By Sandra Pilote
On two occasions in May, a mixture of residents and agency representatives collected at the Lowertown Community Resource Centre (LCRC) at 40 Cobourg for short strolls around the neighbourhood. These walkabouts organized by the Lowertown East Residents Committee have a decade-long history.
They were started to give residents east of King Edward Avenue an opportunity to meet together in a casual outdoor setting. The general goals continue to be the same over the years: to meet new people, identify spaces that could be improved or beautified, and promote a positive and safe community.
So the 2022 season began on Thursday May 12th and the plan is to continue the one-hour walks twice a month until September. The first walk involved 11 adults and 5 youth, and took participants to various community gardens starting at the Angel Square site and ending at 380 Murray.
The second walk on May 26th saw a major influx of our community youth, who far outnumbered the adults. These 20 energetic young people under the watch of their leaders Alana and Jacob took the few less energetic adults to various spots they had chosen. Along the way, the group identified graffiti and other problem areas, and ended after an hour in Jules Morin Park.
The June walks are currently planned for Thursday June 9th and 23rd starting at 6:00 pm at the LCRC. The aim is to continue every two weeks, so mark your calendar for July 7th and 21st and into August.
Maybe one of you has a favourite walk route that you would like to show others. The pressure is on to get adult residents out to at least try to match the numbers of the young ones. So, this is a shout out to all those adult residents who want to walk and who love a challenge.
Sandra Pilote is chair of the Lowertown East Residents Committee and can be reached at sandrapilote42@gmail.com