Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The particular challenge of Jasper's neighbourhoods is that while there are many established homeowners, there is also a notable segment of seasonal workers.聽
That's just one facet of the disconnect that can be felt from Cavell Court to Cabin Creek Drive. That's also where the municipality's Community Outreach Services (COS) hopes to step in and help people to bridge the gaps.
COS has a brand-new program called Neighbourhood Connections that is looking to foster the friendships and the friendliness that is so vital for having a healthy community overall.
"After COVID, the loneliness and isolation that we've seen in our community has definitely increased, so to focus on strengthening neighbourhoods, to decrease that isolation and promote some resilience and focus on building neighbourhood connections was really important; we came up with a couple of different ideas," said Beth LeBlanc, Community Outreach Services manager.
"One of them was to help people promote community connections through having a block party."
Through funding from Alberta Health Services, COS is encouraging Jasperites to apply to the program to help with costs of hosting their own block party or neighbourhood barbecue or any neighbourly gathering in the park.
Funding up to $200 is available to applicants for the next three years of the program.
"It's essentially getting your neighbours together to get to know one another in the hopes to make neighbourhoods more socially connected, and then have people experience less loneliness and isolation because then they meet some of their peers and some of the people in their community," LeBlanc said.
There is already one block party that is in the works, and LeBlanc hopes that more people will sign up to host one of their own before the end of summer.
COS is also offering a Welcome Bag for people who are new to town.
The bag contains a wealth of resources and information along with some coupons that have been donated by some local businesses.
"If you have a new neighbour moving into your community, then you can come down to Community Outreach Services and pick up a bag to give to them," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc and her team took ideas from a similar program in Okotoks as they built this new initiative.聽
"We're hoping that over the three years that we have this grant that people take advantage of the program as they create an engaging activity for the neighborhood, and they build connections through it," LeBlanc said.
People can call Community Outreach Services at 780-852-2100, stop by the office at 627 Patricia Street, or go online at to learn more.聽
They can also visit COS's page at for other community supports.
Everyone is encouraged to check out the monthly and to help build Jasper as a neighbourly place to live and work.
