This week on The Northern Heat Report, we had the chance to step inside Bathurst’s newest community hub and learn more about the Makerspace powered by Ampere, which is a Canada-wide organization dedicated to bringing STEAM education and creative resources to remote, Indigenous, and rural communities.

With locations already established in Iqaluit and Lindsay, Ontario (which also serves as Ampere’s headquarters), the opening of the Makerspace in Bathurst marks an exciting milestone. Bathurst is not only Ampere’s first Makerspace in New Brunswick, it’s also their first fully community-led location. Rather than following a fixed programming model, this space is shaped directly by local needs, interests, and ideas.

At the heart of the project is the local coordinator, Kathaleen Groomes, who came to the role after years of working in international events. Looking for something more grounded in community impact, a local connection encouraged her to apply, and soon after, she found herself helping launch a space focused on creativity, learning, and connection.

The Makerspace now offers a full week of accessible programming designed for all ages.

Mondays focus on job skills support, including résumé help, printing, and coaching, alongside Community Crafters and an evening “Make Stuff Mondays” session where people can fix gadgets or take things apart just to learn how they work.

Tuesdays are all about technology, with judgment-free help for computers and smartphones, after-school programming, and new adult offerings tailored to seniors, who make up roughly 40% of the local population.

Wednesdays feature “Wake Up Wednesdays,” a calm morning space with coffee, puzzles, and quiet time, especially popular with parents between school drop-off and work, as well as retirees looking for routine. Starting in March, senior afternoons will add trivia, digital skills, and guest speakers.

Thursdays bring parent groups in the afternoon and high school drop-ins in the evening, while Fridays wrap up the week with Family STEAM mornings — hands-on exploration stations that encourage curiosity, creativity, and mess-friendly learning.

Beyond weekly programming, the Makerspace hosts puzzle challenges with local partners, workshops led by community experts, and special events like upcoming amateur radio activities. Ampere’s traveling teams also bring computers and educational programming directly into surrounding communities.As Ampere prepares to open its fourth official location elsewhere in Canada, Bathurst stands as a powerful example of what happens when creativity meets community.

That’s it for another edition of the Northern Heat Report. The place you come to listen to the stories that have not yet been discovered.