Stephen Thirlwall
When we work together in our local community, we can attack problems that might otherwise appear insurmountable.
This contributes to a community vision, in which we can work collectively on bigger actions or take small actions alone. This makes our community more beautiful, healthier, friendlier, safer, integrated, and well functioning – and helps us learn new skills.
Each person can choose what they can contribute; everyone participates in the community dialogue. Together, we form a strong and capable force and develop strong friendships, trust, and respect for each other.
Starting a new season
Centretown has many opportunities to become engaged in activities that benefit community life.
You can serve on a community association committee; assist social agencies like food banks or health centres; participate in public meetings on city issues; volunteer for neighbourhood projects; or beautify the neighbourhood through your lovely garden.
Specifically, there are many opportunities with the Centretown Community Association (CCA) and its Trees, Greenspace and Sustainability Committee (T&G).
Dundonald Park
T&G’s Dundonald Gardening Group develops and maintains the flower, shrub, and tree gardens within the park. A lead gardener guides volunteers in cleaning the gardens and surroundings, planting, trimming, mulching, watering, and advancing garden designs. Teams usually go out once a week, but some members may go on their own to do small jobs. In December, there is a tree decorating program and party.
Together with the Centretown Community Health Centre, T&G also holds large spring (Earth Day) and fall fairs in Dundonald Park. Extensive planning goes into these. Volunteers prepare displays, manage information tables, and provide activities for children, youth and adults, as well as refreshments. There are book readings and arts and crafts for children, and often music, dancing, theatre, magic shows, or even meditation. Presenters engage with the public on environmental, arts, and community topics. Volunteers are needed to set up and take down displays and tables, assist with presentations, or just attend as individuals and families who come to enjoy the fair. Much fun, learning, and socializing happens.
NeighbourWoods
NeighbourWoods is a major project to map and assess all trees of a certain size within the boundaries of Centretown. This involves a project leader, various assistant planners, several tree survey teams (usually three to five people each), and data managers, who check and compile the information from the field teams. So far, work has been in the Golden Triangle and West Centretown, where about 2,400 trees have been assessed over three years. Each team determines its own schedule based on the weather and availability of participants – typically, about two hours once a week.
The field teams have also identified locations for possible tree planting.
Each season, NeighbourWoods volunteers prepare a final report for the public and the City of Ottawa. to promote further tree planting and the city’s Trees in Trust program that offers free trees to residents.
Last fall, several individuals made a quick “street tree” survey of all of Centretown north of Laurier Avenue. A number value was given to each block (both sides of the street) to show how many properties had trees.
These teams are encouraged by the welcome they receive while surveying from residents, who frequently start conversations about their trees and the community.
Envisioning Green Networks
A proposal is being informally discussed to further “green” and beautify the community by encouraging more gardens in Centretown, envisioning networks of garden-lined streets across downtown. Hopefully, a more formal group will emerge to begin concrete steps to evolve this process.
This involves establishing community-based flower and/or vegetable gardens, increasing the number of front-yard flower and shrub gardens, and planting varied tree species. Some individuals are researching small “urban forests.”
Associated with this idea are the existing Frank Street Bee and Butterfly Garden, a small Lisgar Parkette garden, development of public and greenspaces along Elgin Street, the Elgin Street summer market, the gardeners who care for St. Luke’s Garden, the temporary Off-Bank Community Garden, and the community gardens at McNabb Park.
We have many wonderful gardens in Centretown but many more are still needed. Start small. Get cuttings, seeds, or full plants from neighbours – or just put in a few lovely annuals. From my own experience, passers-by greatly appreciate these gardens and say how much they love them.
Interested in joining any of these projects? Contact the CCA at ccca@centretowncitizens.ca , and attend Dundonald Park Earth Day on April 20 and speak directly with some of the current volunteers.