Ontario Supports Thornhill’s YouthSpeak with $247,000

March 16, 2026

$247,000 is helping YouthSpeak provide critical community programming 

THORNHILL – On Friday, Laura Smith, MPP for Thornhill, announced that through the Government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation, YouthSpeak received two grants totalling $247,000 in 2024. These funds have helped YouthSpeak to build on its organizational resilience and sustainability as well as helping to launch its school club program. 

“These investments are about creating more spaces for young people to be heard,” said Laura Smith, Member of Provincial Parliament for Thornhill. “This funding is helping YouthSpeak continue to reach more schools, more families, and more communities, building the kind of understanding and compassion we want for the next generation. Our government is proud to support organizations that are making a real difference in the lives of young people and their families.”

The grants received in 2024 include: 

  • $199,500 Resilient Communities Fund grant (over two years) 
  • $47,500 Seed grant 

“In Thornhill and in communities across Ontario, non-profits are running proven programs that help people build skills, stay active, and feel more connected to where they live,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “This investment will help build on the successes of local initiatives, empowering them to reach more people, deepen their impact, and strengthen community life all across the province.” 

“The impact of this Ontario government grant cannot be overstated,” said Una Wright, Executive Director of YouthSpeak. “These grants have helped us improve our human infrastructure for us to respond to the growing demand to support youth mental health, well-being and connection.” 

Through OTF’s various granting programs, Ontario has invested more than $857 million in over 7,700 projects since 2018. These investments have created more than 10,700 full time jobs and generated over $1.3 billion in economic benefits for communities across the province. For more information and a list of recipients, visit the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s website. 

QUICK FACTS 

  • The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Its mandate is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario by investing in community-based initiatives and strengthening the impact of the province’s non-profit sector. 
  • OTF programs support the arts, culture, heritage, sports and recreation, human and social services, and environment sectors across the province. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Micah Dodo
Micah.dodo@pc.ola.org