At Castlepoint Numa, we do not think of city building in the abstract. The highest ideals of urbanism are practical: connection to our communities, proximity with our neighbours, opportunities for ourselves and future generations.

We have spent more than 30 years putting these values into practice, and, this summer, have redoubled our commitment with the launch of Strength To Lead, a not-for-profit initiative supporting youth and community development by investing in sports infrastructure.

Strength To Lead works alongside established community organisations to deliver equitable youth sports programming by removing barriers to access, building new facilities, and organising new programming. The organisation works to afford every young person in Toronto the opportunity to maximise their potential through sports, and to become leaders on and off the field.

This Saturday, Strength To Lead held its first Community Day in Weston, centred on the new pop-up sports facilities the charity set up at 1871 Weston Rd.

With more than 100 participants in events ranging from basketball training organised by MLSE Foundation to weight lifting sessions led by Jonny Reps, and drop-in pickleball for anyone who wanted to play, the event brought neighbours, families, and young people together through sports and family fun.

The event had lots to offer in addition to sports, with delicious barbecue provided by the Weston Frontlines centre, live music, and special giveaways and prizes organised by MLSE Foundation.

Our sincere gratitude goes to all the people and organisations who have worked tirelessly to get Strength To Lead off the ground, and who helped us to organise this first Community Day. Without the efforts and support of Weston Park Baptist Church, the MLSE Foundation, Weston Frontlines Centre, and Jonny Reps Gym, this event could not have happened.

We were also honoured to host Mayor Olivia Chow – her earnest desire to meet and connect with the people and communities she serves is a source of continual inspiration.

Through this event, the warmth and kindness of the Weston community, and the joy we were lucky to share with everyone we met, we were reminded once again of the responsibility which we bear as developers: it is our duty to build spaces which make it easy for people to come together and share their lives.

We are committed to a model of city-building which looks to the future as much as the present; which measures success not by height and density, but by the strength of the communities it builds.