Annual Report 2024

On May 28 we successfully held our Annual General Meeting, where we confirmed our 2025 Board of Directors and welcomed a new Board Chair! The meeting included an approval of our 2024 financial statements, and presentations celebrating our 2024 accomplishments and we’re moving forward in 2025.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the AGM and 2024 at the MacPhee Centre a success!

See our year end report from 2024 below!

Letter from ED and Board Chairs, reporting on 2024

Greetings Friends of MacPhee!   

As we reflect on another year, we remain inspired by the connections, collaboration, and changes that have helped us grow throughout 2024. Especially in a world that is constantly shifting, the fact that we are able to come together in community and create a space that’s safe enough for young people to connect with themselves and others, explore and express their dreams and fears, and use art to create their own growth and heal, is simply magic.   

This year we successfully implemented the first of our five-year strategic plan and have seen immense growth and impact in our programming through connecting and collaborating with the community.   

We held our second Tech Arts program in partnership with NSCC, and our inaugural Boat Building program, where 13 youth were guided by the skilled staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to build (and row) two Bevin’s Skiff boats!  

We also co-created an “Intro to Social Media” program with Afterwords Literary Festival, and celebrated alongside the Portaupique Community Centre on the grand opening of their new hall! Together, we held regular programming within their newly furnished cozy space complete with high-quality art materials and musical instruments.  

We were grateful to welcome Program Manager Jordan Williams-Joseph, who connected and grew our Indigenous relationships and programming, and Development Lead Emilie Marchal, who brought a wealth of relationship building and non-profit leadership.  

We said goodbye to our Program Manager Robert Downey, and our Executive Director, Sharon Ishimwe. We are deeply thankful for Sharon’s strategic leadership over the past two years, which saw us grow our core staff, strengthen our vision and mission, take ownership of the 50 Queen Street building, and lead with purpose and grace.  

This year we also say goodbye to departing board members who have held our youth with conviction, care and curiosity. After six years of enthusiastic support, these folks move on and leave a wonderful legacy of passionate support through purposeful leadership 

• Josh Santimaw,  

• Stephanie Coldwell (past Treasurer),  

• Kareem O’Keiffe (Co-Chair),  

• Stuart Clow (past Co-Chair) 

Thank you. Our community is better because of you.  

Today, and each day, we look ahead while staying in the present. With our vision in mind, we stay rooted in our MacPhee Values, with the youth who are engaged with us here and now, and those not yet at the table. It is their voices, their dreams and their passion which drives our purpose. Together, we continue to learn and grow, to expand on the strong foundation we have built, and to ensure that all youth have access to realize their full potential through the transformative power of art.   

We do not take for granted each and every way that our community comes together to care for these youth in MacPhee programming. Our organization and the youth wouldn’t be the same without each person involved in every step of the way. We wouldn’t be what we are without you.   

Thank YOU for the role you play in enriching the lives of youth in our community. 

Future Outlook

The MacPhee Centre was built with passion and purpose. 

From the beginning, this place has been shaped by people who believed in the power of creative learning and its potential to change young people’s lives. The founders took an idea and did the work to make it a reality. Staff, board members, and community partners have carried it forward—building relationships, earning trust, and creating programs where youth feel seen, supported, and inspired. 

Now, in the second year of our five-year strategic plan, we are focused on building for the future. 

• We are strengthening leadership across the organization. 

• We are working toward sustainable funding models that support long-term impact. 

• We are refining and expanding our programs to meet the changing needs of youth. 

• And we are deepening our relationships with communities across the province, staying rooted in our mission to put young people first. 

We know the challenges youth are facing—social isolation, anxiety, and lack of space where they can grow through creative expression and connection. Creative learning proves to be a powerful response. We see the difference it makes in young people’s confidence, relationships, and sense of belonging. 

Our focus now is on reaching more youth across Nova Scotia and making sure they have access to the support, community, and opportunities that help them thrive. The foundation is strong, and the work ahead is clear. 

Now is the time to build for the future.