A Collaborative Exhibition of Quilts Honouring
Residential School Survivors and the Grand River
Brantford, ON, June 16, 2026 – Woodland Cultural Centre is proud to present You Are Not Forgotten, a collaborative exhibition developed through an ongoing relationship between the Six Nations Piecemakers Quilt Club and the Grand River Quilt Project.
You Are Not Forgotten brings together two bodies of work connected through community-based quilting practices: Quilts for Survivors created by the Six Nations Piecemakers Quilt Club, and the Grand River Quilt Project. Together, these works explore themes of remembrance, connection, storytelling, and place through textile art.
The Quilts for Survivors honour Residential School Survivors and offer messages of care and comfort through handmade works rooted in community practice. Alongside this, the Grand River Quilt features more than 70 quilt squares and accompanying stories created by individuals living along the Grand River watershed, each reflecting a personal connection to the river and its significance in their lives.
Exhibition Information July 20 – August 15, 2026
Woodland Cultural Centre, 184 Mohawk Street, Brantford, ON
(Inside the former Mohawk Institute Residential School)
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Closing Reception: TBA.
Thank you for an incredible SHORE TO SHORE!
Thank you to everyone who helped make SHORE TO SHORE 2026 such a meaningful journey across Western Newfoundland.
From June 16–23, communities came together to share stories, art, music, food, and ideas rooted in Relational Wellness and Local Knowledge. Together with our co-collaborators at the Canadian Rural Revitalization Conference (CCRC), community partners, artists, volunteers, presenters, and participants, we celebrated the strength of rural communities and the relationships that connect us.
The conversations, creativity, and connections sparked throughout the week will continue to inspire the work ahead. Thank you for being part of the journey—from shore to shore.
> Visit the conference website
✨ Welcome to the Team, Keri! ✨
We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Keri Ryan for joining us this summer as the Creative Assistant through the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Keri brought her experience in graphic design, marketing, content creation, branding, and visual storytelling — along with a passion for community engagement and creativity.
Keri led the social media campaign for the Shore 2 Shore conference and brought her graphic design and visual storytelling skills to a soon-to-be-released Rural Talks To Rural partnership guide and an upcoming website refresh.
Thank you, Keri!
A GRAND THANKS…
2022 – 2025 Grand River Community Play Project: Voice of the River incubates & evolves – in all seasons, in all weather, indoor and out – up and down the river.
310 KM – length of the Grand River
1000s INVOLVED – actors, audiences, creators
45 + supporting partners
250 volunteers
View the R2R24 Short Documentary
We want to thank everyone who participated in R2R24 in Blyth last October. It brought us to the Village to explore our differences together. Local documentarian Nick Vinnicombe from Walton put together a short documentary on the conference. We invite you to take a look and let us know what you think.
LAUNCHED!
Listen to the 6-episode podcast series.
A collection of sounds, stories, interviews and observations from Rural Talks to Rural 2024 – Exploring Our Differences Together, narrated by host, Shauna Rae of Radar Media.
NEWS
Press Release with comments from the Minister of Rural Affairs, Lisa Thompson
Ontario Farmer, November 19, 2024 – “Story trios are a recommended way to talk out differences ~ Appreciative Inquiry helps cross rural community divides”
Wingham Advance Times, October 24, 2024 – “Connecting with the Land: Indigenous knowledge keepers lead reflective trail walk at R2R conference in Blyth“
The Huron Citizen, October 24, 2024 – “Blyth hosts Rural Talks to Rural conference, bring rural Canadians together“
Stops Along the Way, Fall 2024 (page 30) – “Rural Communities Connecting”
REPORTS AND OTHER MEDIA
Podcast Series
Pre and Post Conference Information
Conference Summary Report
Visual Wall including recap video on Day 3
Conference Photos
Reflections & Testimonials
In all matters it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.
Bertand Russell
The CCRC strives to advance the needs and promote the interests of rural or remotely located communities: by facilitating research, disseminating information to the public, and, providing educational and networking opportunities to the public, and by engaging in public policy dialogue and development activities.
We strive to establish an inclusive gathering place, a place for creativity and meaningful participation
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