Housing Insecurity Hides in Plain Sight: The Impact Campaign for What We Dreamed of Then
Most people think they know what homelessness looks like. What We Dreamed of Then asks audiences to reconsider that assumption.
Shot in New Brunswick by award-winning filmmaker Taylor Olson, the narrative feature explores the less visible realities of housing insecurity and the idea that it threatens far more people than we think. The film’s impact campaign was built to carry that conversation beyond the screen and into communities across Canada.
Connecting the Story to the Sector
The campaign had a clear purpose: to challenge stereotypes about homelessness, spotlight the realities of housing precarity, and centre conversations about local solutions.
Our outreach connected us with shelters, housing advocates, research organizations, and community groups working on the front lines of the housing crisis. Partner organizations included United Way, Housing Research Collaborative, Union Gospel Mission, Fred Victor, Homes First, Truro Housing Outreach Society, and YMCA of Cumberland.
Our conversations with key players in the housing sector only reinforced what the film depicts: for many people, stable housing is far more fragile than it appears. Connecting with organizations working on the front lines of that reality was an essential part of rooting the campaign in the lived experiences behind the issue.
Bringing the Conversation Across the Country
Following a theatrical run through the film’s home province of New Brunswick, we hosted three impact panels in Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Each event brought together housing advocates, researchers, and frontline workers alongside the film’s director, writer, cast, and creative team. Several organizations also hosted information tables, giving audiences direct access to local resources. A portion of ticket proceeds was shared with our partner organizations in recognition of the work they do every day.
Key Takeaways
The Halifax screening sold out and prompted an additional showing, while Toronto and Vancouver also drew engaged audience discussions.
Across all three cities, one idea surfaced repeatedly: Gideon’s story felt familiar. Audiences spoke about seeing people they knew in the character—a friend, a co-worker, a sibling, a neighbour. That recognition became a starting point for broader conversations about how homelessness is perceived, and how often invisible houselessness is overlooked.
Inviting frontline organizations to these discussions was a great way to shift the conversation to solutions and learn more about the positive work being done in this space.
A New Kind of Impact Campaign
What We Dreamed of Then is also a reminder that impact campaigns are not limited to documentaries; narrative films have a unique ability to invite empathy and make systemic issues feel immediate and personal.
The panels created a rare space where lived experience, research, frontline knowledge, and fictional storytelling could exist side by side. This campaign demonstrated what becomes possible when storytelling is treated not just as entertainment, but as a tool for awareness, dialogue, and community action.
