on a small group of people who showed up and decided to stay. No paid staff. No big organization behind us. Just people who care about this community and are willing to do something about it.We're building something real here, and we need all the hands we can get.

No Experience Required

You don't need to be an activist.You don't need to know how any of this works.
You don't need to commit to everything or show up to everything.You just need to give a damn and be willing to help out sometimes.
That's it. That's the whole requirement.

Ways to Help

Show Up

Make Things

Spread the Word

Come to events. Stand with us. Bring a friend. Presence matters more than you know, and every warm body tells decision-makers we aren't going away.

Signs, graphics, flyers, social posts, posters. If you're creative and want to put it to work, we will absolutely put it to work.

Talk to people. Post online. Hand out flyers. Help us find the people who haven't found us yet. Unity is how we win this. We need to stand together.

Host Something

Got a space, a connection, or an idea for an event or workshop? Help us make it happen. Big or small, it counts. Every spark can become a flame.

Plan & Organize

Logistics, coordination, strategy, behind-the-scenes work. If you like making things run, there is always something that needs running.

Something Else

A skill we didn't list. An idea we haven't had. Time we didn't know to ask for. Everything matters. We all have something to offer that could help.

What Happens Next

Fill out the form below and someone from the team will be in touch.We'll ask what you're interested in, what your availability looks like, and what works best for what's going on in your life. We'll work with your schedule, your strengths, and what you can offer.No guilt. No pressure. No minimum commitment.
We know things are hard right now. We're not here to add to that.

We need all kinds of help.

Not sure what to say in the box?
Here's what we're looking for:Show up to events and protests; presence is power.
Make things; signs, graphics, flyers, social posts.
Spread the word; talk to people, post online, bring someone new.
Host or help plan; an event workshop, or meeting.
Organize; behind the scenes logistics, planning, coordination.
Something else entirely; a skill, an idea, a connection we don't know about yet.Pick one. Pick all of them.
Just tell us what works for you and we'll figure out the rest together.

Not ready to commit but want to stay in the loop?Join our Facebook group and just watch for a while. No pressure.

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.

Contact Us

Got something on our mind?
Reach out using our contact form.Join an action, become an affiliate, plan something together, or get support for your group's next initiative.Conservative, progressive, or somewhere in between: if you care about this community and want to do something about it, we want to hear from you.Common cause?
The Commons have your back.

Or you can email us directly using the button below.

North Bay
Commons

Common Causes Creating Change.Not a political party. Not an ideology. Just people in Northern Ontario who got tired of waiting and decided to do something about it.

Want to get involved, become an affiliate, or plan something together?
We'd love to hear from you.Common cause? The Commons have your back.