La Croisée Community Association

For neighbours in the La Croisée Community of Gatineau, Québec

Volunteer

Category: Community Partnership

  • Parc La Croisée community storage project and support

    Prior to our park renovation in 2016, most neighbors agreed that our community storage shed will allow us to….

    • Centralize and increase the assets belonging to our community for events ;

    …and…

    • Facilitate the organization of our community events, meetings and other recreational initiatives;
    • Enhance our recreational capabilities, supporting health, cooperative friendship, community solidarity and our youth volunteers.
    LaCroiseeGathering

    You can help and volunteer.

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    Thank you, neighbours!

  • Our Community Bike and Neighbours Day was great!

    Our Community Bike and Neighbours Day was great!

         On June 9th, the weather was perfect for neighbours to gather in our 5th annual Community Bike and Neighbours Day in Parc de la Croisee. It was a great day for family fun and neighbours to relax and catch up with one another. And like all our community events, it was simply born by ideas supported by neighbours and volunteers. 

     

         Our community offers thanks to many generous and encouraging local sponsors and supporters for this event: City of Gatineau, Velo-Service, Mobi-O, Gatineau Police Department, Boston Pizza, Bicyclettes de Hull, Cosmic Adventures, Provigo Grocery (école culinaire), The General Store, Nectar des dieux and Head to Toe Massage.

         Thanks, once again, to Joseph Mouaikel (nieghbour) and Moe Atallah (Ottawa guest) who offered and prepared wonderful food at our event.

        Our community also greatly appreciated the visits by our special guests, Mr. Greg Fergus (Federal Liberal MP), Mr. André Fortin and family (Quebec Liberal MNA and Minister of Transport) and our local City of Gatineau Councillor, Mr. Mike Duggan.

    A special thanks also goes to Velo-Service and the Gatineau Police Department for their street safety support and education initiatives with children regarding bicycle safety and maintenance.

     

        Thanks, once again, to Angela Hager (Co-ordinator) and Melanie Brassard (Street Representative) who led coordination of this event, along with Community Association planning, advertising, and material support.

        Thank you, also, to all the volunteers who contributed to this event in so many ways. In particular, Jean-Philippe Richard (Association Treasurer), Lyne Forget-Lanthier, Mary Saghbini, Chad Butler, Joelle Cleroux, Emma Orawiec, Gaston Gagnon, Raymond Gagné, Tania Lambert, Jamie Hager, Halina Hager, Kevin Turcotte, Josee Sisson, Amelia (and Amelia’s friend), Amelie Brassard, Gaston Gagnon, and Tracy McCulloch. (There may be others who have volunteered spontaneously at the event – if your name is missing, please let us know.)  

    The favourite salad recipe:

    CabbageBlendSalad

     

  • Community storage shed update

    Community storage shed update

    The construction of a community storage shed in our park is a unique project. There is a history of community gatherings here in the La Croisée community and like them, the shed has a truth that is not often proclaimed. It is like a missed footnote to a text and that truth deserves better.

    La Croisée Community Storage

     

    In the winter of 2015-2016, our community association was shown a drawing for the park upgrade plan to be completed in 2016. Despite that being against normal protocol, that offering came with a caveat – don’t tell anyone.

    Upholding that promise, a community survey was released to simply gather the opinions of neighbours regarding thoughts on our current and potential public space – our parks.
    A report was then presented to the City that included a few questions to residents regarding the possibility of a community storage shed. (The full report can be found in the “Document Library”)

    ( From “Overview” in the La Croisée Community Survey Report – June 2016) 

    “… Designers have a great deal of knowledge that is infinitely more resonant when it is used to help everyday citizens articulate their needs and create public spaces that are responsive to the communities they serve.”  (Fred Kent, Project for Public Spaces, “Whom does design really serve” Oct. 3, 2012.)

    “Citizen Agency”

    There is enough cynicism and apathy but the truth is – without our neighbours coming together, participating, and offering support at events, registering, taking just a little bit of their time, helping with the survey, this project would not have been possible.

    It wasn’t perfect, not every single voice was heard but make no mistake, – the survey report was recognised. It reverberated with the City administration. They heard a legitimate voice speak for a possible shared benefit: a public good proclaimed to be so, by a significant number of our community members.

    The City of Gatineau employees then respectfully, with expertise and resources, incorporated the shed foundation and electrical supply into our park upgrade. This was done with available funding within the original work – all in support of this project for our community.

    We can feel like it’s just a symphony of problems and complaints, but when citizen agency (the ability to act) is locally enabled, a vacuum can be filled if we learn and engage in a respectful and legitimate manner. The truth is – it works. Of course, it comes with legal responsibilities, design and budgetary constraints, effort, and it’s slow – but it does work.

    Current update:

    • The existing foundation will soon be extended 1.5M further into the park from the property line.
    •  Our Community Association will be paying for this shed, sub-contracting it’s construction and donating it to the City. 
    •  Our community will take care of it and hold the key to it’s doors. Our events will be easier to organise , over time our resources improved, more recreation will be possible along with spontaneous get togethers. For example: “There’s a 5à7 barbecue in the park tonight, all are welcome!” 
    • Specific details of the agreement will be made clearer when official documents are in hand very soon, until then, the shed will likely not be in place until the spring. 
    •  We will have all winter to raise our funding and complete the planning for it’s “grand opening”. 
    • Thanks to the discretionary support of our past and present City Councillors, Richard Begin and Mike Duggan, our fundraising has received a generous boost.

    Even though it is a bit complicated and will have taken two years to be built, the shed will be created by our residents and a public administration that supports them.

    Together, if we take care of it responsibly, use it to it’s full potential, our community will be nurtured. And that is the other story in the offering we already know about community.

  • The Aylmer Food Bank says, “Thank you, La Croisee!”

    The Aylmer Food Bank says, “Thank you, La Croisee!”

    (Approximate translation of the original document received.)