By Juan Jose Manzo Ramirez
August 12th was a beautiful summer evening and about 200 people of all ages attended this amazing “Movie in the Park” event funded with money secured by the Lowertown East Residents Committee (LERC). They came with their chairs and blankets to watch Sing 2, a film with wonderful music, lively animation and an upbeat message about friendship.
Everyone, young and old, seemed delighted to be outside and together with others. It was a time when the community showed how united they can be when they have spaces to share with their neighbours. But it was the children who showed the real pleasure in hanging out with others: at times it looked like a big family gathering. The young ones sang, jumped, laughed and played with other kids. At the end of the movie, the audience clapped to express their enjoyment, asked for more movies and were reluctant to leave.
This event also provided an opportunity for our Lowertown Youth Connected group to step up as volunteers. This group was created as a result of the Youth Action Plan supported through the Lowertown Our Home project. Members helped with the distribution of flyers during the weekend prior to the event as well as during the movie. On the day of the event, they assisted with the set-up; they served hundreds of bags of popcorn, some provided by LERC and others provided by Councillor Mathieu Fleury’s popcorn maker; they then stayed to clean up the space after the movie.
The evening started with a short video focused on the activities of LERC, a group of community volunteers that over the last 15 years have worked to involve Lowertown East residents in building a safe and engaged neighbourhood. The movie–along with Winterfest and walkabouts and other endeavours–provides an opportunity for residents to get out of their homes and experience positive interactions with their neighbours.
If you are interested in participating, reach out to the LERC on Facebook @LowertownEastResidentsCommittee or email us at lowertowneast@gmail.com
Juan Jose Manzo Ramirez is Coordinator of the Lowertown East Residents Committee.