Past Gatherings
[ OVERVIEW ]Kingston NetworkBuddy gatherings are more like small experiments than a regular program. Each time, we tried a new setup, a different space, and a mix of people, just to see what might help international students, newcomers, and locals feel a little less alone as they cross into something new.
Some of our gatherings happened in backyards, houses, pubs, or with partner groups. These were peer-led spaces where we paid attention to the things that usually stay quiet—like permits, work, money, bodies, and belonging—and tried small ways to make those things easier to talk about together.
Here, you can look back at some of our past experiments, year by year. It might give you a sense of what’s been possible so far, and the kinds of crossings we’ve been exploring together.
[ HIGHLIGHTS ]What KNB gatherings are about
Spaces we use
Sometimes we meet in backyards, living rooms, pubs, campus rooms, or community halls around Kingston. We keep things simple and informal, so it feels easy to relax and talk.
Who is in the room
The group at KNB is always a little different each time.
Sometimes, people have just moved to Kingston or even to Canada. Other times, they’re starting a new job, role, or school.
No one arrives as an expert. Everyone is going through their own changes, and they simply spend a quiet evening together.
What these gatherings test
We gather in small circles in ordinary places and give people a brief pause during big changes. You can talk a little or mostly listen, say things that usually go unsaid, notice your shoulders drop, and leave feeling a bit less squeezed inside.
How often they happen
We meet a few times a year, only when there is both a need and enough energy. There is no set schedule; quiet times are part of how it works.
Asmall circle after nine months of quiet where long‑time and newer members could name how permits, uncertainty, and health were weighing on them, and feel fully seen in that.
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Three small experiments in walking alongside and making permits, work, and belonging more speakable together.
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The first season of KNB, with small backyard circles, a pub gathering, and early online meetups to see what helped crossings feel less alone.
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