Calgary Real Estate Blog

With technology as ubiquitous as it is, it has never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family, no matter how far apart they are spread. Indeed, a little time on Facebook can catch you up on the adventures of 50 or more acquaintances in a matter of minutes, and lets you share pictures and commentary on your life’s highlights just as easily. Of course, there’s still a great deal of value in face-to-face interaction, which requires a whole different skill set than does navigating the online world. One area where we all could probably put this into practice a little more is in our relations with our neighbours.

Despite shrinking lot sizes forcing suburban homeowners together, most of us make only passing acknowledgement of our neighbours; sure, we’ll say hi if we’re both on our decks at the same time, but usually that’s as far as the relationship goes.

Nothing wrong with that, and, indeed, it’s human nature for most of us to want to stick to our own business. However, fostering a healthy relationship with those living on either side of us can have a multitude of benefits. We might strike up a long-lasting friendship after discovering a neighbour with similar interests, or our kids might more often have playmates on short notice. A familiar neighbour will watch out for your house when you’re on vacation, maybe even cutting the lawn and watering your flowers. They might be able to watch your children in the event of an emergency. If nothing else, a neighbour is someone you can chat with on the front porch over a six-pack.

But how do you develop such a neighbourly relationship? If you’re not a naturally extroverted people person, it’s going to take some effort, but the benefits can be worth it. A good day to start would be Saturday, June 18 – officially decreed as Neighbour Day by the City of Calgary. Began in 2014 to celebrate Calgary’s unprecedented community spirit after the floods touched so many communities, Neighbour Day has become an annual tradition. The City lists some ideas for celebrating Neighbour Day, including block parties and neighbourhood clean-ups, right here. They even waive permit fees for hosting those block parties.

But really, any day can be Neighbour Day with just a bit of effort. If you’re grilling up some burgers on a sunny afternoon, and you notice a neighbour is home, why not invite them over for an easy supper on the deck? If you have a big ladder, offer to help the guy across the street who’s struggling with his Christmas lights. Put the sprinkler on the front lawn and have your girls go knock on the door of the neighbour with kids around the same age. Bake some cookies and deliver them to the family who just moved in last week. These are all small, easy gestures that can go a long way to developing lasting bonds that benefit everyone. Go ahead, be a good neighbour.

Looking to move somewhere you can practice these skills? Contact me today!

Despite sensational headlines and the occasional, truly shocking and tragic violent crime (of which there have been two too many in recent months), it bears a reminder that Calgary is a remarkably safe place in which to live. Our crime rate, along with the rest of the country, has been on a downward slope over the past 40-plus years, and last year our fine city was ranked 25th out of 33 cities in terms of crime rate (Toronto had the lowest number of crimes-per-100,000 people, while Kelowna, BC had the highest).

Surely there are a multitude of factors contributing to our safe streets. Effective policing, especially on the prevention side, our mayor’s efforts to build a greater sense of community through things like Neighbour Day, the high rate of employment and relatively good wages available, even our cliched-but-true notion of cowboy hospitality. Are there some neighbourhoods that are rougher than others? Sure there are, as there would be in any city. But they’re all pretty safe, especially compared to pretty much anywhere south of the border.

As we grieve, en mass as a city, for Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents, along with the five university students murdered at a party in April, it’s important to maintain perspective with regard to how violent – or not violent, as the case may be – Calgary is as a whole. There will always be senseless crimes in the world, but there will also be inspiring feats of generosity and caring, and in Calgary the latter greatly outnumbers the former.

As part of the efforts to commemorate 2013’s epic flood, and the epic outpouring of community spirit and fellowship that followed, Mayor Nenshi has dubbed June 21 as Neighbour Day, named, according to the city’s official website,”in honour of the overwhelming community spirit that rose against the waters,” which is a pretty good line.

Some in my community, and many others I’d imagine, are planning a block party, and the city is waiving the $25 permit fees for such events on this special day. There are tools and templates, and other information available at the city’s site. If you plan on hosting a party, you’d better get cracking.

To keep up-to-date on Neighbour Day events, follow the official Facebook event page and the hashtag #yycNeighbourDay on Instagram and Twitter.