What Does Community Mean to You?
August 21, 2025
Carisa Grove, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing.
If I was asked to define the term “community” before the Chinook project, I would have told you it’s a group of people who live in close proximity or who share common interests. This is similar to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition which broadly defines it as “a unified body of individuals”. However, I have come to realize that community is more than a simple definition. It’s a concept that can be very personal and shaped by individual experiences such as where you live, how you were raised, and the places you have seen or visited. These can all influence what “community” means to you.
Participating in the Chinook Project gave me a chance to experience a different sense of community in the remote town of Hopedale. We were met with warmth and hospitality the moment we arrived. People came to greet us, help unload our supplies and bring us to the community center where our clinic was going to be held. At the clinic, there were containers of baked goods prepared for us and later a home-made pizza for dinner. Throughout this time, people stopped by to introduce themselves, say hello, and offer a helping hand if we needed it.
This was the first glimpse into how important community and support meant to this predominantly Inuit town. This was exemplified over and over again throughout our stay in Hopedale. Everyone made sure we were well-fed (all of the food was delicious, I never expected to gain weight during the trip), and volunteers were driving pets and owners to and from the clinic to make sure everyone had the opportunity to be seen if they wanted to. It was clear that they looked out for and supported one another, including their pets! The experience was quite different from my own past perception of community. While I do know the names of some of my closest neighbours, I would hesitate to ask them for help, something I usually reserve for close friends and family. This was not the case in Hopedale-
it felt like you could ask anybody for assistance.
Even in the short time that we were there it was clear that community means something to the people of Hopedale. The relationships and interconnectedness that they have with each other, and the environment is not only inspiring but foundational to their identity. It was a pleasure to get to witness and learn about their community and history. Thank you for having us and I truly hope our paths cross again.
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