A group of Hamilton community partners is coming together to rethink how neighbourhoods can support children as they grow, move and develop independence.
On October 6, 2026, the Daily School Route (DSR), Redeemer University, Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School, Councillor Craig Cassar and community partners officially announced The Kid Project, a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on creating neighbourhood infrastructure that supports healthy child development.
The announcement took place at the path at Redeemer University, the first collaborative project under The Kid Project. Partners also announced a new five-year funding partnership with a local foundation to support the path and future projects.
Photo credit: Erika Matkovich
The initiative starts with a simple idea: the places children move through every day can do more than connect destinations. They can help children build confidence, develop independence, connect with nature and feel a greater sense of belonging in their communities.
"The spaces we create around children shape how they experience their neighbourhood, how independently they can move through it, and how connected they feel to their community," said Dan Chong from Daily School Route. "The Kid Project is about bringing partners together to think differently about that infrastructure and to create spaces with children, not simply for them."
The Kid Project focuses on three interconnected elements of healthy childhood development: daily connection with nature, unstructured play, and safe, independent, active mobility. For Hamilton's approximately 100,000 children under the age of 16, these everyday opportunities are shaped in part by the physical environments around them: the routes they take to school, the places where they can play, and whether they can safely move through their neighbourhoods.
A path designed around children
The path at Redeemer University brings these ideas into a real neighbourhood setting. Developed through collaboration between the Daily School Route, Redeemer University, Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School and Councillor Craig Cassar, the project will create a welcoming and accessible connection between the surrounding neighbourhood, the school and the university for people walking, cycling and rolling.
For students and families, the path represents an opportunity to make everyday journeys about more than getting from one place to another. By creating a connection through the neighbourhood, the project aims to support children's opportunities to explore their surroundings, experience nature and develop confidence moving through their community.
"For our students and families at Immaculate Conception, the route represents much more than connection between locations. It creates opportunities for children to walk, cycle, explore, and develop confidence as they navigate their neighbourhood," said Jennifer Townsend, Principal Immaculate Conception CES.
Photo credit: Erika Matkovich
The project also reflects a shared commitment to building stronger connections between the university and its surrounding community. Redeemer University is contributing directly to the work as part of its commitment to being an engaged community partner.
"We are committing and investing $60K in this project and believe it will benefit not only the University but the community as we continue to be a good neighbour and ensure a connected and thriving community," said Dr. David Zietsma, President of Redeemer University.
Building a model for future neighbourhoods
While the path at Redeemer University is the first collaborative project, the ambition behind The Kid Project extends beyond a single route. Through a new five-year funding partnership with a local foundation, partners will be able to support the current project while exploring future opportunities to create neighbourhood infrastructure that better supports children.
The initiative brings together schools, universities, community organizations, municipal representatives and funders around a shared goal: creating places where children can safely move, explore, connect with nature, play and develop independence.
For Councillor Craig Cassar, that goal connects directly to the broader responsibility of building a city that works for the people who live in it.
"I want to express how fully committed I am to this project. Of all the topics that I've dealt with through this term of council, this is the one that comes up the most often and is one that has such a huge impact on the quality of life of everyone. The job of a city councilor as a city builder is to bring that vision of how we can do better," said Councillor Craig Cassar, Ward 12.
At the heart of the initiative is the belief that children should be active participants in shaping the places where they live, learn and play. Through the Daily School Route's work with children and community partners, The Kid Project aims to put that principle into practice.
Photo credit: Erika Matkovich
"With the Kid Project, we believe that every child should be able to explore their community, experience nature and develop independence. This project and the Daily School Routes role is to work with kids and for kids. They are the best designers of their own neighbourhood," said Mark Chamberlain of The Kid Project.
By starting with children's everyday experiences and bringing partners together to act on what matters to them, The Kid Project aims to demonstrate how neighbourhoods can be designed to support children's healthy development while creating more connected, welcoming communities for everyone.
About The Kid Project
The Kid Project is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on creating neighbourhood infrastructure that supports healthy child development. The project brings together community partners to rethink how children experience the places where they live, learn and play, with a focus on nature, mobility and play.
The initiative is grounded in the idea that designing neighbourhoods around children's needs can create healthier, more connected and more welcoming communities for people of all ages.
"The Kid Project is about centering things on children. When we do that, it makes the neighbourhood better for everyone," said Councillor Craig Cassar, Ward 12. The Kid Project aims to support environments where children can safely move, explore, connect and develop independence.
About the path at Redeemer University
The path at Redeemer University is a collaborative project led by the Daily School Route in partnership with Redeemer University, Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School, Councillor Craig Cassar and other community partners. The project will create a welcoming and accessible connection between the neighbourhood, school and university for people walking, cycling and rolling, while providing opportunities for children to connect with nature, play and move through their community more independently.
