This description was written by Marjorie Kort, the Regional Liaison for Ottawa/Gatineau.

As of January 2012, the Ottawa/Gatineau Region is home to 26 grandmothers groups.  Over the years, these groups have taken on a wide range of unique and successful fundraising projects that reflect the particular skills and abilities of their members. These projects range from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, to the establishment of a successful African jewellery business, to an annual plant sale that is eagerly anticipated each year. There are many others too numerous to mention.

While we take pride in our individual group identities, and we all agree that we don’t want a centralized bureaucracy, we are very good at working together when it makes sense to do that. For example, we have an annual GrannyFest that provides opportunities for learning, sharing and celebrating; we have a centralized Speakers Bureau that also provides training; and we have a mentoring program that provides support to new granny groups.

Of course, our proximity to Parliament Hill provides unique access to the political process and many of our grandmothers participate in, and lead, advocacy initiatives through the independent and separate organization called GRAN.

• Click here to see if there is an upcoming gathering planned for this region.
• Click here to find a group in this region.