The city paid thanks to almost 50 local residents on Wednesday evening during a presentation of its Celebrating Good Neighbour program. The program encourages people to nominate others who make their neighbourhoods better places to live.
Angie Dedrick, the neighbourhood development co-ordinator with St. Albert’s Family and Community Support Services, explained that it’s one of the department’s neighbourhood development initiatives. It’s all intended to improve many aspects of community living, starting with how well people know one another within their own neighbourhoods.
“It helps our communities and our neighbourhoods feel safe and secure. It also promotes a sense of well-being in our neighbourhoods,” she said.
Charles Tye was one of the people recognized. His nomination outlined how he always lends a hand, particularly by cleaning the snow from sidewalks on his entire cul-de-sac after major snowfalls. He is also known for always lending a hand and is so apt at appearing at just the right moment that his nominator, Nicole Craft, suggested that he might have a “neighbour sense” like a “spidey sense.”
“It just makes the community a little bit stronger,” Tye said. “When you’re out mixing with the other people, you get to know them better. It’s safer for everybody. It also makes it more attractive for people to move in and feel secure. It really does boast of what St. Albert has to offer when you come here.”
He also said that he’s always happy to lend a hand or let a neighbour borrow a tool.
“It’s a lot better when you communicate with your neighbours and get along. It’s kind of like paying it forward. It has a large ripple effect.”
Craft agreed, saying that the whole neighbourhood’s sense of pride in itself goes up with people like Tye on the block.
“It seems like everybody helps each other out. Charles is just one of those guys… we can always count on him. There’s a few of us that need more help than others. He just seems to take over and make our lives a whole lot easier.”
The City's Good Neighbours
Don Ayliffe, John and Maria Cabral, Colleen and Brendan Fingler, Holly MacDonald and Patrick Wassill, Lorie Garritty, Phil and Stacy Giroux, Jean Halbauer, John and Tracy Kociuba, Alvin McColman, Bill and Annie Nelson, Manfred and Carol Offers, Robert Pelletier, Eugene (Butch) Perfect, Debi Reinhardt, Vince and Karen Sinclair, Laurent, Terry, Shaun and Danica Tremblay, Charles Tye, John Vanburen, <br />Glen and Anne Vey, Derrick White and <br />Moe Wolff.
