I don’t think I’m as good a neighbour as I could be. Sure, when I was relaxing in my living room a while back and heard tires spinning, I went outside to help push a neighbour’s car out of the snow. On the other hand, however, I’ve noticed that a new family has moved onto the block, and I haven’t gone over yet to say “hello” or “welcome to the neighbourhood”. There’s a lot I could learn from the nominees for the City of Edmonton’s Good Neighbour Awards. This program, now into it’s third year, is all about the big, and the small, things Edmontonians do to connect to people in their neighbourhoods and in their communities. Last year, more than 200 Good Neighbours were nominated from around the city, each nomination accompanied with a personal story of why a neighbour deserved to recognized.
Some of these stories were about being grateful for assistance in a difficult situation. One of last year’s winners helped clean up a flooded basement. Another rallied a group of people to bring meals to a neighbour who had just undergone major surgery. Other stories from last year represented acts of kindness that are probably required in our community, more than many of us realize. For example, a group of three gentlemen were devoted to helping one of their elderly neighbours stay in his own home after his wife passed away. Another example was someone who helped insulate the garage and put out sand and ice melt for a family who was experiencing their first Canadian winter. Another winner last year was a bright, bubbly, 8 year old, who bakes cookies and writes letters for her neighbours. So whether it’s providing support to seniors, assisting newcomers to Canada, or building inter-generational ties, there’s evidence that this can all happen at a neighbourhood level. Beyond these kinds of individual relationships, there were plenty of nominations that spoke of some kind of central character in the neighbourhood. Someone everyones meets, everyone knows, and everyone relies on, like a building caretaker who goes above and beyond in terms of looking out for the residents. These people, by their mere presence it seems, can improve the quality of life for the people around them.
Winners are chosen from among the nominations and recognized at an awards dinner during Crime Prevention Week in May. The timing of the event isn’t an accident. The connect to community safety here, is strong. Thinking about these stories, it’s easy to see why good neighbours help Edmontonians take ownership of their neighbourhoods and work together to make it a better place. As Councillor Sohi mentioned at the February 2nd launch, this is about focusing on the positive as opposed to the negative in our neighbourhoods.
Do you know a Good Neighbour? Nominations will be accepted until March 1st, to enter fill out a nomination form. Now, I’m heading over to introduce myself to my new neighbours.
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