Monday, January 4, 2016

Our neighbourhood

If you had stood on the corner of Charleston st. and W. Robinwood on New Year's Day of 2015, you would have a different view than if you stood there today. Before, there were piles of rubble and illegally dumped garbage. Now there is a public park, garden, and picnicking  area. On several occasions in 2015, dozens of volunteers and neighbors came together to clean up the block, remove trash, and create gardens.  This all happened with help from so many people. Some of these people live nearby, others are friends of neighbors all of us are volunteers.
That's not all that has changed. Our neighborhood has seen businesses, homes, and people come and go. There seems to be progress made through demolition and reconstruction simultaneously. Block clubs that had once been inactive have restarted. More community gatherings are happening right here in our neighborhood and in the surrounding areas.
Looking forward to next year we will attempt to purchase a city lot for the purpose of gathering and sharing (and growing) food. We hope to secure the park in perpetuity, as well as a community garden space nearby. We will need help. There is more work to be done.
These are but a few of our goals. Don't worry, there's more to come!