There are hopes at North Battleford City Hall to keep the volunteer spirit going well beyond the snow-shoveling season.
During the winter months, the city regularly recognizes 鈥淪now Angels鈥� who help clean their neighbours鈥� sidewalks during the winter months. The volunteers are recognized with letters from the city and one recipient is picked in a draw to receive a $50 gift card.
But that program only lasts while there is snow on the ground. With snow-shoveling season over, talk at City Hall has moved towards possibly putting in place a program that could be much like the Snow Angels, but recognize neighborhood volunteers year-round.
What it would look like remains to be seen. One idea floated at their council meeting on Monday was to revive the 鈥淣eighbourhood Champion鈥� program, which had been introduced at the tail end of Jim Puffalt鈥檚 time as city manager in 2018. It was an extension of the 鈥淓yes that Care鈥� program where people could nominate neighbours who watched out for their property and notify them about such things as unlocked vehicles or doors, or had looked after their property while on vacation.
Volunteers were then recognized by the city and a $50 gift card was awarded, but the program was discontinued due to staff changes and declining participation. Administration suggested that program could be brought back, with the possibility of widening the program and making the awards bi-monthly.
But councillor Kelli Hawtin was unimpressed by that idea, saying 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this is very exciting鈥�.
In particular, she wanted to see something that would encourage participation and where people took 鈥渙wnership鈥�.
Her idea was to include the 鈥淏etter Together鈥� group who had made a presentation at the previous meeting in March. That was the group that had T-shirts encouraging togetherness, with a view to improve a sense of well-being, decrease loneliness and enhance social cohesion.
Hawtin saw an opportunity to partner up with them as sort of a 鈥淏etter Together Neighbours鈥� initiative, and wanted to see a 鈥渧ery energetic program that really encourages people to want to do good things - not just have the same maybe 12 people participating month to month to get swim passes.鈥�
Mayor David Gillan was supportive of the idea of making Better Together 鈥渂igger鈥� and 鈥渕ore of a fabric of the community.鈥�
鈥淛ust wearing shirts is not enough 鈥� you鈥檝e got to have to live it, somehow,鈥� said Gillan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be more than just the shirts 鈥� people have to care about what the shirts mean.鈥�
No final decisions were made at the meeting on the issue. The indication at the meeting is the city intends to keep exploring the idea of such a program that could run year-round, which could include possibly forming a partnership with Better Together.
