Around 200 people joined the thousands of Canadians across the country taking part in the annual Coldest Night of the Year walk, hosted locally by Why Not City Missions, on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The event has been running for 15 years and aims to raise awareness and reduce youth homelessness within the Brantford-Brant community. It is also Why Not’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“The funds will go directly to Why Not City Missions and support all the programs that we run, including our Youth Drop-in Centre, Charlie’s Place for young men and SHYP, which is Supporting Housing for Young Parents,” said Karen Stewart, executive director of Why Not. “Besides being our major fundraiser, it’s such a great outreach opportunity. It really exposes people to the issue of homelessness and reminds them there are human beings on the street, so we’re all about building empathy and compassion around that community with our walkers.”
Individuals and teams alike, gathered inside One Market in downtown Brantford to check-in, grab a Coldest Night of the Year toque and button, and listen to a few words from local dignitaries.
“On this day, right across the country, people just like you are walking for local charities that service people who are experiencing hurt, hunger and homelessness, and [the walk] is alive and well here in Brantford in support of one of our very own great charities,” said Larry Brock, MP for Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations. “Why Not City Missions is making incredible progress to service the needs of our community, and it only happens because of all the commitment that we have from teams and walkers just like you. So a big thank you to all the walkers and the teams that are here.”
While the event has previously started and ended at Mohawk Park, individuals and teams alike gathered inside Wilfrid Laurier University’s One Market building before heading out on either a two- or five-kilometre walk around downtown Brantford.
“This is a new venue for us here at One Market and honestly, this is so great. The space is wonderful, and I think it’s really good to be pulling people into the downtown core where not everybody comes,” said Stewart. “Because of this new route, we’re able to walk through a corridor where there are homeless community members. So we’ve put together some care packages to give out, and we’re encouraging our walkers to take one and either hand it out and have a conversation with somebody they see on the street, or to even just keep it in their car for if they’re ever at a stoplight and see somebody’s who is in need.”
Noting that this year’s goal was to raise $55,000, Stewart announced before hitting the pavement, that with support of walkers and sponsors, they had surpassed their initial goal and were already sitting at around $58,200.
She also took the time to congratulate this year’s top walking teams including, Skyline Brantford who raised $20,251, Team Bouma-Gillies who raised $4,300, and Your Neighbourhood Credit Union Brantford-Paris who raised $3,480.
With donations being accepted online until March 31, Stewart hopes to hit a whopping $60,000 in donations. As of Monday March 2, the total stands at $59,618.
“I would love to see us crossover to get to $60,000, that’s our new goal,” she exclaimed with a laugh.
After the walk, participants headed back to One Market to celebrate with their teams and indulge in some hot chili to warm up.
Tara Buchanan, who was there walking alongside her mother, said she enjoyed getting to take part in the event and see its impact.
“I thought it was really fun. Actually, I was telling Charlie [Kopczyk], and I don’t know that he believed me, but I think it was a good length,” she said. “I think it’s fun to get out and get active, and not just to raise money, but to build community and meet people too. It’s fun when everybody’s doing it together and you see all the hats… I just really enjoyed it.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
