Windsor Hackforge

WCCUG - Group Project
2026-06-18 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Toronto) | Windsor Hackforge, 300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210, Windsor, Ontario, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online Via Zoom💻👥Hybrid💲 Free

Join us for our first Group Project Work Session!

At our Project Kickoff session, we chose to build a Paint application, and now it’s time to bring it to life together. This session is where ideas start turning into real code, features, and collaboration.

If you’re looking to build a fun project with an awesome group of people passionate about C and C++, this is the perfect opportunity to jump in, contribute, and learn alongside others in a supportive environment.

What you’ll take away:

Hands-on experience working on a real collaborative C/C++ project

Better understanding of project structure, teamwork, and version control workflows

Practical programming skills by building features together in a live session

Who should attend:

Students who want more real-world coding experience

Beginners looking to learn C/C++ in a welcoming environment

Experienced programmers interested in collaborating, mentoring, or building something cool

No matter your experience level, there’s a place for you on the team. Come build, learn, and create with us!

📆 June 18🕦 7-9 PM📍Hybrid: Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Suite 210) & Online via Zoom🎟️ RSVP for Zoom Here👥 RSVP in Person Below

OSM Field Mapping: Ford City
2026-06-23 18:30 - 20:30 | Whelpton Park, 2771 Whelpton St, Windsor, ON, Canada
📍 Ford City (Meet at Whelpton Park – 2771 Whelpton St)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

With the return of warm weather comes the return of everyone’s favourite OSM activity – Field Mapping!

Come with us as we wander along the streets of Ford City tagging benches, trees, potholes, and more. These interactive outdoor sessions are beginner-friendly and help to improve the data that runs apps like Strava, Pokemon Go!, and Apple Maps.

Requirements for participation:

A mobile device with a data plan

A free OpenStreetMap account

The StreetComplete or Every Door app

Whatever the weather dictates you need for comfort (hat, sunglasses, waterbottle, etc.)

Meet at Whelpton Park (corner of Drouillard and Whelpton) for introductions and demos, then explore the neighbourhood with friends old and new!

📆 Tuesday, June 23, 2026🕦 6:30 – 8:30 PM📍Ford City (Meet at Whelpton Park – 2771 Whelpton St)

Want to prep early? Start with these steps:

create an account at osm.org

download StreetComplete (GoogleStreetComplete – Apps on Google Play) (android-only)AND/OR

download Every Door (Every-doorEvery Door) (android and iOS)

log in to your chosen app using your OSM account

AGM & Lightning Talks
2026-06-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

Hackforge’s Annual General Meeting is your chance to look back on an incredible year of community events, creative projects, collaborations, and growth, while getting a sneak peek at where we’re headed next.

Whether you’ve been part of the community for years or are just getting involved, the AGM is a great opportunity to connect, learn more about what we do, and help chart the course ahead. While only official members of the non-profit will be able to participate in the vote for a new board member, everyone is welcome to attend this meeting and learn more about what happens behind-the-scenes in a non-profit.

Members with voting rights will receive personalized invitations by May 26th. If you have not received yours and believe you should, please reach out to our Managing Director.

Once the meeting wraps up, the energy keeps going with another round of Lightning Talks!

These short, super fun presentations give community members the floor for five minutes to share something they’re passionate about. Talk about your latest side project, a problem you’re trying to solve, or your wicked cool hack! This time around, speaking slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so look for the signup sheet when you arrive!

📆 June 25, 2026🕦 6-9 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)🎟️ RSVP Below

LUG JULY Social
2026-07-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍Discord💻Virtual Only💲 Free

Come join us as we nerd out about Linux at this month’s Hackforge Linux User Group Virtual Social!

What to Expect:

Help with Problems: Bring your Linux-related queries and let our community experts assist you in finding solutions.

Current Events Discussion: Stay updated and engage in discussions about the latest happenings in the Linux world.

This virtual social event provides an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow Linux enthusiasts, learn, and have fun!

Hope to see you all there!

📆 Date: June 4, 2026🕦Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST)📍 Virtual Event on Discord💬 Interest Group: LUG

Virtual Accessibility Meetup
2026-07-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Ontario
📍 Online Via Zoom💻 Virtual Only 💲 Free

We’ve unofficially been meeting for years, but we’ve finally decided to make it real! Hackforge now has an interest group focused specifically on the intersection of technology and accessibility.

Please join us for our first ✨official✨ event where we’ll discuss:

why we’ve decided to become official

how we’re going to work together

what we plan on doing next

The goal of this group is to share knowledge and ensure technology is inclusive and built for everyone. All are welcome! Moving forward, we’ll be meeting on the first Tuesday of every month.

📆 Tuesday, July 7th, 2026🕦 6 – 7 PM📍Virtual via Zoom (RSVP to receive the link)

WCCUG: C++101
2026-07-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Windsor Hackforge, 300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210, Windsor, Ontario, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online Via Zoom💻👥Hybrid💲 Free

Explore the world of one of the most popular programming languages: C++!

WCCUG invites YOU out this month to join us in going back to basics. Code along with Interest Group Lead Bryan St. Amour, as he live-codes and guides you through the trials and tribulations of solidifying the first bricks in the foundation of this toolbox.

This event will be a code-along style event. If you do not wish to code-along, notes will be available for you to complete the exercises at your leisure.

Before you know it, you’ll be whispering “Hello World” into the matrix!

What you’ll learn:

Basic Syntax and Structure

Variables and Data Types

Basic Command Line usage

Please bring a laptop with a compiler installed and a way to type code.

No experience necessary, but an interest and basic understanding of coding is recommended

📆 July 16🕦 7-9 PM📍Hybrid (Hackforge HQ @ 300 Ouellette, Unit 210 & Online via Zoom)💬 Interest Group: WCCUG🎟️ RSVP for Zoom Here👥 RSVP in Person Below

Bash Basics
2026-07-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Windsor Hackforge, 300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210, Windsor, Ontario, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online Via Zoom💻👥Hybrid💲 Free

At this month’s Linux User Group event we’ll be diving into Bash, the Bourne Again SHell.

We’ll be covering the basics of creating bash scripts, bash specific syntax, environment variables, and various commands.

Having some knowledge/experience with using the command line and programming is not strictly required in order to understand the material.

All the scripts and examples will be available, so if you would like to follow along during the presentation, you’ll need to have Podman or Docker Desktop installed on your system.

📆 July 23🕦 7-9 PM📍Hybrid (Hackforge HQ @ 300 Ouellette, Unit 210 & Online via Zoom)💬 Interest Group: LUG🎟️ RSVP for Zoom Here👥 RSVP in Person Below

Headshots for Hackforge: A Community Fundraiser
2026-07-26 11:00 - 16:00 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

We’ve all been there: you look at your professional profile picture and realize it’s a decade old. Booking a real photoshoot costs time and money most of us don’t have (especially now that Sears is gone).

So Hackforge is fixing that for a day.

On Sunday, July 26th, we’re hosting a day of first-come, first-served micro headshot sessions. To keep high-quality images accessible to everyone, this event is pay-what-you-can. All proceeds directly support Hackforge’s free community programming!

How it works:

First-Come, First-Served: No pre-booking required. Just show up and sign in when you arrive!

10-Minute Sessions: Fast, efficient, and stress-free micro-sessions to get you on your way.

Come Photo-Ready: We won’t have wardrobe, makeup, or hair stylists on-site, so dress to impress.

Professional Retouching: Your edited digital images will be emailed to you within a couple of weeks.

Pay What You Can: We suggest a donation of $20 – $25, but we won’t be keeping track of individual amounts. Give what you can!

Meet the Photographer:

Photos will be taken by Lauren Hedges, a photographer with 15 years of experience shooting portraits, live events, and street photography. Check out her current project @dogsofdwfm on instagram, or visit her beautifully neglected website www.LaurenHedges.com.

📆 Sunday, July 26, 2026🕦 11 AM – 4 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210)🎟️ RSVP Below

Accessibility Group
2026-08-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

In this second meeting of Hackforge’s Accessibility group, we’ll be taking the prototype of Jason’s current navigation app and putting it to the test. We welcome Accessibility Communication Specialist David Best (davidbest.ca), who will be live demoing and providing feedback on existing apps.

The main focus will be on usability research for the mobile navigation app, and there is a good chance we will end up venturing outside. Please come prepared for this quest.

If time allows, we’ll discuss the overall project plan so we can point ourselves towards the next steps and how we want to move forward.

During the session, we will:

Focus on usability research for the mobile navigation app

David will provide demos of other navigation apps

Understand what users need, rather than making assumptions

Venture outside for testing

Who Should Attend?

Potential users of the app

App Developers & Designers

Assistive Tech Enthusiasts

📆 August 4, 2026🕦 6-7:30 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)🎟️ RSVP Below💬 Interest Group: Accessibility

LUG August Social
2026-08-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍Discord💻Virtual Only💲 Free

Come join us as we nerd out about Linux at this month’s Hackforge Linux User Group Virtual Social!

What to Expect:

Help with Problems: Bring your Linux-related queries and let our community experts assist you in finding solutions.

Current Events Discussion: Stay updated and engage in discussions about the latest happenings in the Linux world.

This virtual social event provides an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow Linux enthusiasts, learn, and have fun!Hope to see you all there!

📆 Aug 5, 2026🕦 7-9 PM📍Virtual Event via Discord🎟️ RSVP Below💬 Interest Group: LUG

Hackforge Town Hall
2026-08-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210) & Online Via Zoom👥🖥️ Hybrid 💲 Free

We’ve noticed that a lot of people who come to our events don’t realize they have a standing invitation to help guide the organization—and we want to change that.

Our Membership Committee has been looking at how we will define and handle membership in the future, and before making any official changes in 2027, are hosting a few opportunities for casual chats with the community. If you’re interested in what goes on behind-the-scenes, or want a say in where we go next, this is the perfect opportunity to engage.

Join the first-ever Hackforge Town Hall where you can:

Get to know us: Meet our staff, board, and committee members.

Shape our programming: Tell us what you want to see more (or less!) of.

Share your ideas: Help us figure out how to build a community you want to be a part of.

Help define membership: Help us talk through what “joining Hackforge” should look like moving forward.

As always, this event is completely free and open to everyone.

📆 Saturday, August 15, 2026🕦 1 – 2:30 PM📍 In-person at Hackforge HQ & Online via Zoom🎟️ Register to attend virtually via Zoom💬 Interest Group: Hackforge Community

WCCUG - Paint Project
2026-08-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Windsor Hackforge, 300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210, Windsor, Ontario, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave, Unit 210) & Online Via Zoom💻👥Hybrid💲 Free

After last month’s dive into C++ 101, we’re back to The Paint Project.

If you’re new to C++, we are building a paint style program (think Microsoft Paint or Mario Paint), using C++ as a big group project.

Together, we’ll hack on the paint project and anyone who wants to work on it can either bring their laptops and feature-hack, or work on zoom and chat with us.

Participants should ideally come with an idea to work on, and we’ll help each other out!

What you need to attend:

A laptop with a compiler

An idea to work on during the session.

Who Should Attend?

Coding Enthusiasts

Those interested in learning C++

Folks who want to contribute to a Hackforge Project

📆 August 20🕦 7-9 PM📍Hybrid (Hackforge HQ @ 300 Ouellette, Unit 210 & Online via Zoom)💬 Interest Group: LUG🎟️ RSVP for Zoom Here👥 RSVP in Person Below

LUG Install Party
2026-08-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Hackforge HQ, 300 Ouellette Ave Unit 210, Windsor, ON, N9A7B4, Canada
📍 Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Unit 210)👥 In Person Only 💲 Free

This month, LUG will be hosting a Linux install party…drop-in style!

If you’re interested in trying out Linux, then this is the event for you! Members will be available to help you with installing Linux on your laptop, onto a virtual machine, or any other kind of device.

Come on out even if you’re already familiar with Linux! This is a great opportunity to try a new distribution or just hang around and chat with other Linux enthusiasts.

📆 August 27

🕦 7-9 PM📍Hackforge HQ (300 Ouellette Ave., Suite 210)🎟️ RSVP Below ⬇️💬 Interest Group: LUG
