The Community’s New Stories

Echoes of the North: Short Stories from Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba

What happens when the reservoir of a community’s most precious stories is suddenly submerged? Delve into The Community’s New Stories, a short story written by Jamie Bell and published by the Arts Incubator Winnipeg and the Art Borups Corners Storytelling Club. The narrative centers on Johnny, whose tranquil life in a small Northern town is irrevocably changed after a catastrophic flood demolishes the heart of their shared world—the local community centre.

The devastating toll is clear: the community hall’s lower level is destroyed, and with it, the irreplaceable archive of their collective soul—generations of local folklore, meticulous family histories, and invaluable Elder wisdom. It’s a cultural tragedy. As Johnny and two quick-thinking fellow teenagers assess the waterlogged ruin, they realize that simply rebuilding the physical structure isn’t enough. They must become innovators, leveraging new technological skills to digitally salvage their collective identity and weave a richer, more robust fabric of connection within their tight-knit community.

Ideal for both personal reading and structured learning environments, The Community’s New Stories comes complete with a comprehensive discussion guide. This tool is designed to spark essential conversations around its core messages of digital preservation, resilience, and collaboration. This inspiring narrative also powerfully links local action to global responsibility by connecting its themes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, serving as an exceptional resource for fostering empathy, understanding, and powerful collective action.

Thanks to the Ontario Arts Council’s Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program for supporting our storytelling, oral history, and capacity-building activities during this summer’s program. This support helped continue exploring creativity, connection, and community through the art of storytelling.

About the Author

Jamie Bell is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and a passionate believer in the power of shared stories. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, his work explores community and connection through creative projects and participatory research. When he’s not behind a pen or a camera, you can find him in the garden, a space where he finds inspiration in the quiet dignity of growth.

About the Author

Art Borups Corners

Administrator

Art Borups Corners is a dynamic participatory arts collective and living lab, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. It's a space where innovation and creativity thrive. The program was founded in 2014, with its arts incubator established in 2021 and 2022 with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse. Today, working with students and faculty from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, we fuse traditional and participatory media arts with artificial intelligence, music, storytelling and community-driven, land-based artist residencies to cultivate new voices and bold ideas. Whether through collaborative projects or immersive experiences, our small but vibrant community supports creators to explore, experiment, and connect. Join us at the intersection of artistry, technology, culture and community—where every moment is a new opportunity to create.

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