Do you know your neighbours? Having lived in the same Battleford neighbourhood for more than 25 years, I can say I know most of my neighbours. But then, our neighbourhood is fairly static, with only a handful of houses changing hands during the time we’ve lived there.
Other neighbourhoods in the Battlefords are more fluid, with people moving in and out on a regular basis. It is a challenge to create a sense of community under those circumstances, but the City of North Battleford and the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design committee is working to do just that.
They’ve begun the process with community barbecues designed to bring neighbours together in a friendly atmosphere of food and fellowship in a bid to foster relationships. Block parties are also encouraged throughout the summer months. The goal is to create supportive communities where residents feel they belong.
Formalizing areas of the city into neighbourhoods is another step in that process. Some neighbourhoods are already easily identifiable, others are new. The four new areas identified have been named after consultation with First Nation elders and other community members and leaders.
They are:
Kinsmen Park – One of the biggest parks and landmarks of the community. The neighbourhood identifies with the park and this was the main suggestion from the public during the public consultation.
Sapp Valley – This name was recommended from the elder group to be named after the late Allen Sapp, a prominent figure in North Battleford and world-renowned Indigenous artist.
Paciwin – The Cree name of John B. Tootoosis, a highly regarded Indigenous rights advocate who went on to become a senator.
Yellow Sky – Chief Yellow Sky was a highly regarded First Nation leader who wanted the best for his people when their land was being settled by non-indigenous people.
Kinsmen Park, Sapp Valley and Paciwin are all located in the heart of the city, while Yellow Sky designates the southeastern edge of North Battleford encompassing Gold Eagle Casino and Gold Eagle Lodge.
Now the names are in place and the boundaries designated, the real work begins. Building the relationships and interaction that will create a sense of community among people living in those areas will need to be ongoing.
The City says the neighbourhood boundaries of the new neighbourhoods as well as existing areas — Killdeer Park, Fairview Heights, Maher Park, McIntosh Park, Centennial Park, College Heights, Deanscroft, Riverview and Downtown — have been submitted to Statistics Canada. That agency was able to use the geographical reference points to break down North Battleford’s census data. The City is using that information to create neighbourhood profiles that will provide a look at the demographics and well-being of each neighbourhood.
Studying that data will give the City and CPTED information they need to plan strategies for creating bonds within the neighbourhoods. College Heights, for example, is the city’s youngest neighbourhood and has the highest population.
The focus is community safety and the theory is that once neighbours get to know one another they will be more likely to look out for one another, to keep a sharper eye out for unusual or unwanted activity and to report that activity to the authorities.
Get to know your neighbours and do your bit to help make the community safer and a place we can take pride in.
