Skip to content
BUILDING-RESILIENT-NEIGHBOURHOODS-LOGOBuilding Resilient Neighbourhoods. Beside the text there is bright green house with orange shutters and a purple door with a red heart coming out of the chimney. In front of the house there is a stick figure on a bike.
  • About
  • Community resilience
  • Neighbour to Neighbour ProgramsExpand
    • Connect & Prepare
    • Neighbours Helping Neighbours
    • Resilient Streets
  • Resources
  • Stories & news
BUILDING-RESILIENT-NEIGHBOURHOODS-LOGOBuilding Resilient Neighbourhoods. Beside the text there is bright green house with orange shutters and a purple door with a red heart coming out of the chimney. In front of the house there is a stick figure on a bike.

About Building Resilient Neighbourhoods

Building Resilient Neighbourhoods (BRN) is a nonprofit organization based in British Columbia, Canada. We build community resilience by engaging cross-sectoral partnerships, to help strengthen social connections and collaborative action among neighbours.

Learn more about community resilience
Stacy looking out to a crowd of workshop participants

What we do

Since 2012, BRN has been developing and testing different on-the-ground programs to help build neighbour connections and community resilience. Our flagship “Neighbour-to-Neighbour” programs—delivered by BRN and our network of partners—bring neighbours together to strengthen social connections, foster mutual support, and become better prepared for and resilient to different kinds of emergencies and chronic stresses.

In recent years, we have begun scaling these approaches across British Columbia and beyond, through partnerships with community-based organizations, housing operators, and government agencies.

Workshop participant looking at Connect & Prepare poster

Design & develop

Workshops, toolkits, guides and programs.

Photos of different placemaking designs pinned on a purple wall

Incubate & evaluate

Innovative approaches, pilot projects and impacts.

Emi and Cheryl standing in front of a flip chart board with sticky notes

Convene & facilitate

Collaborative partnerships and learning communities.

Neighbours are seated around a large table engaged in conversation during C&P workshop.

Train & coach

Community resilience building approaches.

Wooden board with words "Great Neighbourhoods info". Underneath there is a large poster boards with examples of community projects.

Promote & share

Research, best practices, and stories.

Browse our resource library

Our team

Stacy Barter, Building Resilient Neighbourhoods.

Stacy Barter

Executive Director

More about Stacy
Michelle Colussi, Michelle Colussi, Co-founder and Steering Team Member, stands outside of a workshop smiling her warm smile.

Michelle Colussi

Co-founder and Steering Team Member

More about Michelle
Rob Wipond poses with arms crossed in a collared button blue shirt.

Rob Wipond

Co-founder and Steering Team Member

More about Rob

Ana Méndez

Resilience Coordinator

More about Ana
BRN team member, Pat, listening to speaker during a Connect & Prepare workshop

Pat Steiner

Resilience Facilitator

More about Pat

Ame-Lia Tamburrini

Facilitator of Programs and Partnerships

More about Ame-Lia
Gagan laughing, greenery in the background

Gagan Leekha

Project Manager

More about Gagan

Partners

  • City of Victoria
  • VictoriaReady 
  • City of Vancouver 
  • City of North Vancouver 
  • City of New Westminster 
  • Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House 
  • Senior Services Society of BC
  • North Shore Emergency Services 
  • North Shore Community Resources 
  • West End Seniors Network
  • Brightside Community Homes Foundation
  • James Bay New Horizons
  • Good Neighbour Kitsilano
  • Neighbour Lab 
  • BC Housing 

Partner with us

We believe that the best way to build community resilience is through cross-sector collaborations. BRN facilitates a growing network of partners working to strengthen social connections and mutual support among neighbours in their communities. We are always excited to find new partners who:

  • Share our passion for building resilience through neighbour-to-neighbour connections
  • Are committed to supporting the strengths and capacities of local residents and resident-leaders (doing “with”, not “for”) 
  • Experiment with enthusiasm, and learn through doing and sharing with others
Connect with us
Outdoor large shade tent with the City of Victoria logo with a bunch of people sitting under it and around it.

Current and past funders

Vancity red logo on white background

Land honouring

Building Resilient Neighbourhoods is based on the unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples.

We acknowledge the impact of colonialism in perpetuating isolation and disconnection among Indigenous Peoples. This historical outcome arises from deliberate measures, such as the prohibition of cultural practices, community fragmentation, and the erosion of familial and language ties. We recognize that emergencies, whether acute or chronic, disproportionately affect IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) communities. Recognizing that achieving community resilience necessitates unlearning colonial practices to dismantle these systems of oppression, we stand dedicated to fostering equitable, just, and resilient communities.

Subscribe

* indicates required
/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Intuit Mailchimp

  • Home
  • About
  • Stories & news
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Neighbours Helping Neighbours
  • Connect & Prepare
  • Community resilience
  • Resilient Streets
Facebook X

Search this site

Search

© 2025 Building Resilient Neighbourhoods All Rights Reserved.

This site is supported by Pink Sheep Media.

Stronger communities begin with stronger ties.

  • Building Resilient Neighbourhoods
  • About
  • Neighbour to Neighbour Programs
    • Neighbours Helping Neighbours
    • Connect & Prepare
    • Resilient Streets
  • Resources
  • Stories & news
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter
Search