About Us

Yessica Rivera Belsham is the founder and heart of Ollin.ca, an grass roots organization/initiative which promotes growth within individuals, families, and communities in a compassionate and embracing manner with workshops, events, festivals, services and more which are all fostered in inclusion, diversity, and equity within the Kingston and Ottawa area since 2014.

The common thread of all our events are focused on caring for Mother Earth, Celebrating Life, Honouring our Ancestors and loved ones that have passed, holistic health, and embracing cultural diversity.

A variety of friends and family make up the Ollin.ca Team depending on the festival, event, initiative. 

Grateful to be a part of beautiful collaborations across communities, as well and grow the message of bringing together all people from all directions of the world, in community with compassion and care.

Ollin.ca has always embraced collaborations with family, friends, partners in the community across decades. Honoured to have received the King Charles lll Coronation Medal to have been regcognized to "Have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada". This award is not about one person, this award is about community service and grateful for collaborations to serve community.

Land Acknowledgement

Although we serve communities across various regions, we would like to acknowledge this sacred land on which Ollin.ca primarily operates. It has been a site of human  activity for over 15,000 years. When the first Europeans began to arrive in Southern Ontario in the early 1600’s, the north shore of Lake Ontario and the area originally known as Katarokwi (Kingston) had continued to be a shifting home between the Huron-Wendat Peoples and the Five Nations/St. Lawrence Iroquois. In the Mohawk language, the name Katarokwi means a place where there is clay or where the limestone is, and is defined by two rivers, the Cataraqui River and the St. Lawrence River, while Lake Ontario ecologically marks the region. The French translation of the Algonquin use of the term Cataracoui, means great meeting place.

Today, the meeting place of Kingston is still the home to many  Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have  the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.

Credit :  Adapted from Kingston First Peoples: Purposeful Dialogues. Relationship Building: Phase 1. Dr. Terri-Lynn Brennan (2015)

We have always strived to be inclusive for all people of all walks of life. Grateful to have received the City of Kingston's Celebrating Accessibility Award.

AODA Statement

 Ollin.ca is committed to  treating all people in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity  and independence. We believe in integration and equal opportunity. We  are committed to meeting the needs of people with varying abilities in a  timely manner, and will do so by striving to prevent and remove any barriers to  accessibility and meeting accessibility requirements under the  Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). 

Vulnerable Persons

 Ollin Team Members  obtain valid Police Record Checks with Police Vulnerable Sector Checks.

A Police Vulnerable Sector Check is meant for persons who would be in a position of trust or authority with respect to a vulnerable person. According to Kingston Police, vulnerable persons include children, elderly persons as well other persons with cognitive, physical or emotional difficulties and puts them at risk of being exploited.  

Grateful to have received the Best Diversity Advocate award in Brockville St. Lawrence College

Diversity Statement

Commitment to an inclusive environment: Ollin.ca adheres to the philosophy that all community members should enjoy an environment free of any form of harassment, sexual misconduct, discrimination, or violence.  

Ollin.ca embraces a notion of an enriched and enhanced community is one with diversity along a number of dimensions, including race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, spirituality, and religion. 

It is our intent to present materials, activities, and events that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. 

Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let us know ways to improve the effectiveness of our services from personal or group experiences. 

Grateful to have received the City of Kingston's Mayor's Arts Champion Award.  Image taken of Yessica and her father (lifelong time supporter) at the awards ceremony. 

The Arts Champion Award recognizes a living individual, organization or corporation who makes an extraordinary, leading contribution to the arts In Kingston as a volunteer, advocate, supporter, sponsor and/or philanthropist. Award and certificate of recognition.

We will continue to strive to promote and celebrate the arts in communities around the world.

 The Sustainable Kingston Awards are presented each year to local organizations to recognize their hard work in mitigating the climate emergency and fostering a culture of sustainability in the Kingston community. 

 Sustainability Champion: Awarded to Yessica Rivera Belsham, an individual in our community who has shown outstanding commitment to Sustainable Kingston’s six priority areas.  

Priority Areas were identified with the following criteria in mind:

• They represent a pressing or important local sustainability concern.
• They are four pillar issues, to encourage interesting collaborations and integrative approaches.
• They are areas that the community can influence through direct action.
• They reflect areas where Sustainable Kingston can help bring focus and stimulate action by connecting organizations within our network and sharing information.
• They align with or complement Council’s Priorities 2015 – 2018 (understanding that council’s priorities are within the sphere of municipal control, whereas we are focusing on community initiatives).

Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest (KNCLN) has been a big part of supporting Ollin.ca with support of the larger events such as Earth Day Kingston.

Yessi also works at KNCLN as of June 2024 and tends share KNCLN events on the Ollin Facebook Page that she is a part of :)

Ollin.ca has been grateful for the partnership with H'art Centre that has spanned over many years. H'art Centre has been home to Ollin and has supported many large public events such as Dia de los Muertos Kingston Celebration of Life, Worlds Indigenous Peoples Day, and Earth Day Kingston. Thank you to the wonderful participants of the H'Art Centre that bring so much joy when we gather to drum and sing together :)

Grateful to be a part of the Teaching Artist Team at Sistema Kingston - offering nutrition, drumming, singing, and mindfulness programming since 2021.

Grateful to have been the Artist-In-Residence at the Wintergreen Studios for the Land Art Bioblitz since 2023.

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) was the biggest partner with Ollin.ca until March 2020 due to CMHA Kingston Branch's closure. Together CMHA and Ollin hosted events, workshops, and activities for several years that focused on building community.

Grateful to have been an Artist-In-Residence for several years as a Creativity Studio Artist starting in 2015.

Ollin.ca has collaborated for several years with (KCHC) Special Events and together supported each other on various events across the community.

Kingston Latino Association (KLA)  has collaborated with Ollin.ca for several years in supporting each other with various events across the community.