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ARCHIVES
Journey With the Downtown
Community
by Beverly Zubot
Silent strangers walked by as I sat on a street bench on my first day as a Downtown Community Coordinator, five
and a half years ago. Having no office gave me a perfect reason to soak in the sun while reading the “Capital City
Downtown Plan”. It was quite clear that the plan was to revitalize downtown by bringing more people to live here.
The Community Coordinator was to establish a community development program to create a sense of community downtown,
and to work with residents to establish a formal community organization if they so desired. As I watched people
disappear into their locked apartment buildings without a nod of recognition to their neighbours, I wondered what
challenges lay ahead for Mary Jane Buchanan and I who shared the position of Community Coordinator.
The excitement far outweighed any challenges encountered. I completed my role as Community Coordinator, December
2003, with great satisfaction, and would like to say thank you to everyone who has participated in the many community
events, meetings and projects in the last five years. Thank you for taking me along on your journey to create a
vibrant neighborhood.
As I was saying farewell to many downtown folks, they asked me to tell them the history of their residential community
and its organization — the Downtown Edmonton Community Association (DECA). Why did Downtown not have a neighborhood
organization before? How did it get started and evolve?
Let me take you back in time. Downtown has always had a residential community. Many families lived in homes in
the McKay area, south of 100th Avenue and belonged to one of the first Community Leagues formed in 1929. The neighbourhood
was totally transformed in the 1970’s. Houses were replaced by apartments, hotels, office towers or roads. The
Community League facilities were removed to make way for major roadways and the James McDonald bridge. Having lost
their community facilities and many of their community leaders, the Community League folded. It was eventually
reborn in the Rossdale area south of 97 Avenue. On paper, Downtown residents were part of the Rossdale Community
League, but functionally they were not. The final blow to the community came when McKay School was closed in the
1980’s.
The new apartment dwellers were left without a neighbourhood organization, community park, hall, or school to help
create a sense of community. Thus, it is not surprising that people asked for a community development program to
revitalize Downtown.
The community development program created opportunities for neighbours to interact, discover common interests,
and work together to shape their neighbourhood. One of the first moves was to put up a poster inviting people to
“Come Create Community Fun”. A handful of folks showed up to plan a neighbourhood get-together. They decided upon
a Cornfest, which has become an annual event. Resulting from the feedback at the Cornfest, other ways to connect
with neighbours were introduced: weekly coffee gatherings, drop-in volleyball, and a community walk-about to assess
how to make empty downtown spaces more people friendly.
On a sunny October day, 1998, over a dozen people toured downtown’s open spaces. Each parking lot, vacant lot and
existing parks sparked ideas for creative alternative uses, including playful interactive art, water play, space
for a community centre and market, a meditation park, and a community garden with room for picnic tables, gazebo
and active recreation space for activities like beach volleyball or horseshoes. Out of all the ideas, the priority
for the group was the community garden.
There were several community meetings throughout the winter to discuss every aspect of the garden — location, design,
philosophy and resources. The garden group obtained startup grants, and in the spring of 1999 they turned a vacant
lot into a garden paradise and community park. The Our Urban Eden Garden has continued to be an essential part
of the residential downtown community. It has grown many community leaders as well as flowers, vegetables and neighbourhood
pride.
At the same time that the Garden idea emerged, so also did our neighbourhood newsletter. In December, 1998, the
Downtown Spirit newsletter was published by a talented resident and volunteer, Gwen Wolansky, who remained the
chief editor and layout person for five years. The newsletter continues to be the key communication tool for the
Downtown neighbourhood. The newsletter, delivered to every downtown apartment, publicized Community-Wide Gatherings
that were held nearly every month in the first half of 1999. These Gatherings provided an opportunity for neighbours
to get to know each other, discuss local issues, develop common visions and plan community activities. Very quickly,
people became interested in forming a formal neighborhood organization. At a Community-Wide Gathering held April,
1999, twenty-six residents agreed on both a name and a mandate for an organization that has as its key purpose:
“to enhance and maintain the quality of downtown life”. Specifically the Downtown Edmonton Community Association
(DECA) would strive to:
1. Establish activities and attain space for activities that encourage interaction amongst
residents to create a vital neighbourhood.
2. Promote involvement of downtown residents in neighbourhood issues, including:
a. Making the neighbourhood an attractive place to live
b. Addressing the need for services and facilities
c. Making the neighbourhood a safer place, and
d. Addressing housing issues.
A founding DECA committee was formed, bylaws were drafted and by August, 1999, DECA was registered as a non-profit
society.
Community people volunteered to help organize numerous social/recreational activities from softball, volleyball,
Tai Chi, social dancing, historic tours, games night and a summer Scavenger Hunt and BBQ as well as the fall Cornfest.
Although the primary focus of people in 1999 was to get to know each other, they also began to work on community
issues — the top priority of the time being safety. By mid 1999, the Safety Committee was meeting monthly. They
did safety audits which led them to lobby for a number of changes. They successfully got the City to trim back
the bushes covering the 104 Street stairs, replace hand-railing on the steep sidewalk corner of 103 Street/98Avenue,
demolish an abandoned house on 105 Street, and install an advance pedestrian crossing warning on 105 Street.
In the spring of 2000, the Safety Committee introduced the first annual Spring Cleanup of our downtown river banks.
It was the Committee’s belief that unkempt areas were unsafe areas and certainly the bushy slopes between 105 Street
and Bellamy Hill Road were neglected. The clean-up crew collected 115 large garbage bags of debris the first year.
Although the Safety Committee became less active over time, DECA continues to organize the annual Spring Cleanup
and a Safety representative continues to address safety issues on an ad hoc basis.
As the attention to safety issues subsided, the Arts and Beautification Committee emerged in 2000. This highly
energetic and creative group introduced an incredible number of projects which have become annual activities.
a) The group got the city to place a dozen flower planters on 104 Street, with the promise that DECA volunteers
would maintain the planters for years to come.
b) Over 50 people created a colorful community mural on the hoarding boards along 105 St.
c) Downtown in Bloom Awards were given to promote and recognize the efforts of people in brightening up their downtown
space through the use of flowers or plants and landscaping.
d) Along with the community garden, the Beautification Committee hosted the visit of the Community in Bloom judges.
The flurry of downtown community improvement projects was noticed. In August, 2000, the City of Edmonton presented
the neighbourhood with a Community Involvement Award recognizing the broad based involvement of residents in beautifying
their community. DECA was also the proud recipient of the “2000 Downtown Development Award” given by the Edmonton
Downtown Development Corporation, for “improving the quality of life downtown and the enjoyment of public spaces”.
By 2001, the Downtown residents had proven they could organize social activities and community improvement projects
that created a sense of community. The next challenge was to create a strong organization that could sustain these
community building efforts. The City believed that DECA was up for the challenge. In 2001, the City gave DECA,
rather than the Community Coordinators, the responsibility of implementing the community development project. DECA
became responsible for managing the funds, staff, and finding additional community resources.
DECA maintained most of the previous community activities while developing internally. DECA developed a business
plan, a comprehensive data base, a web-site, and most significantly, moved from a “virtual office” to a community
space at 107 Street/103 Avenue. The new coordinator, Barb Feagan, and several volunteers used their artistic skills
and plenty of elbow grease to transform the space into a community centre. This donated space remained home for
DECA until the building was converted to a condo in February, 2002,
at which time DECA moved to a small office space in the Birks Building.
At the same time, DECA’s funding for the year was cut in half, and it became clear that there would be no further
community development funding from the City. DECA was forced to cut back to one part-time coordinator, and to cut
other expenses. Despite the drastic budget cuts, DECA was able to maintain most community activities and projects
with the efforts of volunteers, and donation of resources.
By 2002, DECA was firmly established and ready to develop partnerships with other organizations in order to address
some of the broad community issues. DECA representatives joined a variety of inter-organizational groups including:
the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, the City’s Safety Committee, the City/s Rave Bylaw Review Committee,
the Community Garden Network, the planning group of the Sir Winston Churchill Square, and the City Market Advocacy
Group. In addition, DECA had representatives working with business associations.
DECA received a grant from the Community Animation Program of Health Canada and Environment Canada to do interviews
with potential organizational partners who could work with DECA to enhance the quality of the Downtown environment.
This led DECA to adopt a strategy to work on one street at a time. In 2002, DECA chose to “Focus on 104 Street”.
Every Monday night of the summer, volunteers sponsored by local property owners and businesses, cleaned 104 Street
and acted as ambassadors, promoting 104 Street as a clean, green, safe place to live.
By 2003, DECA was more than a voice on the street. DECA representatives were frequenting City Hall, and were becoming
well known by local politicians and the media. DECA representatives, and downtown residents in general were taking
every opportunity to lobby for community parks, as well as lobbying to save the treasured community garden, City
Farmer's Market and historic residential buildings. Some residents organized opposition to the proposed casino.
Residents in the rapidly developing Warehouse District searched for ways to introduce regulations that would ensure
higher quality developments — improved architecture, landscaping, while preserving the historic character of streets.
In October 2003, DECA joined the Federation of Community Leagues, clearly making DECA the organization for Downtown
residents, and of equal status to other Community Leagues in the City. This adds an interesting dynamic to be played
out in the future. I predict that DECA will be given the same serious consideration given to other Community Leagues
when they present to City Hall or the Development Appeal Board. The City will provide DECA with community land
as they have provided to other Community Leagues. DECA will be able to survive financially, using the same fund-raising
methods of other Leagues. Residents will stay involved with their League and continue to make Downtown the place
they want to live in. Will my predictions be correct? DECA’s future journey is up to you.
Thank you all for letting me be a small part of a successful downtown journey. A special thanks to the City Planning
Department and City Councillors who believed that people were the key to revitalizing downtown. Thanks to the churches,
historic McKay School, community organizations and businesses that supported DECA in so many ways. And above all
thanks to everyone who worked so hard as Board members or community volunteers. I was truly privileged to work
beside you. |
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