Community Conversations
March 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate the way we live and work as we move through the first few months of 2021.
The project team has continued to move forward with the concept design process for the site and is continuing to learn more about the Weston neighbourhood while adhering to COVID-19 public health protocols and guidelines.
We are all adopting new ways of working and doing things a bit differently by evolving and making changes in how we connect during these past almost 12 months of living with COVD-19. The project team has created new ways of staying in touch and the project website is just one example. Westonpark.ca has been visited by 971 unique visitors and had 3,110 page views since its launch seven months ago. Thank you for visiting the website and learning about our partnership and its progress.
Our community liaison point person, Marilyn McCrea, has been connecting via telephone, exchanging emails, virtually on Zoom meetings and one-on- one walks with community members and stakeholders - as the public health protocols allowed.
Winter Top Conversation Topics:
The cancellation of the iconic Santa Claus parade for the first time in 42 years;
Food scarcity due to interruption of prepared meals, coffee and snack programs and closures of foodbanks;
The resiliency of WAES and its successful GoFundMe campaign, which included Castlepoint Numa and the Weston Park Baptist Church as contributors; and
The warm community welcome to Amazing Mart African and Canadian Fine Foods, a new centrally located fresh produce food store.
BY THE NUMBERS
280 Emails
35 Telephone Chats
9 Drives around the neighbourhood
4 Walks – residential streets, trails, public spaces, shopping area 68 Visits to Weston related websites/social media pages
Conversations continue to be wide open, wide-ranging chats while being enlightening and engaging so thank you all for your willingness and time. These conversations and chats have provided a trove of learnings and appreciation for the needs/wants and wishes of the neighbourhood.
We have had great one-on-ones with a host of people who live and/or work in Weston from all walks of life and all ages, including:
Individuals
Association leaders
Members of families: Together and one-on-one
Business leaders and business operators
Co-workers
Educators
Essential workers
Volunteers
Weston Park Baptist Church goers/staff
Youth
Seniors
Long-time and newer residents
Homeowners and tenants
Community event organizers
Law enforcement/crime prevention officers
Social services workers
As we move into the coming months, our community liaison’s efforts will continue to expand further afield from the immediate vicinity of West Park Baptist Church and reach out throughout York-South Weston area to make connections with individuals who see themselves as connected and committed to the area in different ways.
More recent conversation topics:
History of Weston community (dating back to the 1700s) continues to be shared
The Intersection – Weston and Lawrence - traffic congestion/safety for pedestrians and particularly at night
Impact of COVID-19 on family life, liveability, routines, commercial viability
Rich diversity of residents – food, culture, and customs
Distinct parts of the neighbourhood and how they co-exist and types
of residential housing/affordability
Types of retail/commercial – availability of grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, services, and changes to ‘the Main”
Community events: Farmers Market; Santa Claus Parade; Artscape; Shakespeare in Action; Busker Fest; Neighbourhood BBQs – what they mean and how they bring the community together and the future viability of community events/programs
Green spaces and parks – winter recreation activities such as skating, sledding, and hiking trails
Gathering places – the availability of hubs, meeting places and opportunities to gather and connect through experiences
Recreation, cultural and entertainment options in Weston
The future – what it must include, what it could be and what will make it even more of a place to live, work, visit and invest in.
As we move towards spring, we hope that it will soon be safe again to meet in person. In the meantime, if you’d like to chat with us, please send us an email at weston@castlepointnuma.com anytime and we can set up a call.