Barrie Communauté Nouvelles

A young Barrie family is warming up their neighbourhood — and giving back to the community — through a homemade hot chocolate stand raising money for charity. Alex and Ava Marks, along with their mother Leah, will be braving the cold again this Friday between 1 and 3 p.m., as they host their hot chocolate stand outside their Trevino Circle home, near Bayfield and Hanmer streets in north Barrie.

Surveying for the 2026 Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) officially begins on February 4, 2026, marking the start of another year of real-time insight into the experiences of Canada’s charitable and non-profit sector.

Students from an Edmonton high school kept a non-profit charity initiative alive with a two-day event that provided free clothing and hygiene products to anyone who needs them. Christina Daniel founded Ross Sheppard High School’s Givology in 2024 as a Grade 11 student after learning one of her peers had been facing homelessness.

Over the years, BarrieToday has published countless stories, celebrated local heroes, informed the community on challenges we faced, recognized the good work of our neighbours and partnered with local businesses, non-profits and grassroots community organizations. Now, we are taking the next step in strengthening our community by bringing people together to talk, listen and chart a better path forward for Barrie by introducing our Community Conversation.

For the fourth time, the City of Orillia will host the Ontario Winter Games, set to officially kick off on Feb. 19. But without volunteers, community-run events like this can’t succeed, warn organizers.

Goodbye, 2025: when it came to big announcements, 2025 was a relatively underwhelming year for Canada’s charities and non-profits. But what will 2026 hold for the sector? Below, we highlight four developments to keep an eye on in 2026. Already, two of these: the CRA’s move to “axe the fax” and the Lobbying Commissioner’s move to lower the registration threshold for organizations, are well underway.