2020 Neighbourhood Summit
Media Release
For Immediate Release
FULL DETAILS OF HAPPY CITY ST. JOHN’S NEIGHBOURHOOD SUMMIT AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS RELEASED
St. John’s, NL, February 17, 2020: Happy City St. John’s, in support of neighbourhood organizing, is holding a public Neighbourhood Summit, Friday, February 21 (7:00pm-8:30pm) and Saturday, February 22 (9:30am-3:00pm). We are pleased to release the final schedule of events.
Free Public Presentation:
Friday, February 21, 7:00pm-8:30pm, Alt Hotel, 77 Water Street
Kicking off the Summit will be Halifax’s Lindell Smith, who, in 2016, became that city’s first black municipal councillor in 16 years. Councillor Smith started “The One North End Project”, an initiative to build a North End of Halifax that better prioritizes the needs of the region’s diverse populations. Councillor Smith will deliver the Summit’s opening address on the topic of “How can a community be truly welcoming? The role of government & community in supporting newcomers”.
Councillor Smith noted that “In both Halifax and St. John’s, we need to make sure that the government is doing what it can to support the newcomer residents. This comes with new policies, community engagement, programs, and more. This also means working with established neighbourhoods and residents to encourage collaboration and positive relationships”. Members of the public can register free of charge at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/how-can-a-community-be-truly-welcoming-a-talk-with-cclr-lindell-smith-tickets-92801117641
Neighbourhood Summit Sessions:
Saturday, February 22, 9:30am to 3:00pm, NLHHN, 77 Charter Avenue (Pleasantville).
Sessions include “Welcoming and Including Newcomers Panel”, “Planning a Neighbourhood Event”, and “Diverse Perspectives on Neighbourhood Challenges”. Please see below for the full schedule of the day.
A networking lunch will provide an opportunity for participants to meet each other and tour the Neighbourhood Fair, a collection of static and interactive displays. Lunch includes soup, sandwiches and desserts, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Catering is provided by the Network Cafe, a social enterprise run by the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network.
Registration for Saturday’s full day of sessions is open to the public. The public can register here – a $25 donation is suggested and tickets include a networking lunch. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/happy-city-st-johns-neighbourhood-summit-tickets-89479263887
Jen Crowe, Chair of Happy City St. John’s shares “Happy City St. John’s has spent the past year running consultations to understand the role that neighbourhoods play in welcoming newcomers to our city. This initiative, supported by the Fulbright Foundation, has allowed us to understand some of the barriers that newcomers face”. “This Summit”, she added, “enables community builders across the city to learn and share best practices on how to create inclusive neighbourhoods, and organize around building stronger, more welcoming neighbourhoods.”
For more information or to schedule interviews, contact:
Jen Crowe
Chair, Happy City St. John’s
chair@happycity.ca
709-764-6263
Included below: Neighbourhood Summit 2020 schedule
