How long have you lived in Bridgeland-Riverside? What do you like about living here?
My spouse John Humphrey and I moved here 6 years ago. We were looking for a more walkable neighbourhood, had always liked Bridgeland-Riverside, and had family here. The move turned out even better than we expected. We love that Bridgeland-Riverside is like a village, with diverse people and housing, and is close to the river and city centre, but relatively peaceful. We spent almost 30 years in a suburban community and within 6 months we knew more people here.
How did you get involved in volunteering in our community?
As many people have already answered, Deb Lee got me involved. I joined the Wednesday evening walking group when we moved in, and Deb gently nudged me into most of my activities. Deb is such an asset to our community!
What kind of volunteer activities have you done?
I started helping with the park weeding group and the litter pick-ups. Then I became one of the co-leaders of the walking group, with Deb and Nony. Last year I helped with the parks review group, looking at ways to improve our parks, especially with the increased need for outdoor space during the pandemic. I’ve helped move the Piazza furniture into winter storage. This May, John and I directed traffic at the community cleanup. Sometime in there I became a member of the Beautification Committee, and am now the lead for their Tree group.
What ideas do you have for volunteering in the future? What interests or excites you?
I am interested in the environment, as I guess you can tell from my activities. I get oddly excited about litter pick-up, as all the plastic we pick up is not going into the river, so not into the ocean. We can make a difference globally as well as locally!
My current project with the Beautification Committee Tree group is just starting. Although Bridgeland-Riverside has some magnificent trees, there are some trees showing signs of stress or dying, and lots of places that could take more trees. I think we have all noticed this hot summer how lovely the shaded streets are. Where trees have been removed, stumps have often been left that are tripping hazards. Our group of volunteers is walking all the streets, avenues and parks in Bridgeland-Riverside, looking for places on public land that don’t have trees and might benefit from having one, as well as assessing the health of the trees we already have and stumps that aren’t safe. We will work closely with the City of Calgary Urban Forestry program.
Homeowners will be involved in any recommendations for new trees near them, though as of the writing date in early August, we are still figuring out how to do that. Readers can contact us at trees@brcacalgary.org.
What would you tell others in the community about volunteering?
Volunteering is well worth it! You feel part of the community, not just someone who lives here, and you can make a positive change. Pick something you care about and go for it! The BRCA volunteer coordinator is the best place to start if you aren’t sure how to help. There are some tasks that are one-time tasks, and others that are ongoing, and you can find something that suits your level of commitment.
— Laura McLeod
We have great community volunteer leaders like Deb Lee and Ali McMillan, but they need our help to work their magic! If you are interested in volunteering, you can email membership@brcacalgary.org.
What do you like most about volunteering for the Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association?
The people—we have a great bunch of people who really care about the community. During the pandemic were you still able to do volunteer activities in a safe manner?
Yes! Last year we delayed the walking group until the Covid numbers were low, and we asked people to mask, since we knew we couldn’t all walk 2 meters apart. It’s a social activity! That worked out well. This year with higher vaccination levels, we aren’t requiring masks, but people can wear them if they prefer. Group activities like weeding and litter picking are outdoors and well-spaced. Meetings have been on Zoom or outdoors, or masked if indoors.
What is a hidden gem in Bridgeland-Riverside that you have discovered and would like to share?
The CNIB fragrant garden is a gem, and not everyone knows about it. Definitely worth regular visits. My favourite scent there is from brushing my fingers on the silver-leafed Artemisia at the entrance!