Although the 30 cm of snow that walloped Saskatoon this past weekend may not seem particularly spring-like, by tomorrow it should all be a soggy memory and we can enjoy the rest of the season in peace. Good thing, as there are a bevy of upcoming community events to get you outside and moving!

A Tale of Two Neighbourhoods

Two of Saskatoon’s historic neighbourhoods, Nutana and Riversdale, are separately holding community engagement events this coming week. As it happens, I live in the former and work in the latter, so I’m incredibly thankful that they are scheduled for separate nights so I can attend both!

First up is Nutana Talks: An Evening of Creative Community Building, hosted this Wednesday, April 29, by the Nutana Community Association at École Victoria School. The focus seems primarily on arts and culture, with a presentation by a theatre group that has been interviewing local residents about life in the community. The event starts at 6:30pm and the poster promises dotmocracy!

Skip across the river the following evening (April 30) for Riversdale Love’s kickoff event. Riversdale is the home to my home away from home, which gives me a front-row seat to the rapid changes happening to the neighbourhood. Riversdale Love is a response to these developments that aims to “connect diverse people in conversations about the future of Riversdale”. Twelve speakers, including representatives from local non-profits and businesses, artists, developers, and community members, each get 6 minutes and 40 seconds (20 slides x 20 seconds) to answer the question “What is your vision for the future of Riversdale?”. I have heard from a reliable source that there will be audience participation involving sticky notes: how could a community-engaged researcher not attend?

Jane’s Walk

Created in honour of urbanist Jane Jacobs, this worldwide event supports citizen-led walking tours that encourages people to tell stories, connect with neighbours, and learn more about their cities. This year, there are 15 such walks being hosted in Saskatoon from May 1-3, covering everything from urban forests to history of LGBTQ activism to the impact of infill. Maybe next year we can organize a walk highlighting the history of for-impact people and organizations in our city?

Netwalk

The weather should be nice, so let’s keep walking! On May 6, Colludo’s Sheena Greer, together with Paul Nazareth of Canada Helps and David Kravinchuck of Fundraising Pharmacy, will host a Nonprofit “Netwalk”. Networking while going for a stroll along the beautiful South Saskatchewan makes perfect sense – well, at least at this time of year! Show up at the Farmer’s Market next Wednesday, May 6 at 7:45 with comfortable shoes.

Now that spring is here, how are you (re-)connecting with your community, however you define it? Share in the comments below or continue the conversation on Twitter!