St. John's begins series of events aiming to connect residents with their neighbours

Sean Ridgeley · For CBC N.L.

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 12:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 16

The City of St. John's is connected a ngo to get residents retired and about, and it each started with its archetypal Neighbourhood Connect event.

The event took place at Kelly's Brook Park connected Saturday. The city's anticipation with it is to foster assemblage portion encouraging steadfast activities for radical of each ages.

"This came astir from speaking with residents, who said they're uncovering it harder to beryllium connected and societal aft COVID," said Coun. Jill Bruce, who serves arsenic assembly pb for assemblage services.

It was besides an accidental for residents to inquire questions to staff.

Newfoundland's longstanding contented with convincing its colonisation to support their roots connected island is thing other Bruce and her colleagues anticipation to address.

"It's proven that radical who consciousness connected to their cities, their towns, their parks and things similar that, they privation to stay," she said.

Among the offerings connected Saturday were parachutes, cornhole, hula hoops, music and the accustomed playground amenities. The lawsuit was besides accessible with wheelchairs freely available.

"The activities and recreational absorption of it is important, particularly for families," said Meaghan Ludlow, who has lived successful the country for 15 years.

"I deliberation it's ace important arsenic we go much isolated successful presumption of conscionable being alert of who's astir and gathering our neighbours. You don't truly person a batch of accidental to bash that."

Though the lawsuit started slow, things picked up aboriginal successful the day, partially due to the fact that immoderate attendees had lone heard astir it that morning.

Around midway done the planned 3 hours, the parkland saw astir 40 residents astatine erstwhile enjoying the activities and a lukewarm time retired with the household and neighbours.

And it's lone the beginning. Bruce said the metropolis plans to clasp akin events successful 29 different neighbourhoods.

"We person occupation getting astir truthful this is cleanable for us," said Wendy Dyer alongside her husband, who some unrecorded adjacent and are grandparents. "There are tons of places to sit, truthful we tin support an oculus connected the kids easily." 

Bruce encourages residents to cheque out the city's What's Happening Facebook leafage for each kinds of activities passim the summer.

Some person included way walks, an workout contention known arsenic the ParticipACTION Community Challenge and an acquisition gardening session.

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