Local Spotlight: Celebrating Community With Candyce – Coordinator of the Olde Riverside BIA
Image by Row Creatives
Hi everyone!
My name is Candyce Mollard and if you know me, you already know one thing: I love my community. I always have. Whether it’s volunteering at local events, joining neighbourhood clean-ups, supporting small businesses, or simply exploring Windsor one block at a time, I’ve always believed the best way to feel connected is to show up for the place you live.
That passion is exactly what led me to my role as Coordinator for the Olde Riverside Business Improvement Association (BIA), a job that, quite honestly, feels like it was made for me.
How community involvement led me here
For years, I’ve been the person who signs up to help. As previously touched on, I’ve volunteered at countless events, raised thousands of dollars for local charities and organizations, participated in community clean-ups, homeless outreach, addiction support and offered my time wherever I could. Giving back has always felt natural to me, something that fills me up rather than drains me.
For several years, I also hosted and produced a local podcast, which became a huge turning point in how I engaged with my community (OG’s will know this podcast as that’s actually how I met Markie). Through storytelling and connecting with local people, I found myself becoming even more hands-on and involved in Windsor’s neighbourhoods. That creative journey pushed me outside my comfort zone and helped me forge meaningful relationships that truly shaped where I am today.
And one of the people who noticed that passion and involvement was Markie, who if you don’t know is the Co-Chair of the Olde Riverside BIA. Over time, she saw how dedicated I was to serving the community, and that connection eventually led me to join her team at Timber + Plumb as her Executive Assistant.
All of this, and I mean all of it, happened because I put myself out there and poured my heart into the place I love most: my community.
So… maybe some of you didn’t know this, but SURPRISE! I’m officially the newest employee at Timber + Plumb and I couldn’t be more excited!
What I do as the BIA Coordinator
My role with the Olde Riverside BIA is wonderfully diverse (and never boring!). On any given week you can find me:
Communicating with different City of Windsor departments to move projects forward, solve issues, and support the growth and beautification of our district.
Representing the BIA at meetings, seminars, workshops, and networking events, gathering knowledge and resources that I can bring back to our members.
Coordinating new initiatives and community-focused projects that create excitement, increase foot traffic, and make Olde Riverside a more vibrant place to visit.
Because Markie has passed me the mic, I’m going to share about one of our BIA’s favourite recent projects which is our new lighted selfie frame. A fun and festive installation designed to bring cheer to the area and encourage people to get out, shop, and explore during the holidays.
You can find it just outside the.dotte (5720 Wyandotte St. East) from December 1 to January 31…. But also, pssst we also have a selfie contest running so check it out! Projects like this remind me of why my work really matters, watching families stop for photos, smile, and enjoy a little moment together - it’s almost better than a pay cheque. It brings people together, and I’m so proud to have been part of making that happen.
A gentle push to get involved
I always encourage people, even if it’s just for an hour, to try volunteering.
There are so many organizations, churches, neighbourhood groups, and local services that need help especially around the Christmas holidays. And while the bigger, well-known organizations are important, there are also hundreds of smaller, lesser-known groups doing meaningful work every day. They need support, too, spreading our time and kindness across the community can make a huge impact.
If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few suggestions worth checking out:
Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre
GriefWorks / Bereavement Support — through CMHA
But more than anything, I encourage you to do your own research and find a cause that really speaks to you. Whether it’s big or small, formal or informal, choose somewhere that hits home or lights up a passion in you.
And if formal volunteering isn’t quite your thing, that’s totally fine too. Helping your community can be simple:
Offer to lift groceries for an elderly person or help carry their bags
Give a store cashier a genuine compliment
Bring in your neighbour’s trash bin
Hold a door, smile, say a kind word
These small acts often mean more than we realize. They can brighten someone’s day,or even their week. And in doing so, they bring us a little closer to each other as neighbours, as community.
Why I Love What I Do
Working for the Olde Riverside BIA, and now for Timber + Plumb, allows me to bring together everything I’m passionate about: creativity, community, collaboration, and genuine connection. Every day brings something meaningful, something different, and something that reminds me why I love Windsor so deeply.
When I look back at the journey that led me here, the volunteering, the podcasting, the events, the clean-ups, the relationships, and all the small moments in between, there’s one thread woven through all of it: COMMUNITY.
It has shaped me, grounded me, challenged me, and opened doors I never expected. It brought me to the BIA. It brought me to Timber + Plumb. And it continues to bring me closer to the people and places that feel like home. My hope is that everyone gets to experience that same sense of belonging, that feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself. Community grows through action, through kindness, and through the simple act of showing up, even in the smallest ways.
So here’s to the people who give, the neighbours who care, the businesses who work hard, and everyone who chooses to make our corner of the world just a little brighter. I’m grateful to be one of them, and I can’t wait to see what we build together next.
From one neighbour to another,
Candyce.