Skip to content

Know Your Neighbourhood

Ever wondered about who the people were behind the alphabetical street names in the Lake Trail area?

Ever wondered about who the people were behind the alphabetical street names in the Lake Trail area?

There are fascinating stories to be explored as part of place-making in the area.

Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections invites you to the next  Know Your Neighbourhood presentation on Local Heritage with Lawrence Burns, chair of the City of Courtenay Heritage Commission, on May 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the library at Lake Trail School.

Burns will speak about the value of preserving our local heritage and its contribution to neighbourhood character and liveability.

This presentation also kicks off of a neighbourhood heritage project to bring local seniors and students together to explore the area's history and share stories and skills between mentors and students.  Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections has received a $24,500 grant from the federal New Horizons for Seniors program that seeks to engage seniors in the community as mentors, promote volunteerism and support social participation.

A team of heritage mentors will guide the project. Beginning in September, students will use our community's history and the knowledge and skills of community members as the basis for learning research, writing and presentation skills.

Activities will include collection of oral history, photographs and documentation relating to the history of the area; hands-on heritage-based workshops for students and the community in pioneer crafts such as quilting, spinning and knitting, food production and preserving, basket-making and wood working.

Documentation will include Foxfire-style pamphlets and videos, posters, blogs and websites, photomontages and displays at the school. Students will share their computer and social media fluency with community members.

Community volunteers are needed to play a significant role in guiding the project.

Do you have a story or skill to share?  Would you like to learn more about our history, how to do research or make presentations? Do you enjoy the opportunity to meet neighbours and support our youth?

Anyone interested in participating in the project is invited to attend the presentation this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

You can also write to Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections at Lake Trail School, 805 Willemar Ave., Courtenay V9N 3L7, leave a message at 250-334-3168, e-mail laketrailvision@gmail.com, visit  www.laketrailconnect.ca or check it out on FaceBook.

— Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections