KINGSTON, ON
ST. LARRY'S PUB
NOV 2024

2024 Gatherings

[ OVERVIEW ]

Kingston NetworkBuddy gatherings are small experiments, not a monthly program. Each one tests a different setup, space, and mix of people to see what actually helps international students, newcomers, and denizens feel less alone while crossing.

Some gatherings are hosted by KNB in backyards, houses, pubs, or partner venues. These are peer‑led rooms where we pay attention to what is usually not said about permits, work, and belonging—and try small ways of making that more speakable together.

Group of diverse people attending a conference or meeting in a large room, sitting at tables, some engaged in conversation, with a woman in a red blazer sitting in the middle, resting her hand on her face, and a woman in a pink headscarf next to her.
People having a conversation at an outdoor social gathering, with a man wearing a yellow turban and a white shirt, and women in casual attire, in a backyard with Christmas balloons and a wooden fence. 
[ HIGHLIGHTS ]

What KNB gatherings are about

Spaces we use

Backyards, living rooms, pubs, campus rooms, community halls, and partner venues in Kingston—kept as simple and informal as possible so people can relax, move around, and talk without feeling like they are at a conference.

Who is in the room

International students, newcomers, denizens, local partners, volunteers, and sometimes employers or service providers, meeting as peers rather than as “clients” and “experts.” People come when a gathering fits their season and needs; there is no membership.

What these gatherings test

Whether walking in with a buddy, sitting in small circles, and naming what is usually unsaid—about work, permits, money, bodies, and belonging—can make life in Kingston feel less isolating, and what structures are needed so that is possible without breaking the people who host.

How often they happen

A few times a year, when there is both need and capacity. KNB does not run on a monthly schedule; gatherings appear when the people building it can hold them, and the quiet seasons are part of the model.

Group of four people standing indoors, smiling for the photo, wearing casual clothes and name tags. The background includes a bookshelf, decorative hanging plants, and a wooden door.
A group of diverse people gathered at tables during a social event, with a smiling woman wearing glasses and a red necklace in the foreground.

2024 Fall Gathering

Kingston, ON · St. Larry’s Pub · 29 Nov 2024

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A large group of diverse people gathered in an indoor venue, posing for a group photo. There are tables with drinks and snacks in front, and a projector screen and black sign with white letters saying 'St. Larry's' in the background.
Group of diverse adults posing for a photo at a professional event, with a presentation screen in the background and a table with food and documents in the foreground.
A woman with gray hair, glasses, wearing a purple blazer and a turquoise necklace, sitting in a red chair, holding a microphone during a presentation on cross-cultural communication.
A woman with glasses holding a microphone and speaking in a room decorated with a Christmas tree and a presentation screen.

KNB’s 2024 Fall Gathering at St. Larry’s Pub was the first big attempt to practice a future where newcomers and the Kingston community meet halfway in one room. Newcomers, locals, alumni, students, and professionals came together not just to network, but to test what happens when the focus shifts from what can be gained to what can be shared.

It was ambitious, messy, and humbling—an experiment that didn’t land perfectly, but revealed how much adaptability, generosity, and simple showing up exist in this community, and what KNB needs to refine for the next step.

  • After attending more than 50 events in 1.5 years, KNB designed its own experiment: a newcomer‑led networking night to test what actually works for international students and newcomers when meeting local businesses, organizations, and professionals.

    The goal was to learn which conversations, setups, and approaches create real connection, not just more business cards.

  • Newcomers, international students, denizens, and 30+ facilitators, including people from KEDCO, KEYS, ReStart, local businesses, and the wider Kingston community—all invited to sit at tables as peers and co‑learners instead of presenters and audience.

  • Elizabeth Hesp opened the night with reflections on cross‑cultural connection and belonging, and Lisa V. MacDonald acted as lead facilitator, guiding the room and supporting table hosts as they moved through the questions and conversations.

  • With enough support—facilitators at each table, clear framing, and partners willing to experiment—newcomers can co‑create a different kind of networking space, one that is built around honest conversation and shared learning rather than performance. This gathering became a reference point for future KNB experiments about how newcomers and local institutions might meet halfway.

  • For photos, table moments, and separate thank‑you posts for Elizabeth, the moderator, facilitators, volunteers, and the KNB core team, see the full 2024 Fall Gathering series on LinkedIn.

    Thanking Elizath Hesp.

    Thanking all the facilitators.

    Thanking all the participants.

    Thanking all Student Association, SLC Alumni Department, BHAIG Building and Office Care for sponsoring the event.

    Thanking all the volunteers.

    Thanking the KNB team.

Kingston, ON · Prof. Lisa’s Home Backyard · 21 Aug 2024

2024 Summer Gathering

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A large group of diverse people gathered outdoors in a backyard with trees, a wooden fence, and a small building, posing for a group photo around a fire pit with balloons and decorations.
A group of ten people, some holding certificates, posing together in a room, likely at an award or graduation event.
Four people sitting comfortably in a cozy living room, smiling for the camera. The room features yellow curtains, a window, and a table with decorative items, including a vase with flowers and a framed photo.

KNB’s 2024 Summer Gathering was a backyard evening that tested whether newcomer and denizen stories alone—shared in a simple, informal space—could create real belonging and supportive networks without formal programming.

Around 50 people came together to listen to ‘hidden gems’ in the community, tie literal knots of interconnectedness, and experience how leadership and connection can emerge anywhere when many voices share the work of holding space

  • The goal was to see whether a backyard evening built around newcomer and denizen stories could create a real sense of belonging and supportive networks—proving that leadership and connection can happen anywhere, not just in formal rooms.

  • International students, newcomers, denizens, and local supporters listening to and learning from speakers including Sipho Bebe Ibeakanma, Lucía Flores Villanueva, Jose Mari Badilla, Carolina Pulido, and Norman Musengimana, with Lisa V. MacDonald hosting and moderating.

  • Description text goes here

  • That even when there is only capacity for one small gathering in a year, it can still matter deeply. Coffee Chat confirmed that peer concordance—peers sitting together, seeing each other without fixing—can act as social fuel and an anchor in a year of IRCC changes, permit stress, and health scares. It reminded KNB that small, honest circles are enough to keep the lab alive between bigger experiments

  • For photos and videos, and what this space felt like, see my LinkedIn post.

    Mariana’s reflections with photos in KNB LinkedIn page.

    Lisa Macdonald’s personal reflections of the Summer Gathering.

Kingston, ON · Karen’s Cozy House · 22 Mar 2024

2024 Winter Gathering

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Group of people celebrating with balloons in a cozy living room, some holding large letter balloons spelling "KIN" and pink balloon, with smiles and cheerful expressions.
A man and a woman are engaging in conversation in a cozy room. The man, seated on a patterned armchair, is holding a glass of red wine. The woman, sitting on the floor, is looking up at him. There is a small wooden table with drinks and books in front of them, and a television mounted on the dark-colored wall behind them.
People gathered in a living room socializing, some holding drinks, with a dark accent wall, artwork, a TV, and a lit lamp in the background.

KNB’s 2024 Winter Gathering was a house‑based experiment in ‘magical connections’—testing whether carefully designed icebreakers, speed‑networking questions, and a newcomer guest speaker could quickly move people from small talk to real conversation in a warm, home‑like space during winter.

One participant later described the evening as feeling ‘like we were family,’ reflecting how strongly the mix of format, space, and shared precarity landed for those in the room.

  • A structured evening with icebreakers, speed‑networking questions, name tags, and small‑group chats to test how far “acceleration of intimacy” could go in one night.

  • International students, newcomers, and denizens who were curious about building closer relationships in Kingston, many coming alone but leaving with multiple new connections.

  • Norman Musengimana shared his own journey and a core message: your background is a superpower, not a barrier, and “overdelivering” is one way newcomers can leave a mark while systems are still getting to know them.

  • Carefully designed questions and a peer guest speaker can move people from small talk into real conversation quickly—if the room is warm, time is flexible, and everyone is treated as having something to offer.

  • Hosting it in a house made sense because it felt closer to how people actually live—warm, home‑like, and safe in the middle of winter—so newcomers could relax, sit on couches, and talk without the formality of a campus room or hall.

  • For engaging icebreaker.

    A glimpse of Norman’s inspiring talk.

    Christian’s tips in getting the full-time job.

2024 Winter Coffee Chat

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Kingston, ON · Pedal Works Café · 19 Jan 2024

Group of diverse people smiling and posing together indoors, some with name tags, in a casual setting.
Four women smiling and gathered around a table in a room with photo frames, books, and a wall clock.
Group of four people smiling indoors, two women and two men, with framed pictures and shelves in the background.

KNB’s 2024 Winter Coffee Chat was the first test of a simple coffee‑shop setup: a small circle of networking buddies meeting at the coziest, most relaxing café, Pedal Works, generously opened by owner Martha Williams so newcomers and international students could slow down, talk, and build connection with a loose set up (no icebreakers).

The group photo from that night captures what KNB was about: not how often people could participate, but knowing there was a place to come when needed, where even small interactions mattered.