A Land of Dreams Story

I want to tell you a story, a story about how the Building Connected Communities project has supported the activation of community gifts, assets and skills in Land of Dreams through one of the project's pillars- Community Connectors.

In September of 2024, the Community Development and Learning Initiative Network was awarded the Building Connected Communities (BCC) Project. The project was designed to strengthen Calgary’s neighborhoods and communities by focusing on their unique strengths and resources. The BCC project emphasizes on the principles of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) to empower communities from within. The project is structured around two core pillars: ABCD Capacity Building and Community Connectors. Together, these pillars aim to equip communities with the knowledge and tools needed to harness their own strengths while fostering meaningful connections among community members.

Over the course of one year, the BCC project has shaped community connections and activated gifts, skills, knowledge and assets that exist in communities across Calgary.

Here is one of many Community Connector stories we will be sharing in this Blogpost series that highlights what we call the Community Connector Effect in Land of Dreams.

Dreams to Action- Here’s the Community Connector Journey

Over the past year, something special has been growing at Land of Dreams.

Through the BCC project, the focus has been simple but powerful: start with people. Their skills, cultures, passions and lived experiences. Then create the space for those strengths to come together.

From day one, the work has been rooted in relationship-building, trust, and showing up consistently. The goal wasn’t to “run programs,” but to create welcoming spaces where people from different backgrounds could genuinely connect. And as those connections deepened, something beautiful happened.

People didn’t just participate, they began to take ownership.

From Ideas to Action (and a Dance Floor!)

One of the most powerful examples of this shift was the creation of a large community dance floor.

What started as a simple idea quickly turned into a shared project. Community members volunteered their time, skills, and creativity, working side by side to build something that would have otherwise cost Land of Dreams more than $3,000.

Today, that dance floor is alive with gatherings, celebrations, and cultural events. It stands as a visible symbol of collaboration, pride, and shared ownership.

Finding Our Voice—Literally

Another standout moment came when community members came together to write and compose a Land of Dreams song.

The process itself brought people together, creatively sharing stories, laughter, and ideas. The song was later performed at the end-of-season celebration and quickly became more than just music. It became a collective expression of identity, belonging, and pride in the community that had formed.

Meals, Leadership, and Growing Trust

As the year went on, volunteer involvement continued to grow. Community members stepped forward to lead and organize monthly community dinners, transforming them into much more than shared meals.

These dinners became spaces for:

Storytelling
Relationship-building
Laughter and learning
Connection across cultures and communities

Community groups also began showing up for one another’s events, strengthening relationships well beyond individual circles.

Growing Ideas: The Greenhouse Project

The Greenhouse project is another powerful example of community assets coming to life.

Community members worked together to dream, plan, contribute ideas, and apply for funding. That collaboration paid off as the project secured its first grant, marking an important milestone.

More than the funding itself, this moment reflected growing confidence, trust, and the community’s ability to move ideas forward together.

Creativity, Culture, and New Leadership

As relationships deepened, new initiatives emerged naturally:

An Indigenous-led cooking show, creating space for cultural sharing and learning
Community ambassadors stepping forward to support initiatives across the site

Taken together, these moments show a clear shift from Participation to Ownership, and from Connection within groups to Connection across the broader Land of Dreams community.

The lesson is clear: when people are supported to lead with their strengths, connection deepens, creativity flourishes, and a strong sense of belonging takes root.

As Land of Dreams moves into the next phase of the BCC journey, this foundation of trust, shared leadership, and asset-based collaboration continues to guide the way.

The Land of Dreams story brings to life what Asset-Based Community Development truly looks like in action, community members recognizing strengths, building connections, and shaping a shared future. But this is only the beginning. Next week, we’ll explore the Community Connector Effect in St. Andrews Heights and see how relationship building continues to transform the community from the inside out.

The Community Connector Effect: Connector Stories