By Catherine Mageau-Walker
I have been drawn to community since forever: when I was five, I felt the need to interrupt family meals and declare it hug time. That meant it was time for everyone around the table to get up and hug each other. So for me, being in a workplace that feels like a big family, working in and for a community in a city that is big, but not huge, feels just right.
I am aware that may be an overly touchy-feely for some, but the sentiment of connection is the point I am trying to make. I truly feel that in our heart of hearts we humans desire genuine connections with each other, whether through intellectual exchanges or friendly greetings or helping hands or knowing smiles.
What is “community”? Before getting technical and pulling out the etymology of the word, I am curious as to what it means to you. Just sit with the image of “community” for a moment. How does it feel? Where do you feel it? What does it look like? Are there different levels, tiers or sub-communities that you can belong to, identify with, are drawn to? Where and how do you fit in?
I see my community in:
Five older men passionately discussing a topic around a picnic table in Macdonald Gardens Park.
An ocean of animated De La Salle teens spending their lunch break on the grass behind the Jules Morin Fieldhouse.
Caregivers discussing discipline while participating in playgroups under the tall trees in the park.
Summertime community potlucks in Bingham and Bordeleau parks.
Hockey games on volunteer-maintained community rinks,
There are so many beautiful examples of community taking place all around us, all the time. It makes my heart so happy to witness humans at their best, communicating, connecting and collaborating.
In my mind, that is the beauty of community spaces, whether they are parks, libraries, community centres, community associations and the like. These open, accessible, inviting public spaces are the intersections where anybody and everybody can meet.
The root of the word “community” comes from Old French comunete and its source, Latin communitas from communis, meaning ‘public spirit, shared in common/by all or many’ (Oxford Dictionary Of English, 2014).
If we enter more deeply into the definition, “community” is a social unit with commonalities. Communities tend to share a sense of place in a given geographical area, which for the purpose of this article is Lowertown.
Relations are extended beyond immediate genealogical ties to define a sense of community. Therefore, I turn to you, my community, my Lowertown kindred. What do we share in common? What do we collectively view as important and wish to put some of our life energy into? I invite you to be actively present and engaged in our community. This compact, densely populated rectangle is surrounded by green spaces: Bordeleau Park to the north, Major’s Hill Park to the west and the Rideau River Eastern Pathway to the east.
The LCRC has been serving this neighbourhood for decades. Our main location is at 40 Cobourg Street, but we also have space at 145 Beausoleil, in the basement of York Street Public School and at 201 Friel Street (the Youth Centre). Some employees have been at the LCRC for 20 years and have witnessed the community change over that time. Programs have come and gone, and some still remain. Different waves of new Canadians have moved through the neighbourhood. A formerly dominantly Francophone community is now increasingly diverse. The desire and mandate to serve and promote community engagement are still central pillars of the work that we do.
Unfortunately, this year we lost funding for all of our physical recreational activities for seniors and youth, from stretchy yoga and upbeat Zumba for seniors to Aquafit for women (many of whom were new to swimming) to basketball and multi-sport afterschool programs for youth 12 to 21 (which used to offer snacks and drinks and a space to develop skills), the Swordfish Swim Club, which taught many kids how to swim and progress through different levels, some eventually becoming lifeguards and definitely learning valuable life-saving skills.
At the LCRC, your community centre, we pride ourselves on making all of our services free to anyone in the neighbourhood. I am reaching out to you, as a member of this community, and asking if you have a desire to get involved and work with us to improve the quality of life of the residents of Lowertown. Do you have any ideas, suggestions or inspirations you’d like to share? If so, please stop by at 40 Cobourg Street, where we can chat and brainstorm and work together. Our strength is community. Our programs connect people and make our community better and stronger. I am grateful to be a part of such a vibrant, diverse and caring community!
Catherine Mageau-Walker is Special Projects Coordinator at the LCRC