Words and photos generously provided by Westside Park Community BBQ organizer, Emma Shaw.
“When I think about the neighbourhood I grew up in, I fondly remember many summer BBQs, holiday gatherings, and whole-neighbourhood games of hide and seek. It was a place where everyone knew each other’s families and looked out for one another—neighbours helping neighbours. Westside Park is one of the few neighbourhoods in our valley that still retains a bit of that old-school charm. Street hockey games are played, and kids still knock on doors asking their friends to come out and play. In recent years, however, there have been many new faces moving in and out, and the common theme among neighbours was how many people we didn’t know. There was a shared wish for a gathering where we could all come together. Thanks to the generous support of the Columbia Valley Community Foundation, we were able to make that happen at the beginning of September. The event was a wonderful opportunity to meet many new neighbours. I saw people exchanging business cards, sharing phone numbers, and even arranging playdates. Over and over, I heard neighbours say, “We should do this again,” or “Why don’t we do more of this? It’s so nice seeing everyone and catching up.” There’s already talk of making this event an annual tradition, with ideas for a winter meetup and even an Easter egg hunt in the spring.“
The Westside Park Community BBQ project received funding through the Neighbourhood Small Grants program in 2024.
