As we reach the end of 2025, we’re taking a moment to reflect on everything this community made possible. It was a year of growth, connection, and big steps forward for digital inclusion across Nova Scotia.
From new team members and inspiring partners to milestone events and province-wide recognition, every part of this year reminded us what can happen when we move forward together.
Here’s a look at the moments that shaped 2025 for GEO Nova Scotia:
The Impact
From January 1, 2025 to December 17, 2025, GEO Nova Scotia supported thousands of Nova Scotians in gaining access to the tools and connections they need to participate fully in daily life. Through GEO Connects and our network of community partners, we helped put reliable technology and connectivity directly into people’s hands.
This year, we provided:
💻 1,227 Chromebooks
📱 494 iPads
📞 1,282 mobile phones
🛜 734 home internet connections
📶 1,213 Eastlink mobile plans
Each device and connection represents more than access to technology — it’s access to services, learning, safety, employment, and community.
Events & Important Discussions
Nova Scotia Digital Inclusion Week
A milestone moment: Nova Scotia officially declared October 6-10 as Digital Inclusion Week, becoming the first province in Canada to do so! The proclamation was made by the Honourable Jill Balser, Minister of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions, during GEO Forum 2025.
This milestone underscores how essential digital access is to participating fully in life, work, and community across the province!
Read more about the proclamation here.
Launching GEO for Nonprofits
This year we launched GEO for Nonprofits, a program designed to make technology more accessible and manageable for community organizations across Nova Scotia. Through affordable devices, connectivity support, and hands-on technical assistance, GEO for Nonprofits helps organizations strengthen their day-to-day operations and better support the people they serve.
Third Annual General Meeting
In June, we hosted our third AGM — our best-attended yet! It was a chance to shine a light on the impact we’re creating together across the province and to hear from partners, community organizations, and participants about what this work means in practice.
If you missed it, you can watch “The Show” here!
Insight Forums
We hosted two Insight Forums this year, each sparking meaningful conversations and cross-Atlantic learning.
We kicked off the year in January with “Exploring the UK’s Approach to Digital Equity“, and in May, we gathered again for “Digital Inclusion: Lessons Across the Atlantic.”
These sessions helped anchor Nova Scotia in global conversations about digital inclusion and what’s possible when communities learn together.
Nova Scotia Digital Inclusion Awards
Also in October, we celebrated the 2025 Nova Scotia Digital Inclusion Awards, honouring individuals, organizations, and communities working every day to close the digital divide. These stories continue to inspire what GEO Nova Scotia is striving for.
Read about our 2025 winners here!
GEO Forum 2025
October brought our biggest GEO Forum yet! We’re grateful to the speakers and panelists who shared their insight and experiences with the more than 480 registered attendees! The conversations throughout the Forum highlighted the growing momentum for digital inclusion across the province.
If you missed any sessions, or just want to enjoy them again, you can watch them all on our YouTube channel!
Nova Scotia Digital Inclusion Hall of Fame
We also had the pleasure of introducing the Nova Scotia Digital Inclusion Hall of Fame to recognize individuals whose leadership has shaped digital inclusion efforts in lasting ways. We were honoured to name Sandra McKenzie as the inaugural inductee, acknowledging her long-standing commitment to community access, equity, and connection across the province. Her work set a strong and meaningful foundation for this new recognition!
We’re closing out the year with the 2025 Phones for the Holidays campaign, presented in partnership with Geebo Device Repair and Boom12 Communications.
This initiative focuses on something simple, but essential: making sure people have a safe, reliable way to stay connected.
Our goal is to collect 1,000 gently used phones, along with financial donations that allow each device to be paired with a prepaid phone card. Together, this support helps provide people experiencing homelessness or gender-based violence with a critical tool for safety, communication, and access to services—at a time of year when connection matters deeply.
Welcome to GEO Nova Scotia
In June, we were excited to welcome four new members to our Board of Directors:
Arlene MacDonald, Rany Ibrahim, Karen Blair, and Jamie Fraser.
Each has brought valuable insight and experience that will help guide GEO Nova Scotia through its next chapters!
This year, four new faces joined the GEO Nova Scotia Staff Team!
We welcomed Bonnie Ste-Croix as our very first CEO in May! Through her previous work, Bonnie was closely connected to GEO Nova Scotia and many of our community partners, making her a natural fit to help guide the organization forward!
We also welcomed Koda Nowak as a Digital Inclusion Facilitator, Alejandra Estevez Moreno as Partner Support Lead, and Eilish Bonang-Smith as Communications Lead. Each has already helped strengthen our relationships across the province and support the people at the heart of our work.
A New Chapter in Leadership
2025 marked an exciting transition for GEO Nova Scotia. Founder and longtime Executive Director, Matt Spurway, passed the torch to Bonnie Ste-Croix as he stepped into his new role as Chief Development Officer.
This shift allows Matt to focus on growing partnerships and long-term sustainability, while Bonnie leads GEO Nova Scotia forward with care, clarity, and a deep commitment to universal digital inclusion!
On to New Adventures!
In 2025 GEO Nova Scotia also had three valuable staff members who moved on to new adventures.
Cari Patterson, GEO’s Evaluation and Learning Lead for three years had an immense impact on the evolution of GEO. Her work translated the programming efforts and behind-the-scenes work into impacts, stories and learnings that told GEO’s story in a way no one else could. We are excited to see how Cari’s efforts might contribute to other communities and we are especially excited to hear about her travels, her gardening and how her love and kindness impact the road ahead.
Gary Moore brought his expertise to GEO Nova Scotia in his role as Human Resources Lead, offering thoughtful guidance rooted in insight, steadiness, and a people-first perspective. His calm, considered approach helped strengthen the organization from the inside out, ensuring that care for people remained at the heart of how GEO Nova Scotia works and grows.
Ashley MacInnes, GEO Nova Scotia’s first Communications Lead, helped bring the organization’s voice to life and establish its early presence. Her creativity, enthusiasm, and genuine care for people left a lasting imprint on how GEO Nova Scotia shows up and connects with community.
We’re deeply appreciative of what each of them brought to our team and how their efforts helped us move forward and evolve.
Well Wishes from our CEO
“As we step into a new year, I want to thank everyone who continues to show up for this work: our funders, our government, our business and community partners, our volunteers, and all the people who trust GEO Nova Scotia to support them.
The progress we make is built on relationships, care, and a shared belief that digital inclusion and access matter. I’m grateful for what we’ve accomplished together, and I’m looking at the year to come with optimism, focus, and a deep commitment to ensuring the work we do toward our goal of achieving digital equity continues to improve the lives and opportunities of Nova Scotians.
I wish you all a wonderful start to the New Year and I can’t wait to see what our shared efforts create in 2026.”
— Bonnie Ste-Croix, CEO, GEO Nova Scotia
& Tucker (the cutest member of my family, don’t tell my son I said that! 😊)
