News Release
HRM Launches New Civic Pride Initiative
(Wednesday, May 14, 2008) Today, Mayor Peter Kelly and Dan English, HRM's Chief Administrative Officer, launched a new civic pride initiative for HRM called Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods. They were joined by Councillors, business and education leaders, non-profit partners and HRM staff at the Ward 5 Neighbourhood Centre in North end Halifax to support and celebrate the initiative.
"Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods is about celebrating the great things residents are already doing to better their neighbourhoods," said Mayor Kelly. "It is also about inspiring residents to take positive action. When neighbourhoods are filled with good neighbours who look out for one another, the result will be healthy and safe communities."
By promoting values central to being a good neighbour, the Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods initiative aims to increase civic pride, improve the local environment, and encourage residents to participate in community life.
The theme of the initiative - "Great neighbourhoods don't just happen ... they happen one good neighbour at a time." - highlights the need for a personal commitment to creating welcoming, safe, vibrant neighbourhoods where we live, work and play.
"Many of HRM's neighbourhood initiatives rely on citizen participation to be successful - the Anti-Litter Campaign, Community Art Project, Vision HRM, and the Safe Communities Project, just to name a few," said Dan English. "HRM will support residents' efforts to make a difference in their community by providing them with tools and resources they've told us they need."
A new website for this initiative, www.myhrm.ca , encourages neighbours to share their Good Neighbour Stories, highlights volunteer opportunities available with the Municipality, and gives neighbours a forum to share tips, ideas, thoughts and resources.
A Neighbourhood Toolkit, that will be available both online and at customer service centres, recreation centres and libraries, is designed to be a "how to" guide for popular neighbourhood activities such as organizing a neighbourhood clean up, a block party and how to start a neighbourhood association.
In addition to launching the initiative, three Sackville brothers, Kelly MacNeil, 16, Wesley MacNeil, 15 and Adam MacNeil, 12, were recognized for spearheading a campaign to see the Beaver Bank Skate Park built in the summer of 2007. Cheryl Leadlay of Sackville's Children's Learning Centre and Councillor Krista Snow, District 2, Waverley/Fall River/Beaver Bank, were on hand to publicly thank the boys on behalf of their community.
For more information on the Good Neighbours, Great Neighbourhoods initiative, please visit the website at www.myhrm.ca .
Contact:
Mayor Peter Kelly
490-4010
John O'Brien
HRM Corporate Communications
490-6531
