By Sandra Pilote
On Saturday January 18th, about 70 residents of the Beausejour and Beausoleil communities sat down together and enjoyed a full-course turkey dinner. Councillor Mathieu Fleury, chair of the Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) Board and Stéphane Giguère, CEO of OCH, joined the group for this winter celebration.
OCH provided the venue and the funding to cover the meal, as well as gifts for all attendees. For many families, this annual event provides an opportunity for them to get out their homes on a chilly day and to benefit from a hot meal prepared and cooked by someone else. The view of Lowertown from the penthouse at 123 Augusta is an added bonus.
The event was organized by a group of tenants with the assistance of the OCH community development manager. All the tenants who participated walked away with full stomachs and gifts. The children under 5 years were delighted with their toys, while the gift cards for those aged 6 to 12 years are probably already spent. And all ages left with a swag bag filled with assorted goodies.
The best part of the day was seeing people talk to one another and connect with neighbours. Participation in events like this helps to build a stronger sense of community. Hopefully participants of all ages left feeling safer and more united as well as satisfied with their bounty.